Not only am I still awake after 4 shows in 4 days, I am straight up pumped for the show tonight at KFN. With two of my Philly favorites opening, Walking Shapes take the stage tonight for what will be an Tuesday night show. To find out more of what we are in for tonight, I interviewed Walking Shapes frontman Nathaniel Hoho to find out about their life in NYC, their life on the road, and what they are most excited for this year.
C: How long have you all lived in NYC and how did you meet and decide to form the band?
N: Most of the guys in the band have been in NYC their entire lives, other than myself and Dan. I grew up on a bison farm in Pennsylvania and moved here about 5 years ago and Dan moved here from Trenton to attend NYU.
C: What’s like it like living in NYC with such a rich music scene?
N: It’s a really great community to be a part of. Living here opens you up to new thoughts and approaches to art (and life for that matter) subconsciously. When you’re here you’re in the ether and you’re participating whether you know it or not.
C: What do you think sets you apart from the other bands coming out of that scene?
N: Walking Shapes has a musical depth to it that not many bands out there have right now. Through those layers and subtle intricacies the band has been capable of finding a sound unique to ourselves with a stylistically vast palate. We have roots in rock and roll, Balkan folk, Jazz, and also two of us work as audio engineers and producers which gives us the tools to capture moments of inspiration which has been huge for us, especially on this record. To capture a moment, a record of time and not have to go into the studio later to try to recreate a preexisting moment or feeling.
C: What is tour life like for your band? What is funniest thing that’s happened on tour? What’s the luckiest thing that’s happened on tour?
N: We’re a pretty young band so other than this tour kicking off today at Kung Fu Necktie, we’ve done one other tour out to SXSW with DRGN KING. That was a great time, we had just played Atlanta and were staying with a friend who said she’d house both bands for the night. Lucky; because we didn’t have to stay in a hotel and we experienced some Southern hospitality, however she didn’t mention she had a studio apartment….11 of us ending sleeping in the tiny apartment head to toe. I definitely woke up with Dom from DRGN KING’s feet in my face.
C: You are currently touring in support of your debut album, what was it like recording the album together? How long did it take? Did you write everything together during the recording process, or did you have a lot of music already written?
N: Taka Come On was hands down the greatest recording process I’ve experienced to date. We worked with producer Gus Oberg who’s worked at Electric Lady Studios for years where he’s worked with The Strokes, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams and the list goes on and on. We sent him 60 songs we had recorded of a years time. He chose 16 songs to work, he never revealed the whole list of 16 to us. We’d just go in and work on one or two tracks a day and each day was a surprise. The result was a beautiful black diamond.
C: What do you like better: touring or recording?
N: I love them both. I can’t wait for tour, I love playing shows, traveling and meeting people! That being said I spend most of my time in the studio so when we return home we’ll get right back to it working out ideas. It’s one in the same to me, you record music for the sake of documenting a moment in time, then it’s a privilege to go out and share that with people.
C: If you could go on tour with any band who would it be?
N: My Morning Jacket, Future Islands (did you see that Letterman performance?), and Queens of the Stone Age.
C: Do you have any upcoming shows or festivals you are really looking forward to?
N: I’m excited for the entire tour we are going to be out for 30 days. Here’s the first leg:
Mar 25 Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, PA
Mar 26 Double Happiness Columbus, OH
Mar 28 ELBO ROOM Chicago, IL
Mar 29 The Heavy Anchor St. Louis
Mar 30 The Yeti Tulsa, OK
Apr 1 Las Vegas Nevada, Backstage Bar ( needs locals )
Apr 03 The Satellite Los Angeles, CA
Apr 04 House of Blues Anaheim, CA
Apr 05 Acerogami Pomona, CA
Apr 06 Brick & Mortar Music Hall San Francisco, CA
Apr 07 Bardot Los Angeles, CA
Apr 08 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ
Apr 12 Dallas – The Door
C: What’s your favorite city to play so far? Where would you like to go?
N: Austin, LA, Chicago, San Fran, and NYC hold a special place in my heart, but I love touring and enjoy each stop. I’m looking forward to playing in Tokyo and Barcelona, I’ve heard great things about playing those cities.
C: How did you decide on your band name?
N: A butterfly drifted past my review mirror, I was cold it was warm. The sun was beating on a velvet couch along the highway and Walking Shapes was written on it with white paint. It was beautiful.
C: What was the first album you’ve ever purchased?
N: The Four Tops greatest hits or Michael Jackson’s Bad (i think) I was 3 or 4.
C: What are your favorite places to hang out in NYC?
N: Museum of Natural History
C: What record should everyone listen to from start to finish?
N: Taka Come On out on April 8th.
I see what you did there! The album plugging pros Walking Shapes play KFN TONIGHT with Nico’s Gun and Cruiser as support. The show starts at 8PM and you can get your tickets at the door!
xx Cher
