"Once that happens, it brings the whole audience in and we start to capture it," Hill said.

Slow Cinema have been one of the most talked-about local bands in Newcastle since regular gigging recommenced this year.

Their bluesy garage-rock singles Howlin' and Faye's Fever Flow and charismatic live shows embody an element of darkness. Vocalist Tyler Gibbs' throat-tearing intensity carries hints of The Growlers' Brooks Nielsen, while the guitar interplay of Sam Lawson and Hill is influenced by B.B King, The Doors and The Strokes.

It's not surprising Slow Cinema arrived sounding like a well-oiled machine. Gibbs (1929 Indian), Hill (The Letter Tellers), Lawson (Captain Of The Push) and drummer Jarryd Carle (Ornaments) are established faces in the music scene, while bassist Mitchell Sonter hails from Sydney.

The nucleus of the band began in May 2018 when Gibbs, Hill and Lawson saw Jet at NEX.

"Tyler was sort of putting the feelers out because he wanted to put together a new band," Hill said. "I think he was trying to poach my drummer at the time, so he had a chat to me and I said, 'I'd be interested'."

Slow Cinema finalised their line-up and wrote Howlin' prior to COVID, but the pandemic meant they were unable to make their live debut until March 2021. However, Hill said the long gestation of the band worked to their advantage eventually.

"At the time you don't feel like you're lucky and you feel that you're missing out on all this gig time and like you've been robbed," he said.

"It really made us better. We were flying off demos to each other and chucking stuff on top and we ended up with an album worth of songs just in lockdown alone.

"By the time we were allowed to be in a room together we knew our parts for the most part and hammered these songs down."

On Friday, Slow Cinema release their third single, Balta, an atmospheric slab of indie topped off with Gibbs' growling chorus of "there's no turning back/ we're at the end of the bottom."

Slow Cinema launch Balta at The Ship Inn on September 24 and play Best West Bloc Fest on October 2.