Riot Grrrl Royalty Sleater-Kinney Is Coming to Denver

Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein have been through a lot together over the past thirty years.

The two musicians started their influential alt-rock band, Sleater-Kinney, while they were both at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. They were part of the emerging indie music scene and knew each other before officially teaming up in 1994, but the unexpected success of their third album, Dig Me Out, in 1997 made Tucker and Brownstein riot grrrl royalty.

And Sleater-Kinney is still going strong, even after a seven-year hiatus during which the two friends and bandmates pursued other creative endeavors, from forming new bands to Brownstein co-creating the satirical comedy series Portlandia. The band has endured, and the years have been kind to Tucker and Brownstein. They see that more than ever now, Tucker shares.

“I think we’re just a little bit more aware and grateful of how special this band is and our connection with our fans are," she says. "When we started, we were just kids. We were so young; we just didn’t know. We shared our stories, and by Dig Me Out, we really got a real fan base."

It’s not that Sleater-Kinney had a thirty-year plan — or a plan at all — during those ’90s heydays. Tucker believes the break from the band allowed her and Brownstein to cherish Sleater-Kinney even more. “When you’re a kid, you don’t know really anything other than that experience,” she adds. “I think because we did have a long hiatus and we’ve done other things in our lives, when we came back to the band, we knew from life experience actually how rare and unique and special the band is and our relationships with the band are.

“It’s like you can’t appreciate what you have until you don’t have it,” she continues. “Now we soak it in; all of those shows, all of the moments with the fans, all of the interaction, the singing along, the dancing. We really appreciate it now.”
Denver fans will have a chance to appreciate Sleater-Kinney themselves on Tuesday, March 26, during a show at Mission Ballroom with opener Palehound. The current tour is in support of the group’s new album, Little Rope.

Sonically, the record has drawn comparisons to the duo’s early work, particularly Dig Me Out, but it’s the emotional breadth of Little Rope that’s most notable. While work on the record was well underway by the fall of 2022, the unexpected death of Brownstein’s mother and stepfather in a car accident during a vacation in Italy had an impact on the pair and seeped into the songwriting process. Tucker, who was Brownstein’s emergency contact after the American Embassy in Italy couldn’t get ahold of her, broke the news to her longtime friend.

Little Rope, while still a bona fide Sleater-Kinney rock album, is, at its core, about processing grief and how it can transform whoever goes through it. Tucker believes the album also resulted in her and Brownstein returning to their roots and turning to that time-tested Sleater-Kinney sound. featuring Tucker’s vocals over Brownstein’s guitar playing.

“With what everything Carrie was going through on this album, losing her mom and stepdad in this horrible accident, in a way it’s like we kind of returned to our strengths,” she explains. “Carrie said, ‘I really just need you to sing. Can you just sing? I don’t feel like I can sing right now.’ Of course, I was happy to step in. Because of everything that was going on. my vocals became very raw and emotional. It just kind of tapped into where we’ve come from, and our friendship and being there for each other. I think that’s what people hear on this album.”

Such songs as the album opener, “Hell,” and the previously released single “Say It Like You Mean It” particularly stand out for those reasons. “It wasn’t intentional, I don’t think, but in a way the album really tapped into the strength of Sleater-Kinney — the way I sing on that album, my voice, the strength of Carrie’s guitar playing,” Tucker says. “There’s a classic Sleater-Kinney sound with that.”

Besides Little Rope, Tucker and Brownstein are also celebrating the 25-year anniversary of their 1999 record, The Hot Rock, during this tour. “We really try and take people on the journey of Sleater-Kinney during the show,” Tucker says.

“For us, it’s really about the music. It’s really about having music that we feel is very impactful,” she continues. “That’s really what we prioritize, is making something that we’re really proud of, then sharing it with people.”

It’s clear that no matter what happens, one thing won’t change when it comes to Tucker and Brownstein’s friendship and approach to Sleater-Kinney.

“The core of Carrie and I writing is still getting in a room together, playing guitar and singing and just goofing around. We did that for this record and enjoyed it,” Tucker says, adding that “Small Finds” is a perfect example of that approach. “I think that we recognize how special it is now, and we still do that.”

Sleater-Kinney, 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop Street. Tickets are $35-$85.