Vocalist / guitarist Kate Davies had the modest of expectations for Mirrors, the debut full-length Pupil Slicer released back in March 2021. “We thought about 30 people might listen to the album, and we might sell 20 copies on vinyl,” Kate recalls. Instead, the trio have become one of the most talked-about bands to emerge from the extreme music underground in recent times. The spark that lit this ascent came when a line-up change saw Kate take charge of vocals and lyric-writing, a new start which also found them and drummer Josh Andrews keen to move on from the band’s goregrind origins in favour of a more wide-ranging approach. “Josh’s favourite bands are Rolo Tomassi and Slint,” says Kate. “I love Deafheaven, Converge and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Our...