The band was formed in 1991, when Chris Murphy and Andrew Scott met at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) in Halifax. Patrick Pentland and Jay Ferguson joined soon after. In 1992, the band created their own record label, called Murderecords, for themselves and other Halifax area bands, and the outfit released the 'Peppermint EP' (the release also known as just 'Peppermint').
According to Sloan's official website, the band's name refers to a friend's nickname. Their friend, Jason Larsen, was called 'Slow One' by his French-speaking boss, which with the French accent sounded more like 'Sloan'. The original agreement was that they could name the band after their friend's nickname as long as he was on the cover of their first album. As a result, it is Larsen who appears on the cover of the 'Peppermint EP'.
Later in 1992, Sloan released their full-length debut, titled 'Smeared', on Geffen Records. Like many indie rock groups before them, the band found that major label dealings were basically as much trouble as they were worth. In 1994, Geffen did not promote their second album, called 'Twice Removed', due to artistic disputes, although it sold well in Canada. Spin named the album one of the "Best Albums You Didn't Hear" in 1994. A 1996 reader poll by Canadian music magazine Chart! ranked it as the best Canadian album of all time only two years after its release. The same poll in 2000 ranked the album third, behind Joni Mitchell's 'Blue' and Neil Young's 'Harvest', while the 2005 poll once again ranked the album first.
After the release of Twice Removed, the band went on hiatus and were rumoured to have broken up, as they had rejected Geffen's offer for their next album. In 1996, however, they released the widely praised One Chord to Another on their own Murderecords label. Following 1998's Navy Blues album, Sloan released their first live album 4 Nights at the Palais Royale in 1999. Those albums were followed by Between the Bridges in 1999, and Pretty Together in 2001.
Sloan made a concerted effort to break into the US market on their 2003 release Action Pact. Songs were recorded in L.A. with Tom Rothrock producing. The glossier, radio-ready sound failed to raise Sloan's profile in the US, though they continued to be highly popular in Canada.
Sloan's first compilation album A Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005, included two new songs, "All Used Up" and "Try to Make It". The Japanese release included two additional new tracks.
Now signed to Yep Roc Records for their US releases, they put out their eighth disc, Never Hear the End of It in 2006. The album contained 30 tracks with all the members of the band contributing new songs. It was met with widespread critical acclaim and became the highest charting Sloan album in the US up to that point.
In 2008, Sloan followed up their longest album with their shortest release Parallel Play.
In November 2009 Sloan added a digital music store to their website. The band released an online-only EP called Hit & Run to promote the store. The EP featured two songs by Chris Murphy, and one by each of the other band members. Murphy's Take It Upon Yourself was released as a free single. In February 2010, the band released another online exclusive, the compilation album B-Sides Win: Extras, Bonus Tracks and B-Sides 1992 - 2008.
In 2013, the band revealed plans for a double album, with each of the four sides featuring a solo suite by a different band member. In May 2014, it was announced that the new album would be titled "Commonwealth" and would be released in September 2014. On July 14, 2014, the band announced the official release date for the album (September 9, which turned out to be accurate) and the release of the album's first single, "Keep Swinging (Downtown)". The album cover portrays the band members as four-of-a-kind kings. The suits of these playing cards correspond to the titles of their solo sides: Jay Ferguson's side is called Diamond, Chris Murphy's is Heart, Patrick Pentland's is Shamrock, and Andrew Scott's is Spade.
Penpals
Sloan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
in North of Africa
It is Algeria
and my city is Oran
I know you'll find this letter strange
That is because I am strange
and I'm a girl, I'm a girl, la la la
My first name is Amal
and I'm a girl, I'm a girl, la la la
My first name is Amal and I'm a girl
I am a Norwegian boy
which have some question
I have only 13 years
and I am crazy of you
Can I have a souvenir?
And if you can, a wick of hair?
Send me documents
and a photo of you alone
Here's my photo, dedicace
one of you would be canon
I worship all your handsome words
to me you seem giant
You're so cool, but you know that
I hope your letters never stop
You are surely special
I like you, I like you, la la la
You are surely special
I like you, I like you, la la la
You are surely special
I like you, I like you, I like you
You are surely special, I like you
The song Penpals by Sloan is a charming piece that captures the essence of letter writing, especially to penpals. The lyrics are written in two stanzas, each from the perspective of a different person. The first stanza is by Amal, a girl from Algeria who writes to her penpal in a foreign country. She introduces herself and her city, and acknowledges that her letter might seem strange. She then goes on to emphasize that she is a girl, repeating the phrase "and I'm a girl" thrice. This might indicate that she is proud of her femininity or that she wants to ensure that her penpal is aware of this fact.
The second stanza is written by a Norwegian boy who confesses that he is "crazy" about his penpal. He is only 13 years old and asks for a souvenir, a lock of hair, and a photo of his penpal alone. He also sends his own photo as a sign of dedication. He ends his letter on a positive note, praising his penpal's "handsome words" and hoping that their correspondence can continue. The song beautifully captures the innocence and excitement of penpal relationships, which used to be a popular form of communication before the advent of technology.
Line by Line Meaning
I write you from a far country
in North of Africa
It is Algeria
and my city is Oran
I am writing to you from Algeria, specifically Oran which is located in the northern region of Africa.
I know you'll find this letter strange
That is because I am strange
I am aware that this letter might sound unusual to you, but that's because I'm a bit different.
My first name is Amal
and I'm a girl, I'm a girl, la la la
My first name is Amal
and I'm a girl, I'm a girl, la la la
My first name is Amal and I'm a girl
My name is Amal, and I would like you to know that I am a girl.
I am a Norwegian boy
which have some question
I have only 13 years
and I am crazy of you
I am a 13-year-old Norwegian boy who has a few questions for you, and I must say, I am quite fascinated by you.
Can I have a souvenir?
And if you can, a wick of hair?
Send me documents
and a photo of you alone
Would it be possible for you to send me a souvenir, and if it's not asking too much, a lock of your hair? Also, if you don't mind, could you send me some documents and a photo of you by yourself?
Here's my photo, dedicace
one of you would be canon
I worship all your handsome words
to me you seem giant
Enclosed please find my photo, and I hope that you will do the same. I admire your writing skills, and in my eyes, you are a towering figure.
You're so cool, but you know that
I hope your letters never stop
I think you are incredibly cool, and I hope that you will continue writing to me.
You are surely special
I like you, I like you, la la la
You are surely special
I like you, I like you, la la la
You are surely special
I like you, I like you, I like you
You are surely special, I like you
You are a very special person, and I really like you. I like you a lot, and I want you to know that.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW SCOTT, CHRIS MURPHY, JAY FERGUSON, PATRICK PENTLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SolamenteVees
I wrote these guys in the 90s and they wrote me back. Sent me a bunch of cool shit in the mail. Great songs, excellent guitar tones.
@user-wg5su9km9y
They did??? ❤
@goofball1_134
That's awesome 😎
@teresastolarskyj
BABY SLOAN! They've barely aged, in 30 years (whelp, how old are we??) but remain far too underrated. <3
@vibelife4093
The lyrics are from fan mail to Kurt and Nirvana…they started together and often played together ❤
@pryan2112
This is a fantastic clip. Nicely done lads. Twice Removed remains a flawless record.
@romanharton424
They have mastered the ability to go from one chord to another with amazing skill and precision....Sloan lyrics are their true musical genius.
@gdavisloop
There are a million love songs, but very few "like" songs. This is one. Sloan, I can't tell you how much this song has meant to me... for 30 years.
@MrROTD
Brian Jones lead guitar, Ray manzerk on Bass Vocals , Buddy Holey on guitar and Keithe Moon on dums this should be considerd the best supergroup ever lol I LOVE SLOAN
@gasperbarone
Man, these guys are amazing