Photo Credit: Nathan Robinson
They say that first impressions count and Beauty School made a great one on us. The band, who are inspired by the likes of Fireworks and American Football, released their debut single Take It Slow at the end of 2021 via Slam Dunk Records. The anthemic, emotive track was written during lockdown and is an open, honest exploration into mental health. We caught up with Dan from the band to find out more about the song’s writing process and theme, the accompanying music video and more.
Can you give us your quick elevator pitch on this track? Why does this one standout for you?
Take It Slow aims to convey a message of hope and that things can get better. Take It Slow was written during lockdown after battling some pretty intense mental health challenges, for me and for Beauty School – releasing the track felt like a fresh start for BS.
How did you tackle the writing process for the song? Was there anything unique about this track compared to your usual/previous approach?
Sometimes songs need obsessing over and fine tuning, sometimes you have a brief but solid idea that sticks and the ideas flow. The latter was the case for Take It Slow. I took the idea to the band and within a few hours the song was born. We already knew this was going to be an important track to us.
Can you tell us how the song’s theme came about?
The songs theme came from my (Dan) mental health issues and the recovery I had made during the initial COVID-19 lockdown. Something a friend had said to me during my time getting better really resonated with me, so I incorporated it into the lyrics: “I say I love you, you have to know. This years been hellish, it’s time to grow”. I think it’s really important to be yourself and honest in your music, it’s important to be comfortable talking about the uncomfortable feelings.
Tell us about the video, do the themes of the single transfer to the video?
For the video, we were stuck for ideas as we wanted to convey the idea of recovery and hope. We wanted it to be light-hearted as the tune does have a positive message. Tying all this together was the harder part. We had the idea for a therapy session almost taking a snapshot of the recovery process, and from there Take It Slow was created.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories from the video shoot?
Not so much an interesting story but a fun fact: the actor who played the patient is my little brother Tom and his mother-in-law Tina. The shoot was great fun, shot with the guys at Big Blue Whale which was a tonne of fun.
Anything else you’d like to add for our readers?
We are releasing our next single Pawn Show Jewels on 3rd February 2022 and there will be more exciting news coming in the next few months, including shows, merch and most importantly new music!
Take It Slow is out now via Slam Dunk Records, available to stream on Spotify HERE.
See Beauty School live at The Key Club in Leeds on 9th April 2022, as well as Slam Dunk Festival in June.
