An Interview With Slow Walk
Slow Walk returns with an addictive alternative pop opus that builds and grabs hold with a unique energy and a classic rock undertone that hits hard with some raw guitar sections and a driving feel.
"Hangman" is incredibly fun and has a great edge to it that has become a staple part of the Slow Walk sound and we can't get enough of it.
This single is enough to get you up and dancing around your living room or have your kids jumping around the room and it's excitement is infectious.
The track has a swagger to it and a touch of alt rock undertones in its veins as the rhythm rocks on and vocals are performed with character and charm.
What's even better is the accompanying music video for the song as it's acted out wonderfully and keeps that fast paced fun moving forward.
A creative and message sending track and video both show the artists presence as an artist and how much he loves what he does.
With such a great release, we had to sit down with Slow Walk and a talk shop. Here's what happened.
TSWS: Okay so let's start with "Hangman". This song has a pop rock vibe to it and feels
very driving. Where did this track come from?
Hangman just sort of fell out one day. I was seeing a lot of cases of online witch hunts,
bullying and trolling and that’s where the idea came from. I am all for justice and people
paying the legal and social price for their crimes and being made to answer for them,
but the court of opinion scares me as sometimes we humans are prone to overreaction.
The internet can also be a seemingly lawless place where a lot of people are looking to
vent their anger and therefore maybe not the best place for a fair and fact-based trial
much like the wild west. This is where the wild wild web cowboy idea came from, this
idea of frontier justice and mob mentality. This also had a big effect on the style of the
music as I wanted the song to sound urgent, a bit like a galloping posse. I also put
certain sounds like harmonicas, a honky-tonk piano and some quirky Ennio Morricone
style percussion in to help set the scene and of course some rocking guitars.
TSWS: The video was awesome! Did it come out how you expected? Were you happy
with it?
Thank you so much. I co-directed it with the amazing Luke Galloway from Space Face
Films so I knew that would massively help. He also played the coat vlogger. My usual
collaborator Diortiz also helped out a lot. I’m really happy with the end result and it
definitely captures the original video concept I had when I wrote the song but it got more
and more epic. We started off making a few websites and in the end we made 7 and
some you only see for a few seconds hahaha. We also asked our friends for some extra
content and they gave us some amazing stuff. My brother who played the gamer came
up with the idea of unboxing a box of tissues haha. I asked another friend Paul Angear
to film a blog and he made a Wombling video, which I’d never heard of. If you don’t
know, Wombling is a real thing where people go hunting for free money off vouchers in
the car parks of big supermarkets. Diortiz came up with the very cool Western
Meditation and painting blog ideas which she acted in. Then of course all the awesome
people who did angry reaction videos that we scattered throughout the video. That’s
why there is so much going on all the time. We had so much to squeeze in but it’s great
to have so many of our friends and collaborators in there. It makes me smile when I
watch it so I think it worked out. Plus, I got to dress up as a cowboy and mess around
which is always fun.
TSWS: I'm hearing all sorts of rock influences and pop as well. What bands really
influenced you musically?
Ohhh, so many. When I was growing up my brother was really into Rock bands like
Guns N Rose, ACDC as well as New Wave bands like The Police and I think you can
really hear that influence in this song. When I was younger I was really into Britpop and
so bands like Supergrass, Pulp and Blur have always been a big influence too. I think
that’s where the idea of songs having a sense of humour and also a very English
sensibility came from along with a lot of the great 60’s bands like The Kinks that I heard
through my parents. The 80’s were also a massive influence and my parents introduced
me to a lot of great bands like Roxy Music and Queen through their awesome vinyl
collection. So, I think like a magpie I’ve stolen inspiration from everywhere. I also used
to love hunting around second-hand music and charity shops. I remember getting Ziggy
Stardust on tape when I was 16 and it blew my mind. David Bowie was another big
influence.
TSWS: How did this all start for you?
I started playing guitar and writing songs when I was an awkward and lonely teenager
and it really helped me to express myself and keep me sane and it’s been keeping me
moderately sane ever since. Listening to artists like David Bowie, The Smiths and Pulp
made me realise that it was okay to not fit in and to follow your own path. That’s what
I’ve been trying to do since.
TSWS: Now that things are getting back to normal (slowly but surely) will you be
focusing on live performances at all?
I hadn’t been playing live for a while before Covid but this whole situation has made me
miss it even more so I’m definitely hoping to get back out there.
TSWS: What's next for you as a band?
It’s just me at the moment so I will keep knocking out the tunes and videos. I have a
new song called Drive coming out on May 7 th and this one has a bit of a different vibe.
You can definitely hear the Cure’s influence on this one. It’s the story of a man living his
life on autopilot and daydreaming his way through his life and is definitely not
autobiographical. I’m currently working on the video which is essentially more of me
having fun in front of a green screen. This one feels a bit more like the Sherlock Holmes
Would Know video and was definitely easier to make than Hangman hahaha. Plus, I’ve
got help from my awesome friend, musical collaborator and Photoshop legend Bean so
I can’t wait to share that one.
TSWS: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I work as a freelance editor when I can, which really helps with the music videos.
Outside of that, I watch a lot of films and TV shows. Too many. I am a bit of a film geek
and I studied film. I think this really had an effect on the music, hence making a cowboy
tune and a Sherlock Holmes story. Maybe next I should try a Romantic Comedy or a
super hero film. Probably anything but a musical.
TSWS: Who are you listening to right now?
I listen to Vinyl a fair bit these days and I’m a bit of a charity shop bargain hunter. I’m
listening a lot at the moment to a great Kenny Rogers album called Gideon, Canadian
Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot, the Best Of Michael McDonald and one of my few
more recent full price vinyl albums, Other People’s Lives by Stats, which is an awesome
album. Other current bands I’ve been getting into are The Lathums and Colours Of One.
I love the new Black Midi tune and am excited for the album. I’ve been discovering a lot
gf great new music through independent blogs like this one and podcasts and radio
stations that I have found when promoting my songs and there’s some awesome stuff
out there.
TSWS:We loved your last release and also love where you are headed musically with
"Hangman". What sort of advice would you have for up and coming artists out
there?
This is more creative advice than career advice, but try different things. Try not to go in
to making a song with an idea of the music or genre you want to make. Leave it free
enough to see what comes out. For me, that’s the exciting part. Try starting from
different places, a lyric, a beat, sample your electric razor, anything. Always embrace
the madness haha. Also let the music tell the story along with the lyrics. That way every
song feels like an adventure into a new world.
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Thank you firstly for listening. It really means everything. I hope that when you listen to the
songs they make you smile, laugh, nod your head and throw yourself around the room a bit as
much as they do for me when they fall into my head and I record them. If they do, then they’ve
done their job and if not, I apologize and will try harder hahaha.
