VALLEY OF THE SLUTS - Don't Bitch With The Witch (Doom/Stoner - Interview with Mene).
- Hello ! Can you introduce yourself and tell us how it all began for you - your encounter with this musical universe, what appealed to you, what fascinated you and what made you want to get into music?
We are Valley of the Sluts, we´re a German 4-piece partially from Leipzig, partially from Berlin. We like to describe our music as “Dramatic Bitch Metal”.
Our journeys into music have been different, but we mostly started out in our teenage years - Judy (drums) started out with piano and later started drums in her 20s and also has been a concert organizer for Stoner Rock/Metal bands.
Eli (guitar) played bass in a band and is to this day active as a Techno Artist, Ela (bass) also sings and plays bass in a Post-Punk Band called Koprolith and Mene (Vocals) started out as a Singer-Songwriter, she also plays different instruments and hops on projects across genres.
We are mostly in our 30s and therefore aren´t quite “Newcomers” even though Valley of the Sluts is a rather new band. 
- Tell me about the band... How you met - the current line-up - past experiences - and above all - WHY the need to form THIS band?
All 4 of us were playing in different bands in the punk/grunge realm and crossed paths playing gigs and festivals with each other. Things started to form on two ends - Eli and Mene recorded a Darkwave track together and Judy and Eli started jamming out in the practice room, experimenting with heavier sounds. Finally we started writing together and a sound started to emerge that was different from the punk roots through which we met. What was special was that all of us brought different influences - from Darkwave over Stoner and Doom all the way to Glam Metal. It felt very freeing to work without a set sound in mind but rather have the subject matter and inspiration dictate where each individual song took us.
- Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all cost ?
Musically it could be described as Doom/Stoner metal infused with gothic and psychedelic elements and thematically it may be interesting for listeners that we like to explore a lot of heavy topics in a juxtaposition of quite ethereal multi layered vocals, partially infused with growls upon a bed of dropped down heavy bass and guitar and driving rythms. It keeps you on your toes due to the crossover nature as we are not afraid to mix genres.
- Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences ? How important are the lyrics for you ? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you try to develop and share through your lyrics ?
Each song often comes with its own background of processing feelings and connecting them to larger societal mechanisms. A recurring lyrical theme that started to emerge is dealing with the topic of “body" i would say - Believing instead of spending energy on trying to feel beautiful all the time,one can simply exist without judgment. This is often quite difficult to do in a society that is built around selling you products that rely on permanent “improvement” or matching ever changing standards (Example: Piece of Art) But it also bleeds into topics of chronic illness, mental struggles - not demanding an emotional high along the lines of self love all the time (Cut Without Blood, Six Feet Under).
Last but not least it becomes connected to the contradiction of putting yourself on a stage and on social media in the hopes of being seen but at the same time not always having the mental strength to endure the judgement that comes along with it. So there's two ways to react - on one hand being honest about those feelings, but sometimes putting on a different persona that helps build that confidence.
On another note we see ourselves as quite politically active, in and outside of music. It has become increasingly difficult as people get radicalized by stories that make them feel seen or righteous, even if those stories are false. When everyone has “their own truth,” it becomes almost impossible to agree on basic realities like climate science or structural inequality. So what we are trying to do is to create emotionally resonant music and build a community that values empathy while also holding space for anger and frustration (The Motherload, Lonely Road).
- About your latest release ?
October 2024 we released our debut album “Rise of the Slut” which is available on all major streaming platforms and a Deluxe Version is on Bandcamp. It was recorded in Leipzig with Arvid who also has a local Doomgaze Band called “War”. Mix and Master was in the hands of Till from Krachlabor Weimar. We are currently writing a follow up EP but it will take some time until we can announce further details - for now we are locking ourselves in our practice room for a little while.
- Your most insane dream with the band would be ?
Playing a festival like Stoned from the Underground or Desertfest would be awesome - but also a crazy dream would be to create a short movie with original music as a soundtrack that then later could be performed as a mix between a movie screening and concert at UT Connewitz which is one of the oldest german cinemas.
- Some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name ?
There are truly too many to name but a good start would be Coltaine, Aptera, Hellzel, Cosmother, Juke Cove, Red Mess,... Also Wasteland Haze - apart from their own music they made a playlist called “New Wave of German Stoner” with loads of cool stuff.
- Last word is yours..
No matter if it's us or other underground artists and bands - Live Music is such a wide field and there is for sure a local show for 10-20 Euros that you will love and that will appreciate you being there immensely over waiting in a queue to spend 400 Euro on Ticketmaster. Even if you have no idea who's playing we highly recommend you go explore your local scene and make some friends along the way - you might get surprised by what fantastic hidden gems may be hiding in a basement next door!
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