Question: Given the lack of rock bands gaining mainstream attention in 2013, what have you guys done to put yourselves out there?Īngell: We’ve just been touring incessantly. I forgot a line of a song one night and someone in the crowd sang along to remind me of what it was, which was pretty amazing.
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We travel to all these little pockets of the world, so it’s cool to see just how into the record people are. They know all the words to the songs and really get into what we’re doing. The response has been ridiculous, really. Question: How have audiences reacted to the shows thus far?Īngell: Great. We all love music and we get along really well, which is important when trying to maintain a long-term vision. Question: Given the long road you’ve traveled up to this point, what is it about Walking Papers that you believe will give it its staying power?Īngell: We’re based on songs and some of the guys in the band have done really well with other projects in the past. In a way, songs are almost like the Clint Eastwood westerns in which his character doesn’t have a name or an origin story, because the characters in the songs are just as wide open to interpretation. I had a troubled childhood, so I used music and writing as a way to escape the chaos and take myself to another place. I’ve found that three verses in song can often be more powerful than a 300-page novel, because the listener’s imagination can take them places they never thought of before. Sometimes, three people I’ve known throughout my life can be reformed into one person for the purposes of creating a song. I try to have a feel for situations and how everyday people talk. I always have my antenna up when walking around, because people I meet or conversations I overhear can find their way into a song at some point. Question: What’s your primary inspiration when sitting down to write a song?Īngell: Life, in general. As a writer, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Bob Dylan are guys I looked up to, because they were able to express their feelings so brilliantly through the songs that it didn’t matter if people didn’t consider them the greatest singers in the world. Even the kids movies for which Randy Newman composed material are things I enjoy a great deal. I could go on forever listing singers who have impacted me, such as Bessie Smith, Mavis Staples, and even Adele, because I recognize a good singer when I hear one. I never thought of myself as a singer, but the fact that I never found my Jagger or Plant meant that I had to sing if I wanted to break through. Question: Who were some of you vocal influences growing up?Īngell: I learned covers of The Cult and other bands of the era when I was growing up, so those were the times when I realized I could actually sing if wanted to. We never wanted to be painted into a corner artistically, because there’s something discouraging to me about not being able to settle into a 4/4 beat and see where it takes you. When you think about Seattle and the birth of grunge, that was the last time a sound was redefined and things actually went well. How was that developed?Īngell: I’ve always been a fan of The Rolling Stones, Tom Waits, John Lee Hooker, The Cult and other bands that embraced the bluesy side of rock, so I think we’ve just fashioned our band as a modern version of that vibe.
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Question: The band’s sound embodies a much more old-school rock approach than what’s usually expected from the Seattle scene. I spoke with Angell recently about life on the road and what makes the band tick, and, given the humility with which he conducted himself, I came away thinking that Walking Papers just might be the best kept secret of our concert-filled summer. Their debut album has shades of Zeppelin, Rory Gallagher, and Rocks-era Aerosmith scattered throughout, while Angell announces himself as a poignant voice reminiscent of classic 1970s howlers.
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Throw in Seattle veterans Jeff Angell and Benjamin Anderson, and you have a formidable group of guys out to prove that rock is far from six feet under. One of the bands responsible for the side stage’s resurgence is Walking Papers, a scruffy, no-nonsense explosion featuring Duff McKagan, of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver fame, and ex-Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin. Gone are the days when fans were compelled to show up shortly before the headliners came on to avoid idling while obscure opening acts polluted their eardrums. This year’s lineup offers the most sundry smorgasbord of bands in recent memory, because the promoters have taken strides to assemble acts that bring a diversified musical repertoire to the table. 6, don’t expect to be exposed to the proverbial crop of mid-level metal outfits hinging on distortion and a dream.
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If you’re heading out to Darien Center for the 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival on Aug.