Rochester-based Slumbers, an alternative indie rock band, is familiar to the Ithaca, N.Y. music scene after getting their professional start in the area in 2015. The group features original music that describes the minds of young adults.
Slumbers include Claire McClusky, an Ithaca College student, bassist and singer; Emma Willer, a Belmont University student, singer and guitarist; Sabrina Nichols, a Rochester Institute of Technology student, singer and guitarist and Stephen Ferm, a Rochester Institute of Technology student and drummer.
The band released their album “Come Over” in November. Nicols said they can relate a lot of their success to the honesty heard throughout their music.
“I think we just talk about ourselves and it’s stuff that we can relate to,” said Nichols. “We’re regular people so people can relate to it. We also listen to a lot of rap music, so maybe that has something to do with it.”
Although honesty is at the core of their music, the group said it can often be difficult to share such intimate pieces of their lives, especially when performing in their hometowns in from of a familiar crowd.
“It’s definitely scary but it’s gotten a lot easier, especially because we’ve become friends with a lot of other bands,” said Willer. “Our friendships are getting really close because we’re very open and together.”
Nichols said the band uses their music as a vehicle for audiences to understand that many people go through similar situations. Their current music touches upon issues like social anxieties and the search for happiness.
“I want our fans to not feel alone,” said Nichols. “A lot of people go to music shows to be part of a community, and they also like the music. Even though they’re from all over, you like the same thing and you automatically have this group of people that can talk about the same things.”
The sense of community that Slumbers has gained through their experiences in touring, especially in Ithaca, keeps the band confident and fresh.
“Moving around and meeting new people is my favorite part,” said Ferm. “We’ve met so many cool people through the band.”
The music they produce changes through their exposure to different places and experiences they have had along the way.
“Recently, I’ve thought a lot about different adventures we’re gone on and I’ve been writing a lot more upbeat songs,” said Willer.
Slumbers is able to share these new experiences with their growing fan base, as they have a new album that they hope to record in the summer and start their tour. They are heading to the U.K. and Amsterdam, Canada, Rhode Island, a few cities in New York and are ending in Ithaca.
