This week Indie Dunes caught up with Wullae Wright, a
solo artist from Scotland, who recently released his 5th album “The Orange
Line”. We crossed paths on Twitter many a time in the last year and finally sat
down for a virtual coffee (ok there was no virtual coffee involved, but there
should have been!) and chatted about his music, artwork and the use of social
media to spread the word.
OK - first
question - and this is more of an observation, too - how on Earth do you manage
to devote any time to your music with all the time you are spending on
promotion. I have never seen anyone work so hard, I tip my non-existent hat and
salute you simultaneously - it seems exhausting - is it paying off?
Promoting my music, for me, never feels exhausting. If
anything, with all the day-to-day goings on and the intermittent, periodic
monotony life can bring, promoting can be very exciting and fulfilling. I
absolutely love sharing a link - for instance for my new album 'The Orange
Line', a review old or new or some future airplay on the radio, and finding
other people have shared this on their Twitter profiles by Retweeting, etc. I
revel in the kind comments of others and am genuinely touched by the sheer
level of support from so many individuals.
I used a similar promotional style with my first album
'AFTER. THE. RUSH. HOUR'S. GONE.' back in 2007-2008 much like I do today. At the
time I used 'Myspace' and I heavily promoted gigs by networking with users
sharing gig flyers, with links to my music, etc. It was so rewarding getting so
many gigs and people listening to my music. Renewing this kind of promotional
practice with my recent music and my new album 'The Orange Line' is constantly
paying off. I have to admit, I do not believe the way I promote is reason why
my music is reaching so many new people. The real reason my music is doing as
well as it is, is because of the fantastic supporters who listen to my music
and share it. Never in my life have I had such honest, kind and selfless
feedback and support from so many people. I do try and thank everyone for this.
Since returning to this promotional style again,
coupled with support from others, etc, I have had so many life changing and
fantastic opportunities arise. I signed a record deal with former Independent
Record Label 'Freaky Pug Records', have been played on radio stations around
the world, featured on compilation albums, collaborated with incredibly
talented musicians around the world, topped music charts, and been featured in
numerous music blogs, podcasts, and websites. New opportunities arise all the
time and much of it tends to find me instead of me sourcing it; I tend to find
these opportunities very exciting. As a musician, I am humbled and genuinely
delighted to have even just one person listen to my music, so I have been
absolutely lost for words to find people have actually been purchasing my new
album 'The Orange Line'. I still find it difficult to comprehend that people
are willing to spend their money on my music. This is an indescribable feeling.
From where I am
"standing" I do get the impression that you are working very hard on
twitter - you approach people directly, you engage, you say thank you - I've
been there long enough to know that it is very rare if not unique. You are
passionate about your music, but you also care about the people who listen to
it. You deserve all the support you are receiving in return :)
Listening to the
Orange Line, it is evident that a myriad of emotions went into every song, the
album rises and falls in intensity, you go from calm to almost screaming for
air - I envy your ability to transfer what you feel into music - I just yell
into a pillow.
You wrote the
lyrics a long time ago, did you write the music at the same time? If not was it
a challenge to call upon the same emotions years later?
Thank you for saying about my approach to others etc on
Twitter. I firmly believe there is no reason to be rude, impolite or
unnecessarily negative towards other people.
I absolutely absorb every ounce of positivity and
support people give me. People do not have to support my music. They don't have
to give me the time of day. I have found so many wonderfully kind and selfless
people on Twitter. They listen, they comment, they share and they promote my
music. Some have told me how they can relate to my music and the subject
matter. That touches me immensely. For me, that is what writing music is all
about. I will only ever thank people who are kind to me. It costs me nothing to
so. That's how I see it.
Yelling into a pillow is just as effective haha, many a time I find this to be the better method. I really appreciate the kind words in relation to transferring what I feel into music. It is funny, I have no exact process nor artistic template that I consistently follow. I can't read music and I have never been taught music. In that respect, writing music is purely an emotive art form for me. I pick up a lifeless lump of wood with some strings attached and let me mind and fingers experiment with it, creating a world based on my mood. I do enjoy using music as an outlet for my emotions, my song 'Vixen: Part 1, 2, 3 & 4' (Opus. 1 Version) is probably my greatest testimony to that. Very honest with my lyrics and emotions in that song.
The lyrics for the new album 'The Orange Line' were all
written between 1999 and 2001, and the guitar riffs were also written during
the same time. As paradoxical as this statement may sound, the album became
quite a challenge for me but it was extremely exciting watching it naturally
work itself out on its own. For instance I had to relearn all the music and
lyrics, had to find time to record, edit and produce the music, make the
artwork, develop a consistent sound, and keep it individual and different from
previous albums. All these things had constrains on them at different times,
but I didn't stress about these and I just naturally waited for the right time
and opportunities to surface before making headway again.
In terms of calling up the same kinds of emotions years
later, it was almost like an innate switch was flicked inside me. I didn't have
to relive the songs to understand the emotion again; it was just there already
as soon as I began playing the song. It was just a natural motivation. To use
an analogy, it was like when you meet an old acquaintance you haven't seen for
years and it all comes back to you, the emotions and feelings towards them.
Songs like 'Superhero' and 'Roadtrippin'' in particular were songs that I had
never forgotten. When I relearned the music and lyrics to 'All the Time' and
then played it, I felt overwhelmed by it. I actually had the intention to open
'The Orange Line' with 'All the Time' due to the emotive qualities and impact
it had on me. However I opted to have it has the closing track to the album for
the same reasons.
I cannot help but
smile while reading your words, your positive energy is infectious :)
Have you designed
the artwork for all of your albums? (I love the subtle "Where's My
Hero" on The Orange Line album cover btw -
hahahaha!)
Thank you very much. I try to stay as positive about my
music as I can. There have been many times where I have doubted myself and my
music, so I'm in a good place at the moment.
Yes, I have designed all the artwork for all the
albums. I am of the opinion that the artwork should go with the music, and can
be just as important. I largely have this belief from listening to Radiohead. I
have the fondest memories of sitting listening to albums like 'the Bends' and
'OK Computer' and studying the CD artwork. It helps cement the album together
for me, painting an intriguing visual stimulus intertwined with tremendous
audio. It becomes an all round experience for the senses. Takes you away to a
place no one can get to, if that makes sense and doesn't sound too pretentious
or nonsensical.
With my new album 'The Orange Line', I actually made
the artwork before I even had any music or the idea of where to go next. The
artwork is made up of a series of photographs taken on a journey to Coney
Island, New York. Nothing in particular exciting happened on the journey but I
loved it. The raw sights, sounds, and that feeling of going somewhere new that
you didn't know. All very vivid and nostalgic for me. The scribbles, sketches
and writing in the art is reminiscent of the artwork style at the time of
writing the songs back in 1999-2001. I love art that you have to study, where
everything isn't always immediately apparent. That's what I tried to do with
this. I love that you have noticed the "Where's my hero?" on the
album cover. That is a line from the tenth track on the album 'Superhero'.
Throughout the artwork there are odd moments where the odd lyric is thrown in.
My other album covers are of different styles - again
to suit the mood of the theme and music etc. 'AFTER. THE. RUSH. HOUR'S. GONE.'
is a photograph of the motorway in Glasgow City Centre at night which has been
manipulated with vibrant colours. 'In Cloud Cuckooland' is a black and white
self-portrait of my face made up of other images running through it.
'Anonymous' is very basic, intentionally bold to have an immediate impact with
a large electronic blue font and black background. 'Opus. 1' is a simple
collage of drawings and personal photos, which mirror the albums simplicity and
personal subject matter. I also have 'Overzealous Work Ethic' E.P artwork that
is a painting inspired by my favourite artist Rene Magritte, and 'Under the
Pyramids' E.P, which is an ink drawing of Harry Houdini. I have no idea what
the artwork will be like for a possible sixth album, but I will make the art
for that too. I thoroughly enjoy doing it.
Your artistic
thread weaves its way through every aspect of your creative process; everything
you create seems to be the cause and the result of the other at the same time
:)
I was reading one
of the posts you were featured in, where you talked about how each of your
albums differs in genre, to quote:
"Wullae: The Orange Line is quite simple, an
uncomplicated album really, with most songs being simply guitar, bass and vocal
orientated. I have added drums, strings and some other sounds to add some depth
to some songs The album is very clean but raw sounding. In terms of my other
albums and EPs, The Orange Line differs quite a bit. My first album
"AFTER. THE. RUSH. HOUR'S. GONE" is a raw indie rock effort, quite
youthful in nature. My second album "In Cloud Cuckooland" is a dark
industrial, alternative dance record. My third album "Anonymous" is a
hard rock, dubstep dance album about the internet. My fourth album "Opus.
1" is simply an acoustic album and is a very simple album. The Orange Line
is quite different and suits me at this time in my life." (Read the full interview here)
The common
denominator being the fact that you take your inspiration from your life
experiences - where to from here? Have you found a genre "niche" or
will you continue exploring, refusing to be genre "tagged" :)
I'm extremely grateful for the kind comment about
artistic thread. Generally I will always have an idea of how I want an album to
sound like, but I naturally let it progress on its own and it can even surprise
me. As you say with cause and result, I suppose I am aware that if I have an
idea I roughly know what I want the end result will be; and if I have a
finished product in mind from the outset I roughly know the means and my limitations
to getting there.
That's a great question, and one I am even struggling
to answer myself haha. My mind is permanently toying with so many themes and
ideas, conceptually developing mental artworks and creating hypothetical sounds
and genres to correlate with it. I believe I have an album title now that I am
happy with. Largely, and without giving too much away, the theme of the album
may centre around subject matter such as paternity, the sights and sounds of
Edinburgh and new life and opportunities. Birth and rebirth, those kinds of
concepts.
Refusing to genre tagged, I will most definitely be
pursuing a non-genre specific sound for this new album. Some ideas are cut up
sound bites, strings, electronic beats, and a lot of vocal melodies. I aim to make
this quite dark album, even though much of what I hope to write will not be
dark subject matter. A contrast to 'The Orange Line'.
Lastly, you've been interviewed and reviewed numerous times, is there anything you would like
to have been asked – but never were?
That is a very good question in itself. Generally I
have found the questions asked in interviews to be very thought-provoking and
interesting. They tend to make me think even more about my music, e.g with this
interview. Your questions have been fantastic and I have thoroughly enjoyed
answering them so thank you for asking them. One thing that no one has asked is
what albums and musicians have inspired each of my albums. I suppose maybe no
one cares haha, but I can find it interesting when I think of who has
influenced a particular sound in an album. For instance, with my new album 'The
Orange Line' I had the intention right from the outset of the making of the
album to have it have a similar production style to that of Radiohead's 'the
Bends' and Stereophonics 'Performance and Cocktails'. Whether or not there are
any similarities, that was my frame of mind. That flowing Acoustic/Indie/Rock
combination these albums have throughout.
For my next and sixth album, I'm yet to see who will
influence it.
For links to music and social networking sites, click on "More Info" above :)
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