By Regina Sienra / Picture by Christina Bourne

Spationauts, the new project of Carl Johnson and Chris Sleightholm, evidences that great things can come out from a hangover. Her Hair Encircles The Globe, the first EP by this duo from Regina, was written, recorded and mixed in one day after a late night at the bar. The five songs on it sway between garage pop, psychedelia, and punk.

Both Johnson (Library Voices, The Florals) and Sleightholm (Snake River, The Windows up Above) are versatile staples of the Saskatchewan scene. Despite being good friends for some years, this was the first time they collaborated on a project — or second, if you count the brand new Snake River video, starred by Johnson.

“Chris’ original idea was to write, record and mix five songs in one day”, Johnson said to OurBasement. They didn’t know what kind of ideas the other would bring into the studio. “It just happened that we both came in hungover. Or in my case, excessively hungover”. The experience even inspired some of the songs on the EP, like the dreamy “Walk of Shame”.

Given the time it took to create these five songs, some aspects of them – like the vocals or the drumming- are raw and absentminded, but band points out that that is the key to the Spationauts sound. “Both of us have other projects where the process in more thoughtful and refined. I think part of the attractiveness of this collaboration was getting to make something that would showcase both ‘flaws’ and ‘attributes’ together and then blur the line between the two”, says Johnson, who mentions that polishing the music would have diminished the intensity on it. “Having the freedom to not crush an idea with your own concern can be exciting.”

Johnson states that they aren’t trying to celebrate drinking — or its consequences. “I just think the moment-to-moment focus and immediacy that occurs while hungover meshes well with the esprit de corps that Chris and I share towards the project; make something, don’t think too much and move on”.

Spationauts plan to release more EPs so, probably, the more hangovers, the more we’ll get to hear from them.

Her Hair Encircles The Globe is available now on Bandcamp. You can also check it out below: