Wind Walkers Interview
Wind Walkers, the genre-defying visionaries, are back and stronger than ever with their groundbreaking new album "What If I Break?". Authenticity is the heartbeat of the album, as it dives into the depths of human experience, navigating themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Seamlessly blending powerful instrumentals with hauntingly honest vocals, each track unfolds as a compelling narrative that showcases a spectrum of raw emotions and cathartic expression.
We got to chat with them about how the band came to be, their new album and upcoming plans.
-Can you start by telling us who's behind the name Wind Walkers?
Hey! Thank you so much for having us! Tim and Trevor here and we’re stoked to answer some questions for you. The band is Neil and Tim on guitar, Craig on bass, Ethan on drums and Trevor is the vocalist.
- Can you tell us a bit about the origin of the band and how you came up with the name Wind Walkers?
We actually came up with the name almost 10 years ago now! (Yes we know we’re old) We used to be called Atlas but found that the name was overly used and pretty unoriginal. So then we sat down to think of a new name which took months lol. We must’ve thought up hundreds of new band names. Eventually we ended up being on a time crunch and had to choose so we picked Wind Walkers since it was the name we all hated the least hahaha. I’d love to say it has a cool or clever story behind it but this is it lol.
- Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new album, "What If I Break?" What themes or messages do you explore?
The inspiration behind this album came from a plethora of things. We love to create music based off of, not only our favorite bands and genres, but from a lot of other mediums such as books, video games and movies. While some songs have a more personal message such as dealing with the loss of a loved one, feeling insecure in a relationship and struggling to understand modern religion there are others based off of horror movies and Steven King novels. We try really hard to personalize all of the songs in order to have a greater impact. Overall we simply wanted this album to be a rollercoaster both sonically and lyrically to make it as enjoyable and unique as possible.
- How was the experience of working with producers Nick Matzkows and Jon Eberhard on this album?
Nick and Jon are the absolute best!!! This album would not be possible without those two. The writing process with them is so effortless and we spend so much time just hyping each other up and enjoying the process. Those two are the most amazing musicians we’ve ever met and we’re super lucky to be able to work with them.
- We understand that the band is passionate about mental health advocacy. How does this passion translate into your music and overall message?
I think it’s so important to talk about and realize how important it is to be focus on one’s mental health. I think the reason so many are drawn to our genre of music is because they struggle with mental health to some degree. Growing up we all found comfort and solace in knowing that these musicians were feeling the same way we were. As a teen who had trouble expressing myself I found that heavy music was an outlet and cathartic for me. As we grew up I think we all realized that we wanted to be that voice and inspiration for people who struggle like we have (and still do). And the best way we found to do that is through our music. Even if we can help a single person with our music we’re happy. That’s all we’ve ever wanted to do.
- Considering your diverse sports interests, do you find any parallels between the discipline required in sports and the creative process in music?
We are big sports fans for sure! That being said we are probably the most in athletic group of guys you could find hahah. If we had to draw a parallel I’d say it be that both take an insane amount of hard work. Things that both musicians and athletes make look easy are the product of hour upon hours of practice and it’s almost an addiction for both who care so much for their craft.
- Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the band? Any specific goals or milestones you're aiming for?
We have a ton of aspirations for ourselves and our music. While we realize things are much harder for an independent band we don’t let it stop us from pursuing this dream of ours. For 2024 we hope to tour as much as possible and meet as many fans as we humanly can. Ultimately the goal is to make this passion our jobs and we’re hoping that with everyone’s continued support we will be able to make that’s reality someday.
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