Their second single might’ve made ‘Slack Motherfucker’ core to the 90s indie rock lexicon, but Chapel Hill’s Superchunk were anything but. Their relentless album-tour-album-tour cycle would grind most bands to paste, and their first decade saw a sequence of classic albums that married brash punk energy with sugar rush melodies and sharp songwriting. While they skirted the pitfalls that incinerated so many other acts, the 90s nevertheless took their toll, with the band experiencing exhaustion, the collapse of romantic relationships and the reality of life in an industry where nothing is ever certain.
After a nine-year slowdown the band returned with renewed vigour, and have gone from strength to strength since 2010’s Majesty Shredding. While today’s Superchunk may look slightly different - Laura King has taken over from longtime drummer Jon Wurst, and Betsy Wright subs in as live bassist for co-founder Laura Ballance - the band remains true to the sound, spirit and ethos that has guided them from day one.
