Interviews: Gnarwhal

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Rock band Gnarwhal from Canada. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, did you plan it, or did it come out just like that?

Jeremy (bassist) came up with Gnarwhal was actually kind of a joke that he came up with several years ago. It was a result of a group chat with some of his buds friends trying to come up with the most “northern” band name. Even though at the time it was meant to be silly, when he brought it up to the band, we all thought it was rad so we went with it.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We first started with the intention of just jamming covers for fun during the pandemic. We all dig bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Elder, etc so we started jamming in that style. We all bring our own musical backgrounds and interests, but in the end, the Gnarwhal sound is quite genre-crossing but would be considered fuzz/stoner/doom, with an alt spin. We aren’t intentional with making sure we stick within a ‘genre’ when we write songs. They just come out the way they come out!

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Yeah, we have all been pals for a while whether it be through music, mutual friends, or just other activities. We live in a smaller city so everyone knows everyone to a certain extent.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Oh, that’s a tough one. Our musical tastes are so diverse, and I don’t think I can nail down one band that is my overall #1 fav. I know Mark is a huge Pink Floyd fan so that might be his #1. Layne is a punk die-hard, so maybe a band like NOFX, Lagwager, or Propaghandi. Jeremy has super diverse tastes and listens to a lot of surf and garage rock. I think if I had to pick one that is influential to me, it might be Refused. Or The Misfits.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

My inspiration for writing Gnarwhal songs is the anticipation of hearing the finished product once Mark, Jeremy, and Layne bring their own spin to each of their parts. I usually come up with a song idea and structure, based on a guitar riff or hook. A lot of times the song is influenced by whatever band I’m listening to a lot at the time (in the stoner/doom/fuzz rock genre). I’ll normally lay down a basic bass and drum line as a placeholder, then pass it over to the other guys. Jer and Layne will work on it and write their own parts. Then Mark will start working on a vocal melody. Mark is constantly writing lyrics so he always has something to draw from every time we write a new song. Once we get together and start jamming, new songs come together pretty quickly.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last show was a couple of weeks ago at a festival in Calgary, Canada called The Electric Highway. It’s a super rad smaller 3-day festival. All fuzz/stoner/doom bands. Really amazing vibes and bands. We had the opportunity to play with bands such as Dead Quiet, and Anciients.

7. Where would you like to play?

We’d love to play more heavy music festivals that feature bands we’re really into and inspire us.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Oh, there are so many bands we’d love the opportunity to play with.

9. Whom not?

We’ll play with anyone haha.

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

I don’t think any of us have had an issue with stage freight. I think we all get the nervous jitters and excitement before any set, but I think that is good and important to keep you on your game. If you can find a balance between excitement and relaxing and settling into the pocket that’s great. The best tip I can give is just enjoy it. Treat it like a jam and immerse yourself in the experience. Don’t worry too much about what you look like or what the crowd thinks of you playing. Just play.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

I’d say that would be the same as the favorite bands that we talked about earlier. But also some of the awesome bands we have had the chance to play with on the more local and domestic scene. We have some really dedicated awesome local bands at home. I was personally really inspired by the new friends we made at The Electric Highway Festival. We have some really amazing acts in western Canada.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

We’re pretty new so I don’t think we’ve come across anything too weird yet. We’ve been asked for a setlist (which isn’t weird). It's cool when fans want to just chat about a show we’ve played or for us to sign a record or whatever.

13. What do you think of your fans?

We appreciate everyone who digs our music, comes to shows, follows us on social media, buys merch, and buys our music. Our biggest payoff is seeing everyone in the audience getting into our music when we play.

14. What do you think of our site?

Epic