“The song is about the climate crisis, awkward bodies crammed into rickety trains, and beaches packed with obnoxious noise,” Sydney band SL8ERBOY said of their new single Strawberry Iced Tea.
SL8ERBOY have released Strawberry Iced Tea, a slow-rock single that doubles as blistering commentary on the climate crisis. In amongst gritty guitar strums and airy backing synths, the Sydney band lament the ever-growing temperature of a summer’s day, as SL8ERBOY bandmate Aaron sings in screechy vocals of “try’na escape the heat.”
So intense is the climate that, by the song’s earworm hook, SL8ERBOY find that even “iced tea don’t satisfy.”
The band pairs this message with pop-punk tendencies, complete with a sing-along refrain and the kind of anthemic chorus you might hear on the soundtrack of an aughties teen movie.
Elsewhere, twangy guitars echo in between verses, giving Strawberry Iced Tea a fittingly beach-ready edge. Flitting between punk and surf rock with ease, SL8ERBOY deliver rich instrumentation on top of their already complex penmanship.
Strawberry Iced Tea samples snippets of Australian news reports about blistering weather, a sonic choice that both heightens the track’s teenage nostalgia, and calls back to the importance of its message.
Squeezing deep topics about coming-of-age amid the climate crisis into the span of a pop-punk banger is no small feat, with SL8ERBOY keeping their songwriting grounded in the harsh realities of life.
Speaking of the Strawberry Iced Tea with Happy Mag, bandmate Aaron — who forms part of SL8ERBOY alongside drummer Jasmine, bassist Celeste and Aidan “Sezo” on guitar — said “the song was inspired by the 2019 bush fires, [when] the air was clogged with smoke blown in from the fires hitting NSW for a solid month.” Aaron continued: “The song is about the climate crisis, awkward bodies crammed into rickety trains, and beaches packed with obnoxious noise.”
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For a lesser band, waxing philosophy atop otherwise-shimmery tunes might prove daunting, but with their well-honed sound and penchant for vivid imagery, SL8ERBOY make a case for meaningful rock. Strawberry Iced Tea is the first single to be lifted from SL8ERBOY’s debut EP, which they plan to release sometime this year. Drawing inspiration from nerdy subcultures and their collective music tastes, the upcoming project is sure to mark the band’s arrival on the scene, with first taste Strawberry Iced Tea already paving the way.
Listen to SL8ERBOY’s new single Strawberry Iced Tea below, and head here to find them on Instagram.
