“We tune to C#, which creates sourness. It’s not a tuning a lot of guitarists want to stay in – it’s kind of out of tune. We create something evocative in that dissonance”: How Sleater-Kinney use guitar as an agent of beauty and chaos

Sleater-Kinney
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Over 30 years, Sleater-Kinney, led by Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, have released 11 studio albums awash with sonic bombast and unladen emotion.

The latest of those is Little Rope, launched in January. From the jump, the record is an illustration of the torrents of passion, ardor, fervor and vehemence via Brownstein and Tucker’s guitars. It’s blissful yin/yang, described by Brownstein as “intentionally creating a sound that’s out-of-tune-adjacent”.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Andrew Daly

Andrew Daly is an iced-coffee-addicted, oddball Telecaster-playing, alfredo pasta-loving journalist from Long Island, NY, who, in addition to being a contributing writer for Guitar World, scribes for Rock Candy, Bass Player, Total Guitar, and Classic Rock History. Andrew has interviewed favorites like Ace Frehley, Johnny Marr, Vito Bratta, Bruce Kulick, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Rich Robinson, and Paul Stanley, while his all-time favorite (rhythm player), Keith Richards, continues to elude him.