Interview by Callie Winch | Header Image by Alasdair Scott
With their debut EP ‘Young Hard and Handsome’ set to be released later this week via Blood Records, Walt Disco have remained one of the hottest bands to watch throughout lockdown. We managed to catch up with them about their time in isolation, the death of gender binary and the inspiration behind their new release.
Callie: Your upcoming EP is titled ‘Young Hard and Handsome’ which is said to have become a mission statement for you all and your fans, can you give me some backstory to this?
WD: We came across a vintage gay porn book in the museum at The Last Tuesday Society in London which had those words emblazoned across the cover, and since then it’s just stuck.
Callie: Who have you drawn inspiration from for the new EP?
WD: Some of the main sonic references were Marilyn Manson, Christine and the Queens and St. Vincent.
Listen to ‘Hey Boy (You’re One of Us’ here:
Callie: Did you find it hard to stay creative during lockdown? How did you stay engaged with your music?
WD: We’ve probably created more music than we ever had in our lives, built ourselves a wee home studio in Dave’s room and got stuck into demos! At times it was so difficult to stay motivated when we couldn’t ever get a change of scenery, but we managed it and I’m genuinely so proud of the songs that have come out of the past 5 months.
Callie: How do you see the live music scene changing when it starts up again?
WD: I can see stripped back sets with a seated socially distanced audience. I’d love to do this with just a piano in a church or somewhere like that.
Callie: Where’s the first venue you’ll be visiting when you finally can?
WD: Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh!
Callie: What festival were you most gutted to have missed this summer?
WD: We were meant to be playing Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Dundee which we were so excited for! We never even got to announce it.
Callie: Your live shows definitely involve some form of theatrics within them, is there anyone you draw inspiration from when you’re performing?
WD: We definitely draw from bands like DEVO and XTC, who always seemed like a gang when they were performing and never took themselves too seriously. We do also take influence from darker bands such as Bauhaus for the more gothic songs.
Callie: How much of an impact has the Glaswegian music scene had on your new releases?
WD: In the nicest possible way, not at all. We don’t actively try to sound different or the same as anyone! Just want to sound like us.
“Our message of subverting gender norms and the death of the gender binary is a message that a lot of solo artists have but I see less bands promoting these ideas“
Walt Disco
Callie: As a band your image focuses on androgyny, glam-rock and subverting gender norms, how do you feel this has fit within the scene you find yourselves in?
WD: There are lots of artists in Scotland right now who are driven by a message and as a result music fans of all ages in Scotland are very receptive to this. Our message of subverting gender norms and the death of the gender binary is a message that a lot of solo artists have but I see less bands promoting these ideas, which isn’t to say people in bands aren’t largely accepting of these ideas.
Callie: Fashion and music seem to be quite interlinked for you as a group, have you felt that your aesthetic has shifted at all as your music has grown with the new EP?
WD: I think the aesthetic is moving more towards fantasy and fairy-tale, this is something that I’ve always geeked out about and it’s nice to work that into the aesthetic of the group. This feels natural as the EP and the new songs we’re writing are becoming more expansive and leaning towards Hyperpop.
Callie: What songs did you all have on repeat during isolation?
WD: Sad Music by Jessica Winter, claws by Charli XCX , My Rajneesh by Sufjan Stevens, Laplander by EASYFUN, Sparky’s Dream by Teenage Fanclub.
Callie: What new bands are you listening to as a band at the moment?
WD: Planet 1999, T Truman, Jerskin Fendrix and All Things Blue.