EMQ’s with WHITE WALLS
EMQ’s with WHITE WALLS
Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Constanța, Romania based Prog/Alt Metal band White Walls Huge thanks to them for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Șerban (bass): We are White Walls from Constanța, Romania, we play a blend of progressive and alternative metal, and we’ve been a band since 2009, with only one major line-up change (but it isn’t because we’re assholes, we swear!)
How did you come up with your band name?
Eugen (vocals): I was the last one joining the band back then and they told me how, but I forgot! Help guys! 😊
Dasu (guitars): It’s actually after the name of a song from Between the Buried and Me, we were and still are big fans. We really loved the concept, that we all start with blank, plain white walls and it’s up to us to fill them with meaningful colours.
What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?
Șerban: Romania has a pretty diverse and potent rock & metal scene. Having just played at European Metal Festival Alliance 2020, we recently had a chance to listen to exclusive shows by Dirty Shirt and RoadKillSoda, two kickass Romanian bands, that play crossover folkcore metal and stoner rock’n’roll respectively. We have a pretty vibrant underground scene overall, and it’s good to see that people are still being creative and involved with music even in these sad times to be in a band.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Dasu: Going back a bit, our last full album, “Escape Artist”, was released in 2013. We just released our latest single and video, ‘Starfish Crown’, from our upcoming full length, “Grandeur”, which will be released this autumn. So stay tuned!
Starfish Crown (Official Video)
Who have been your greatest influences?
Șerban: I think we each have to take turns and list our own personal influences, since those are what ultimately shaped our sound the most, as we don’t really try to sound like any other band when we get together to write music. The music that most shaped my musical outlook was, chronologically: Michael Jackson -> Nirvana -> RHCP -> Deftones. And then the floodgates opened… How about you, guys?
Dasu: I started getting into music pretty much around the same time Șerban did, as we know each other since forever, so I’d say RHCP, Linkin Park, Tool, Lamb of God in my teen years. Then, of course, it all went crazy.
Theo: My idols when I was little were Shannon Larkin from Godsmack and Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater.
What first got you into music?
Șerban: My older sister’s cassette collection. She used to fuck with Nirvana and stuff, it was awesome when I eventually ran into those tapes, and I listened to them A LOT. She bumps Jason DeRulo now, btw.
Theo: The video game Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within. In this game, you are the Prince. So, every time his enemy starts to run after him, the guitar riff from Godsmack’s “I Stand Alone” starts to play. The moment when I heard that riff was the moment my mind clicked and boomed. That’s why I have Prince’s face tattooed on my arm.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Theo: I would really love to tour with Gojira. They’re so original and sound incredible live. Also, their drummer Mario is one of the best metal drummers these days so I would love to do some warm ups with him.
Dasu: I would really love for us to hook up with Katatonia. They are really good songwriters and producers and we could learn a thing or two about how they approach music.
Șerban: I think it would be cool to see how someone like Jacob Collier would write parts or arrangements to a prog metal song, so he’d be my choice for a collab. Hit me up Jake, let’s fuck shit up.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Șerban: As of August 11th, 2020? Literally any festival.
Theo: Since I was little, I watched streams from Rock am Ring and dreamed about being there someday.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Șerban: Their time. I mean it really is weird, think about it: life has so much to offer yet there are people who want to spend their time listening to 4 sweaty Dobrujans playing weird-ass metal. We truly appreciate the gift, nonetheless.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Șerban: You know how they say “put one’s money where one’s mouth is”? If you truly care about a cause, get involved. If you really care about the environment, bike to work, start recycling, or give veganism a try. And if you want your favourite artists to thrive, find whatever way to support them you can afford.
Eugen: Support your favourite band! Buy their merch!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Șerban: Jeff Buckley. I feel like he still had so much to give.
Theo: Michael Jackson. I don’t care that he was a pop star and not a rock star, haha!
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Șerban: I love everything except van-butt. Van-butt is what happens when you spend too much time sitting in a van, especially on Romanian roads.
Eugen: Same here. Ten to twelve hours on the road between two gigs is a nightmare.
Dasu: The one beer before the soundcheck holds a special place in my heart.
Theo: Playing on stage and traveling is what I like the most. The less likeable part for me is recording.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Șerban: I’d have more people go to live concerts. Make it mandatory or something.
Theo: Giving musicians more from streaming their music.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Șerban: Just one? Today I’ll say… Agent Fresco – “A Long Time Listening”. Absolutely beautiful Icelandic music that sounds like nothing else you’ve ever heard.
Eugen: Aphrodite’s Child – “666”, Iron Maiden – “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”, Dream Theater – “Images And Words”, Jeff Buckley – “Grace”.
Dasu: Burst – “Lazarus Bird”. Really awesome songs and riffs.
Theo: Ghost – “Infestissumam”. So simple and tasty.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Șerban: Lossless downloads for audio quality, vinyl for the ample room for physical artwork.
Eugen: Really worn out cassettes for me!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Șerban: Release concert for “Escape Artist” back in 2013 was pretty special. Opening for Deftones in 2011 was a dream come true.
Eugen: An old gig when we had two people in the audience!
Șerban: Ah yes, the infamous Mikolow show. Two people in the audience and we still sold 4 CD’s and 3 t-shirts though!
Dasu: Our latest recorded live show, for European Metal Festival Alliance, as we had the chance to see and listen to ourselves “from the audience”.
Theo: Rockstadt Extreme Fest 2017. Big audience.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Șerban: Maybe become a video game developer, or sound engineer, stage manager, videographer, shit, I’m lucky to be someone who likes a lot of stuff and has a lot of hobbies.
Eugen: A bad actor.
Dasu: I am a full-time dentist, so I got that going on.
Theo: Civil Engineer most likely. I’ve always been passionate about infrastructure. I’m also a geographer.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Șerban: I’d have my closest friends (and incidentally bandmates) to sit on top of another, one trenchcoat per pair, just to fit more people in the party. Or stack’em even higher if the ones on the ground are fit enough. Damn it, now I have to make a spreadsheet for this…
Eugen: Well, I really like eating dinner alone…
What’s next for the band?
Șerban: We’re gearing up for our upcoming album release. The record is called “GRANDEUR” and it’s coming sometime this autumn.
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Șerban: Our Bandcamp is over at www.music.whitewalls.ro, and we try to point people in that direction as often as we can, since that’s pretty much the only way we can make an actual income that we can invest back in the band. But following us on www.facebook.com/whitewallsofficial , www.instagram.com/whitewallsofficial/ , or Spotify/Apple Music etc really helps, too!
Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?
Șerban: They are misunderstood biscuits. Anybody who claims otherwise is forever forbidden to step foot at a White Walls gig.
Eugen: I always thought they were like biscuits with cream, but I don’ t care anymore!
Dasu: Neither… and both
Theo: Biscuit cakes.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Dasu: Be kind to yourselves, be kind to others and be kind to all animals.
Theo: Wear masks and wash your hands!
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
