Slow Pulp

Slow Pulp is a Wisconsin-bred, Chicago-based indie rock quartet centered on singer and guitarist Emily Massey, guitarist Henry Stoehr, bassist Alex Leeds, and drummer Teddy Mathews. The event features music from *Yard*, the band’s second full-length album and first release for ANTI-, a record shaped by vivid sonic contrasts, emotional candor, and themes of isolation, self-acceptance, trust, and learning to rely on others.

The group’s shared history reaches back to childhood and local music programs in Madison, Wisconsin. Stoehr and Mathews met in elementary school, while both later crossed paths with bassist Alex Leeds through Good’nLoud Music. Massey joined during college at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The quartet began recording and performing together around the Midwest, releasing the lo-fi *EP2* in 2017 before relocating to Chicago, touring with Alex G, and issuing the full-length *Moveys*.

Slow Pulp’s development was interrupted by Massey’s struggles with Lyme disease and chronic mono, as well as her need to care for her parents after a serious car accident just before the COVID-19 lockdown. The band completed *Moveys* remotely, with Massey recording vocals alongside her father, Michael, in his home studio. They returned to that arrangement for *Yard*, valuing his musical insight and deeply personal understanding of the songs.

The album moves between upbeat, hook-heavy tracks and more vulnerable compositions. “Broadview” combines Americana with pedal steel from Peter Briggs, while Willie Christianson contributes harmonica and banjo. “MUD” is a propulsive pop-punk song, and the title track is a stark piano ballad built around Massey’s restrained vocals and eventual emotional release. Other songs explore insecurity, the search for love, and the gradual realization that self-worth cannot depend entirely on other people. The closing song, “Fishes,” offers a quiet meditation on acceptance and showing up for oneself.

When: November 12

Venue: Union Transfer

Tickets: Price not available

Lineup: Slow Pulp, featuring Emily Massey, Henry Stoehr, Alex Leeds, and Teddy Mathews

Music: The performance is associated with *Yard*, including songs such as “Doubt,” “Slugs,” “Broadview,” “MUD,” “Gone 2,” and “Fishes.”

Showtimes: Not provided

Run time: Not provided

Ages: Not provided

Accessibility: The source provides a general accessibility contact number, (888) 226-0076, for website accessibility issues. It states that this number is not a ticketing hotline.