Rephlektor Inkorporated sent me a press release a few weeks ago promoting a new single from Frank Walker. Frank has been busy performing at Ultra Music Festival and producing a track titled “Footprints” on Astralwerks Records. I can’t stop listening to the song and I just had to learn more about Frank and this release. While you listen to this single, imagine the windows rolled down driving down Miami Beach with the radio turned up! Names like Dash Berlin have also been supporting this release, and for good reason. This track features Callum Stewart, and Walker did a great job shaping his vocals on this club banger. Needless to say, I am excited to introduce you to Frank Walker.
I love your website. Especially with headphones on! How often are you changing the content on your site? Do you change the music from time to time?
Thanks! I’m actually in the middle of changing the design on my site. I love the vibe right now, but creatively I am always evolving and I wanted to give the site an overhaul to reflect that.
I definitely try to stay on top of keeping site content fresh, but I feel like with all the different ways of interacting with fans it’s usually the last space to get updated.
You recently released remixes for “Footprints.” Tell me more about that release and the original, and what it was like working with Astralwerks Records.
“Footprints” was a really big release for me creatively. My style has been moving more and more in a funk-inspired direction, and “Footprints” was the first release with this new feel. When I first heard Callum’s voice, it really inspired me to get creative with new sounds, like live slap basses and vocoders; it was a really significant release for me artistically.
Up to this release I’d put all my songs out on my own indie label, NIGHTFUEL RECORDS, so I’d never really had the power of working with a label like Astralwerks before. The process has been amazing. It’s a pretty incredible feeling when you are able to get remixers that you really look up to and respect, like Dash Berlin and Oliver Nelson, to put their touches on your track.
You are based in Toronto. What is the music scene like in Hogtown?
This city has a pretty incredible music scene and people don’t realize the talent bed that Toronto has. I’m pretty sure it’s because the weather is so awful here 8 months of the year… I usually end up locking myself in studio because there’s not much else to do when it’s that cold.
Tell me more about your EP 24. What sort of sound can fans expect and where did the name 24 come from?
I was 24 years old when I started writing the EP, a defining year in my life. The release was a highly experimental one for me, the 4 tracks on 24 have a pretty unique sound; I was still trying to find my sound creatively. Each song had me working with a distinct vocalist, and it inspired a different style of production around the vocals. I think having such a diverse catalogue of songs definitely shaped my writing style last year.
Guys like Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz and deadmau5 are some of the biggest and best DJs on the planet. Who do you like and who has influenced your sound over the years?
Being from Toronto, deadmau5 definitely was really inspiring to see when I was younger. He was the first superstar DJ I ever saw live.
Creatively I draw from all over the place. Sometimes dance music feels like it’s stuck in a trend or formula of whatever the “hot” sound is. I find I listen to a lot of alternative and rock music when I’m not producing. Hearing to what some of my favourite bands, like Coldplay and Muse, are up to can be really encouraging creatively.
In the electronic world, I really respect Diplo and his creative process. I feel he really pushes the boundary when it comes to finding and developing new sounds, his music always feels real fresh. Also, having toured with Kygo has really opened my eyes to what electronic music can become. He artistically takes dance music to a whole new place, and has brought a lot of really beautiful compositions to the scene; it’s pretty inspiring as a musician.
Tell me about your relationship with the Golden Hare Group.
It’s been a pretty wild journey over the past year and a bit. My manager, Myles, moves at an insane pace and doesn’t leave you the option to go slower than him as one of his artists. It pretty amazing looking back to where I was before meeting him, and seeing how far he’s helped me grow.
You’ve played shows all over the world. Do you prefer smaller gigs or festivals?
That’s a tough one… The feeling of playing to 10s of thousands of people is so incredible, there’s a certain energy you get from festivals you can’t recreate anywhere else. That being said, there will always be a spot in my heart for smaller, intimate rooms, feeling like you’re part of the crowd is special. It’s in those smaller venues that you feel like you’re enjoying music with a bunch of like minded dance fans.
Where are some of your favorite places to visit?
I visited Tokyo last year for Ultra Japan; it was so epic. I wasn’t even there for 4 days, but the experience was so crazy. The culture over there is vastly different from Canada. The food, the buildings, the fashion. I can’t wait to be back.
I don’t see any tour dates on your website. Are you planning a big tour this summer/fall?
I’ll definitely be back in Europe this summer and have plans for North America tour dates that I’m looking forward to.
I saw a photo of you holding a bottle of Dom Pérignon boarding a private jet with Kygo. Did you guys pop the bottle on the way to Chicago? How was that show? I love that city!
We tend to keep it pretty together on tour, it gets hard to stay on top of production work if you’re partying all the time. That being said, it never hurts to have a glass on champagne aboard a jet.
The show in Chicago was pretty epic. I had only been there once before for a show at Prysm Nightclub and I can’t imagine I’ll top playing at a sold out United Center for 14,000 people anytime in Chicago soon.
What’s next for Frank Walker?
I’ve been putting in a lot of time writing in the studio over the past few months with some really incredible singers. I’m wrapping up a new EP right now, where I’ve really been developing the sound that I experimented with on “Footprints.” You can expect lot of real funky music coming up in the near future.
Connect with Frank Walker:
Website: http://frankwalkermusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrankWalkerMusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/djfrankwalker
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/djfrankwalker
