Written By: Lindy Rybloom

Slow Goat is a heavy metal band with a huge personality. Emerging in the Portland music scene in 2021, Gage Managhan, Eric Bloombaum, Rosie Peterson, and Dan Cuffe are the four rockers that make up this up-and-coming band.​ Each coming from small towns in Oregon and ultimately landing in Portland allowed them to unite, jam together, and begin making a name for themselves. Four people, all having their own coming of age within the music world, this local group provided me an inside look at the heavy music scene from a first-person perspective.

Slow Goat’s Origin Story

Lead singer, Rosie Peterson, grew up in Albany, Oregon but moved to Portland in 2016. Like a real rockstar, Peterson tells me that her interest in music began before she could even consciously recognize it.

Dan Cuffe is the lead guitarist from Salem, Oregon. His interest in music similarly had an early start. Coming from a musical family, notes and sound have been pumping through his veins since the beginning of time; Cuffe agrees that he has been playing music since before he can remember. 

Native to Portland and the drummer for Slow Goat, Eric Bloombaum says simply that his journey into music began 23 years ago. 

Members all share a common draw to music from a young age, proving their natural talent and fascination with jamming. 

When/how did you first get into music? 

Peterson’s career began when she was a youngster, singing in local choirs and then formal singing lessons during her sophomore year of high school.

Cuffe shares that he was put into piano lessons by his parents pretty much as soon as he was “old enough to learn.” His percussion experience began around age 10 with guitar and bass following shortly after. He credits his oldest brother for assembling a playlist of songs he downloaded on Napster that included Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and “whatever was popular at the time” for opening his eyes to rock and roll. 

Bloombaum knew he was intrigued by music after seeing his sister perform (on flute) in the middle school band.  He started taking percussion lessons in fourth grade and admits to being drawn to the endless possibilities of “stuff to hit” as a young kid. 

Who was your musical inspiration growing up? What music made you want to make music? 

While being the lead singer of a heavy metal band, Peterson proudly states that her music taste has mostly been “pretty old school” besides her interest in Black Sabbath and Tool. She decided to dig a little deeper into the genre with bands like Candlemass and Megadeth and, with the help of bandmate Managhan, she got hooked on Judas Priest. Traditionally, Peterson has gravitated towards 60s psychedelic rock legends like Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd with a special liking towards blues and jazz artists such as T-Bone Walker and Ella Fitzgerald. 

Cuffe and Managhan are childhood friends that turned into bandmates. Cuffe refers to their shared appreciation for the new wave of British heavy metal during their middle school days though he says that growing up he “listened to a bunch of vaguely rock-type music” and still feels like he “can’t escape some of those pop-punk hooks” in his own riffs for Slow Goat. Cuffe shares a memory of one particular band that changed his outlook on music and inspired him to make his own, Fu Manchu. Around the age of 13, Cuffe wandered through a local CD store, where he was immediately drawn to the cover art of Fu Manchu’s album, “The Action Is Go!”. Interested in skateboarding at the time, the art grabbed his attention; the cover shows a famous picture of Tony Alva airing out of the pool. Cuffe relays his appreciation for this band and says that “the sound blew his mind.” He describes it as “heavy, fuzzy and simple,” making him realize that “good music didn’t have to be complex or hyper-technical” but, instead, young kids from small towns could make riffs like that too. 

Growing up, Bloombaum’s adolescent mind was inspired by classic rockers like Led Zeppelin and Rush, though as he progressed into high school and college his “musical horizons broadened considerably.” He shares a kitchen-sink list of some of his greatest influences from that impressionable time in his life including Islands, Sigur Ros, Yeasayer, Mouse on the Keys, Daft Punk, and The Flaming Lips among others.

How did you guys come together and decide to make a band? Did you know each other prior?

Peterson and Managhan knew each other prior to Slow Goat’s formation from their time working together at Hotlips Pizza in Portland. They had gotten together a few times to jam with other friends and she happily expressed that she would be willing to “sing on a song or two if they were interested.” Encouraging Peterson to submit recordings, Managhan and the other guys initiated Peterson into the band over a beer after hearing her Karaoke recordings. 

Cuffe has an even longer history with Managhan, all the way back to before preschool. Cuffe shares how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced their musical endeavors, relaying that the free time inspired them both to pick up their respective instruments again. This time at home gave Cuffe an opportunity to make a drum track on GarageBand that was initially intended to be a “really simple thing for them to play together” but eventually ended up becoming Slow Goat’s demo EP. Cuffe shares the story of friends hearing some of their original, bad-quality recordings and insisting they play their backyard birthday party. After doing so with programmed drums and no vocals, they reached out to the original drummer, Dallas, and Peterson and ended up recording those three tracks. 

Knowing each other from their time in the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication, Bloombaum and Cuffe came to be friends before they were ever bandmates. Bloombaum shares about their collaboration on a video project leading them to jamming “once or twice in the practice rooms at the School of Music.” Eight years later, Cuffe reached out to Bloombaum asking him to audition for Slow Goat. 

Rock music tends to be a very male-oriented genre, Peterson.  Can you share a bit about your experience as a woman in the heavy music scene? 

Peterson tells me that her experience hasn’t been as bad as she expected it to be for the most part, but does admit that there is “a lot of casual sexism.” Peterson doesn’t chalk it up to the heavy metal music genre, “Unfortunately,” she says, “that is just how people are.” In the past, Peterson has had peers assume she is dating one of the other band members and can’t seem to understand that she “got in by just auditioning rather than sleeping with somebody.” Sexism has played a slight role in her experience in Slow Goat such as when approaching other musicians with Cuffe, Bloombaum, or Managhan she has been treated unfairly and like “an accessory” as she puts it. Rather than assuming she is in the band, these people jump to conclusions and expect Peterson to be somehow less important. She doesn’t blame these sexist interactions on the music and tells me the harsh truth, “every community has that.” 

What is it like playing in Portland, OR? What is the metal scene like? 

A unanimous answer to this question revealed the truth about Portland; their Metal community is awesome! 

Peterson believes that “almost everyone is really friendly and supportive,” while Cuffe discusses the accepting nature of the heavy music community. “It feels like every musician genuinely wants to lift each other up,” he says. For the most part, all of the audience members are willing to do three things: headbang, have a good time, and show some love. Cuffe expresses his gratitude to be part of the loving community that is the Portland heavy music scene. 

Bloombaum has a similar reaction to this question.  He says that the community is “Super supportive” and shares that he has been “blown away by how collaborative and community-oriented the scene is.” Possibly intimidating to those who aren’t familiar with the metal scene, Slow Goat can attest and say that it is truly just “one big family.”

What is your favorite part of gigs? 

Peterson’s favorite part of performing is “being on stage under the lights.” She says that she most enjoys how gigs make her feel; she loves “feeling the stage vibrate with the sound of the band.” 

Admitting to a bit of stage-fright, Cuffe says his favorite part of gigs is when his “nerves finally subside” and he can enjoy “playing off the crowd’s energy.” It seems the audience has a large affect on how Cuffe perceives his own performance. Cuffe relishes in the gratifying feeling of seeing folks react to a large performance, whether that be “banging their heads or plugging their ears.” 

Are there other Portland-based metal bands that you admire? 

Peterson and Cuffe both share their mutual appreciation for Hippie Death Cult, Tigers on Opium, and Deadfeather. Peterson especially likes Bladee, Greenseeker, and Witch Mountain to name a few. Finding inspiration among many other Portland metal bands, Cuffe appreciates the work of Young Hunter, Kvasir, and Dommengang. 

Who writes your songs? 

Members of Slow Goat tell me that Cuffe has “done the lion’s share of the writing.” Peterson explains that he comes up with the majority of a song and then they collaborate in the brainstorming process together. An important trait in the success of a band is the ability to listen to feedback which Peterson compliments Cuffe for. Being the singer in the band, she sometimes writes the entire vocal melody and on other occasions, Cuffe shows her what he was thinking and Peterson “just makes it her own.” 

Cuffe emphasizes the value in collaboration amongst the Slow Goat members and sheds a light on Managhan’s contributions to the songwriting process. Managhan will “lay a riff down or throw out some lyrics' ' that challenge Cuffe’s original idea and he makes efforts to use it as inspiration.

There is no “leader” of Slow Goat, Managhan, Cuffe, Peterson, and Bloombaum all value making sure that efforts towards their music are equal so everyone is satisfied with their output. 

Cuffe and Bloombaum, Did UO/KWVA influence your music career at all?

Both alumni of the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication, I wondered if either of these talented musicians had been impacted by campus-based organizations such as the KWVA radio station. Cuffe explains the sense of “sanctity about college radio” that he experienced and his liking for the way in which “the music isn’t bound by corporate interests.” College radio hosts are able to play music that is less commercially-popular, widening the lens for young music fans. 

Another organization in which UO musicians have found community is within the Athletic Bands. Bloombaum speaks of his time spent playing for UO and credits it for making him the musician he is today. Over the course of his college career, Bloombaum was able to hold a few different roles within this musical group including founder of the student-led drumline called “Rhythm O '' which received funding from The Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO). Bloombaum finishes off this question by saying “I can’t recommend those programs enough.”

What is your band dynamic like as a group of people? Is there ever conflict? 

Being in a tight-knit group such as Slow Goat, one may wonder how these four get along and are able to sustain a healthy music career. Peterson mentions that there is sometimes conflict, but ultimately they “joke around and are good friends.” 

Cuffe continues the conversation around the lighthearted nature of Slow Goat and agrees that “we’re always goofing on each other.” He points out the value he places on making music with people he respects, cares for, and genuinely enjoys being with, “I don’t know that I’d be able to put my all into a project like this” if that wasn’t the case. Cuffe admits to being called out when he makes a mistake and appreciates the band’s willingness to open up to each other when they’re doing something like this, which is a passion project. Although confrontation can be uncomfortable, Bloombaum says, “Communication is key!”

Where can listeners find Slow Goat’s music?

 Everywhere! All online streaming platforms including, Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, etc. Slow Goat is also playing physical gigs in the Pacific Northwest including, Turn! Turn! Turn! in Portland on June 3rd, and a few Washington dates later in the month.

What makes you guys successful as a band? 

Peterson touches on the fact that each member is “relatively sober, articulate, and intelligent with solid leadership and communication skills” making for a successful band in her eyes. 

When asked this same question, Cuffe says the recipe for Slow Goat’s success is as follows, “the music has to be solid, good stage presence is vital” and, finally, he sheds light on the great chemistry these four have as friends and how that shines through to their audience. 

Bloombaum’s secret to success is similar to Cuffe’s in that the foundation is a solid friendship. Besides that, he likes to present an energy to the crowd that makes it obvious he is having a blast. Personally, Bloombaum loves when you can tell how much fun a band is having on stage and thinks “it’s really hard to not have a good time yourself,” this is the energy he carries into his own experience. 

What is your ultimate goal with the band? People to collaborate with, venues to play? 

Honestly admitting that she doesn’t know what the “ultimate end goal as a group” is, Peterson tells me that Slow Goat is taking it “one or two steps at a time.” Looking into the future, she hopes for an album with a physical release and to be signed to a label at some point. For her, the importance is in absorbing the present moments and continuing to make music until something bigger comes along. 

Cuffe’s mantra is to “play as much as we can for as many people as we can who enjoy what we’re doing,” though he refers to personal milestones he hopes to hit including pressing their music to vinyl or playing in foreign countries. Ultimately, Cuffe’s pride isn’t in physical accomplishments but rather in continuing to play “for as long as we’re all having fun.” 

Leaving me with fewer details than his fellow bandmates, Bloombaum simply exclaims that his ultimate goal is “probably Woodstock.”