Slow Funeral is the alias of South Carolina-based musician Mary Norris. In 2020, she recorded a demo of “I Loved You In Another Life” in her room with a limited version of Ableton Live and two microphones. After releasing it on Bandcamp, SC-local The Old Earthquake heard the demo and was moved, requesting to produce a fuller version. Norris then released the song as Slow Funeral’s first single, marking the beginning of an artistry defined by resourcefulness, tenacity, and abraded lyrical and musical vulnerability. She set out to record her debut album, funded by three different arts grants and crowdfunding, and began performing with a band in 2022.

Performing as a 4-piece, Slow Funeral has been making early impact in the Southeast, selling out shows in her home state and touring beyond. Slow Funeral has already shared the stage with acts like Slothrust, Babe Haven, owen (Mike Kinsella of American Football), Chase Petra, Pinkshift, and more recently was selected to perform pre-shows for Weezer/Flaming Lips/Dinosaur Jr. and Linkin Park at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC. Her alt-rock project is a marriage of her 90s influences, such as Radiohead, The Cranberries, and Jeff Buckley, paired with her Americana roots, such as Jason Isbell, Bruce Springsteen, and John Prine.

Norris worked with producer Corey Campbell on her debut album, Conditions of Trust, after being awarded community/project grants through Chapman Cultural Center, The Metropolitan Arts Council, and The South Carolina Arts Commission. Released on May 9th, 2025, the album details Norris’s experiences growing up and living in poverty in the south, along with topics of abuse, patriarchy, heartbreak, queer identity, and healing. Since going viral multiple times throughout her album cycle, Slow Funeral has been steadily building a passionate fanbase and creating a space for others to feel and be seen.