The label was originally started, according to a label bio, “with the intent to document the new inclinations and innovations that began to surface within the Washington D.C. independent music scene,”[1] but it eventually came to release records from bands based in cities all over the world.
The origin of the label's name is a reversal of the popular aphorism, "A quick nickel is better than a slow dime."
Slowdime’s releases were catalogued with the initials “SD” and a number.
The label’s owners were musicians themselves: Carrera served as the bassist for D.C. punks The Warmers, John Wall played bass in Kerosene 454 and Canyon, and Amanda MacKaye was a member of the Routineers.
Carrera now serves as the manager for a number of internationally touring acts, including Modest Mouse and Bright Eyes.