Staying Out West with Freak Slug
- Emma Zoe Polyak
- 21 hours ago
- 2 min read
Way Out West Festival took over Gothenburg, Sweden from August 13–15. The festival is notable for many reasons, one of which is Stay Out West, a series of performances taking place across the city in smaller venues. Each night, the festival spills out of the main festival grounds at Slottsskogen and into venues across Gothenburg, turning the hours after the festival into another event entirely. On Thursday night, Freak Slug was among the artists carrying that energy into the early hours, bringing her set to a room that felt much more personal than the sprawling festival grounds, but every bit as thrilling.
The caveat of the Stay Out West program is undoubtedly the late-night sets. Freak Slug’s set started at midnight, but that did little to deter the crowd from jumping and dancing around energetically. The venue was at capacity, with a long line of people trailing around the building in the hope of making it inside. Judging by the crowd, Freak Slug could have easily filled a much larger space.
Nevertheless, the intimacy of Folkteatern felt fitting – the lack of barricade had the crowd pushing forward, but it also meant that it was easier to feel swept up in the music. Freak Slug’s songs can feel deliberately loose and unpolished one moment, then unexpectedly tender the next, falling somewhere between indie rock, grunge and hazy pop.
Freak Slug | by Emma Zoe Polyak for Zany Waves Freak Slug | by Emma Zoe Polyak for Zany Waves
Songs from I Blow Out Big Candles and 2025’s Loose Tooth And A Short Skirt sat alongside newer material from her upcoming album, Amulet, offering a balanced blend of old and new.
The set started with “If I Could,” a song released earlier this August. Although only a few weeks old, the crowd around me was already visibly familiar with it. The song is one of 12 tracks set to appear on Amulet, Freak Slug’s upcoming sophomore album. They also played a couple of unreleased songs, including “Serpent,” which they played live for the first time.
Earlier in the day, I had a chance to catch up with Genovese after the band’s soundcheck. Sipping some tea, she was down to earth, and offered some insights into Amulet and playing live. “Girl Intentions” is one that they enjoy playing live, Genovese told me, as well as “Wishing Bone,” which is another track off the upcoming album.
Hearing the songs live, there was an edge that isn’t always present in their recorded versions. It remains to be seen for all of the new songs, but I personally enjoyed tracks like “Sexy Lemon” and “Spells” with louder guitars and a lean into the grungier elements of the songs.
By the end of the set, it was clear that midnight had done little to slow anyone down. The crowd lucky enough to make it into the venue were rewarded with a Freak Slug set that felt all too short, leaving the crowd wanting more.
Amulet is out on September 18, and in the meantime, Freak Slug has some upcoming UK and Ireland dates in September. Freak Slug will also embark on a run of North American live dates to close out the year; more information about the shows can be found here.
