Naked Walrus - Sound In The Signals Interview
I've read that the band started as a side project for many of the members, but it turned into a serious project. Can you tell us more about your music and background for those who may not be familiar?
Our band started in Santa Barbara, CA in 2010 as an alternative rock collaboration between a house full of friends. As we’ve progressed we have developed our band around the idea of being comfortable in your own skin. We currently consist of Dakota Gartner (Vocals / Rhythm Guitar) , Hayden Bush (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Taylor Hurtado (Drums) and constantly seek out other musical individuals to add to our vision. As we develop Naked Walrus grows in to not only an alternative rock band but a creative collaboration with the goal of promoting change through positivity.
Your upcoming EP, Simple will be released on November 11th. I understand that you recorded in Arizona. Tell us more about the writing and recording process.
This is the third record that we have worked on with our close friend and producer Curtis Douglas (http://www.curtisdouglas.com/about/). It was the first record that we spent the entire process in Arizona working with him at his studio in Scottsdale. This was an absolutely fantastic experience for us! We had the opportunity to unify as friends and really decide what we felt was the best direction to take this project sonically. Each song was developed through hard work, late nights and processing the complexities of our 25 year old minds in what eventually would become our EP, Simple.
You released "Minus" from the EP. Frontman, Dakota Gartner said "'Minus' is a song about overcoming your fears and understanding that good things take time. When we were writing this song I centered it around the idea of me talking with my niece and trying to give her guidance as she entered her life journey. The lyrics throughout address the struggle of overcoming an obstacle and making the decision to trust your gut and do what you feel is right". That's a great message. Did you share it with your niece? What do you hope fans take away from the song and message?
Thank you! I’m glad you feel that way. I recently explained to Lylah Grace that she was on my mind while we were writing the lyrics for Minus. She’s 4 but we’re definitely her favorite band so I think she gets it and i’m sure she will hear the story a couple thousand times as she grows up! I hope that fans and anyone that listens to this song takes away a feeling of optimism. The artistic process is one that takes a lot of passion and we go through dark times in order to get to the light. It’s important to remind each other that we will achieve our creative goals through hard work and determination.
Your previous release, All In, was unique because you've said you weren't planning it before it took form. What's changed over time with your releases? What's easier? Are there things that you learned even during the process of creating Simple?
We are always learning as we evolve and I feel like we learned the most within the process of creating and releasing this EP. This band was incepted when we were all about twenty years old and in the past 5-6 years we have grown a lot. The process of creation is always challenging and that’s part of the fun of it. More than anything with this record we have all decided to commit our lives to being in this band and creating music. That goal is one that we hold near and dear to our hearts and are excited to take it on as our next challenge.
You've said that, with the EP, you tried to create music that represents your favorite rock bands but you've added your own flavor to it. Which bands inspired you to get into music? Which bands get a nod on the EP?
That’s a very good way to ask a difficult question. We all come from very eclectic musical backgrounds that stems from all genres. This album in particular has a lot of influences from bands like Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age to other sounds like Manchester Orchestra, Royal Blood, or Cage the Elephant. We are passionate about creating Alternative rock with our own twist and feel like Simple is a good representation of this sound. Wait till you hear what else we’re working on though!!!
You have a show at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA on October 26th. Are there plans for other dates or more after the release? What makes a great show for the band?
Yes! We’re very excited to play at Saint Rocke it will be our first time. We’re going to be hitting the road heavily over the next year. Make sure check out tour dates on our website regularly as we are adding shows all the time. Every show that we play is a great show because we love performing and meeting new people through our music.
What's next for the band as you prepare to release the EP? Can you tease anything for fans who are waiting for the release?
We’ve got a ton of awesome things coming up. We’re releasing our very first music video for our single Minus via PureVolume tomorrow (10/11). Along with that we will be premiering another song off of Simple as a lyric video in the next couple of weeks. We will also be announcing a ton of shows in the coming months so be sure to keep in touch with us via our social media.
Thanks for the interview. Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for asking such awesome questions. We’re really excited to share Simple with the world. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming performances. Get ready for Naked Walrus to take over with #tusksup
Pre-order Simple on iTunes
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-L.Burden
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