By: Catrina Maxwell
These four guys from Cincinatti, Ohio have burst onto the scene and seem to be making their mark in the music world. Their independently-released album “i want! i want!” has hit the airwaves and fans seem to really like the “poppy art-rock quartet” as described by SPIN Magazine. Currently, they are working on their follow-up album that will be released on RCA Records. Nicholas Petricca, lead singer for the band took some time to answer a few questions for Atlanta Music Guide.
What sparked the band name Walk the Moon?
The band name came up partly out of a love for the Police and the vibe of their lyrics and music, sort of mysterious and playful.
How was the band formed?
I formed the band a few years ago in college, and this final line-up came together early this year when we really started touring a lot.
Who does most of the lyric writing in the band and what inspires the music and lyrics the most?
The lyrics are mostly mine and the writing is inspired in large part by other artists who have really affected me. I try to learn from them. A lyricist like Justin Vernon for instance tells stories that are so vivid and seem so viscerally personal, so I try to recreate images from my own memories in hopes that listeners will piece together my stories in a way that is personal to them.
Who came up with the concept behind the Anna Sun video?
Patrick Meier (Contrast Productions) is a brilliant videographer and friend of mine in Cincinnati who called me one night with the idea for the one-shot, one-take scene. Over the course of a few months, he and a choreographer Kim Popa (Pones, Inc.) and I came up with the general storyline, but it was the type of thing that didn’t really reveal itself until the days just before and the night of filming.
If you could collaborate with any artist, which artist would it be?
Michael McDonald, obviously.
How is the new album with Ben Allen coming? Any teasers for us?
Album is going splendidly. Sorry, you’ll just have to wait! Though you can catch some of the new material if you see us live.
Aside from the new album, what else can we expect to see from Walk the Moon?
We do our best to make sure every show is unique in some way, and inevitably there will be another music video or two in months to come. But mostly I think we are a baby band that will continue defining ourselves as we grow up big and strong. i.e. Expect meat dresses and being born out of alien eggs onstage.
What do you like and dislike about touring?
We truly love getting to meet as many new people as we do, and touring is a great excuse to see the country and other parts of the world. All the same, we do cherish our time at home as that is becoming more scarce these days!
Recently, you were in Atlanta for Music Midtown 2011. Is there anything that sticks out about that show?
For our part we were just honored to play on such a small bill with such great acts. Also, since we had been in Atlanta all summer making the record, coming back to play there was a bit like coming home. Such welcoming, kind people in ATL.
What performances stand out to you the most so far, and why?
The big festivals – SXSW, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Great Escape (UK) – have all been exhilarating and felt to us a bit like rites of passage as a group that’s fairly new to the industry. Bonnaroo in particular was as raw, sweat-drenched, flamboyantly colored, and flailing-arms-raucous as any rock n roll show we could hope to be a part of, and we can’t wait to get back there next summer (fingers crossed).
What do you guys like to do on your off time?
In our off-time, we try to get home and see family as much as possible. Some of us have girlfriends. I have a dog. You know. I also try to go to shows in Cincinnati ’cause I miss being part of the scene there. But mostly I watch “Colbert” with my Dad and my dog.
Walk the Moon play Center Stage on October 29.
