The W Likes Interview
6 min read
There is a lot of magic in the music of The W Likes. Behind the heavy riffs and the desert sand scratching, loneliness is hidden; whiskey soaked sorrow and melancholy; dreams gone forever, lost in time, never realised, grasped in a doomy Norwegian gloom.
I was impatient to invite The W Likes guys for a small chat in order to get aware of everything which is important for the them, just before their brand new album to hit the stores in 2019. Balbosj (bass) was kind enough to join me and answer to all the questions.
– Hello and welcome to Blessed Altar Zine! It’s awesome to have The W Likes here as our guest! Where did we find you and how are you?
– Thank you. It’s our pleasure. Our paths crossed in the Twitter universe. And we are doing just fine, even for our age, haha.
– So can we say the present report is a report from the studio then?
– Well, it’s more in between studio and release. Music is done and we are just waiting for the release date.
– We are going to reach to your next album part of my questions, but first can you briefly present the band to our readers – who are you guys, how did it all start and what did you go through up to now?
– We are three guys from Hamar, Norway. Willy plays guitar and does the singing, Balbosj lay down the bass and Kurti hits the drums.
It started out when Balbosj, Willy and our first drummer Erik was drinking beer and listening to Kyuss. The way most bands starts, right?
We had one single on 10” out when Erik retired his drumsticks. Then we got Kurti to join us and we recorded our debut album, released it on cd and vinyl through Balbosj own label, Ramah Records.
Currently waiting for our next release. Witch will be on the Second Coming of Heavy series, released by Ripple Music. It will drop sometime in 2019. That’s the short version.
– Why “The W Likes” and what’s the meaning behind?
– You got to be in the inner circle to know that. We are keeping that one a secret as long as we can.
– Your songs don’t fall under the typical stoner/fuzz/doom…rules. There are much more nuances, (desert) sorrow, hidden feelings… Lots of bands are digging into that genre nowadays. However, I must admit you are quite different in so positive way! What’s your recipe and how would you describe your music? what’s your inspiration for writing these tunes?
– Well thank you.
We tend to start jamming on a riff, record it, take a break, listen to it and if we feel it, we keep on jamming on it until it’s a song.
Our inspiration is everything from loss of someone, bad politics and a drummers nerdy t-shirt.
Our music is slow heavy rock with the occasional energy outburst.
– Do you love the 70s and what does inspire you to write these tunes? And are there any particular bands which are giving you the kick?
– Oh yes we do. In fact, we love all great music and stay clear of the crap, haha. A great tune is a great tune. We draw inspiration from everything. We get our kicks out of so many different bands that it’s hard to name any other then the obvious ones, so we’ll let your ears decide.
– Rock is Dead? Really?
– Yes, paper kill it all. It’s a song about the game rock, scissors, paper. The funny thing is that some people have been upset about that song. They haven’t gotten the meaning of it. It just makes us love the song even more.
– Your full length self-titled album was released in 2017 and now you are in the studio again. Actually you have been in the studio for the last one year recording your new record, right? Tell us more about this last year, the recording process and what can we expect from your new album?
– Todd Severin of Ripple Music offered us a spot on the last chapter of the Second Coming of Heavy witch is a series of 10 vinyl with 20 bands. Each gets one side of vinyl. This was just after we had released our debut album on vinyl. And of course we jumped aboard. We spent some months in our rehearsal space writing and fine tuning the song for the studio. We spent 5 days recording it. We record drums, bass and rhythm guitar live. And then we add lead guitar, vocals and the occasional spice to it.
Spent another week with mixing and spicing. And sent it off to mastering. And now the waiting game is on full speed.
We feel these song might be just a bit more one the heavy side than our previous. You will have to be the judge on that.
– Is there a change in the way you express yourself and overall in the compositions? What can you say is different this time?
– Well we have become even tighter as a band. We know what each other wants even when we can’t explain it right. And we knew what we were heading for in the studio since we used the same one as we did for our debut album. Memphis Bound Studio in our hometown Hamar.
– What topics have been on your mind when you wrote the music and the lyrics of the upcoming album? What is Chapter 10 about?
– Creepy feelings, deja vu and nailing that perfect riff. Chapter 10 is about showing everyone that Norway can make you want to have another beer.
– When can we expect the new Chapter to be released?
– 2019 is all we know right now. We will keep you posted.
– And it will be HEAVY, right?
– Hells Bells it will be.
– OK, we are much looking forward to it! Now onto your live performances. Are planning a tour after, or you prefer more the smaller gigs and/or the studio?
– We want to do it all. But first, sadly Willy will need an operation on his hand and might be in cast for several months. So we are waiting and hoping for a speedy recovery. As soon as he is ready, we will head on out.
– Do you have a favourite Norwegian band, you would like to tour with?
– First one to drop in my head would be Black Moon Circle. Man those guys gives you a long strain of eargasms.
– It would also be a pleasure heading out with Captain Caravan, Sunface and Red Mountains.
– And what about if you have to pick one of the most popular and important bands to be on stage with – which one would it be? It could be any from any decade? Just let us know…
– Clutch
– What’s the view from the Devil’s window? And does everyone see it, or it’s just you?
– We used to see it every time we went to rehearsal. It kinda creeped us out sometimes. But now, it’s no longer there and we have changed rehearsal space too.
– Is there anything else you would like to share with us and our readers?
– Yes, we know the shipping cost from Norway is outrageous. It’s the other way too. But check out our Bandcamp and you get the best deal (or Kozmik Artifactz).
– Don’t forget to send us an early copy of your next record for a review on Blessed Altar Zine…
– Will do as soon as we get the go from Ripple
– Thank you very much for your time for this interview! It was a real pleasure to speak to you and I am looking forward to hearing from you soon again!
– Thank you! It was an absolute pleasure.
Interview by Count Vlad
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