An Interview With the Colorado-Based Duo, IN THE WHALE!

Celebrating their sixth year anniversary in 2017, the Colorado-based duo In The Whale has grown a lot thanks to a relentless tour schedule and a live show that’s likened to a sonic boom. Made up of Nate Valdez (guitar & vocals) and Eric Riley (drums & vocals), they are currently working on new music and hope to release it soon.

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Learn more about In The Water in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! Where does this interview find the band? Is there music playing in the background? If so, what is it?

We’re sitting in our manager’s house, hanging out for a few days, before we meet with a producer about doing demos for a new recording. The newest Brand New record is playing in the background

What are some words you would use to describe 2017? How differently did you all approach this year? What have been some highlights of the year?

3 words we would use to describe 2017: challenging, fulfilling, engaging. We approached this year the same way we’ve approached every year. Work hard, have fun, and make the music we would want to hear. Our first time in Europe was definitely a big highlight of the year. It was extremely challenging but really exciting and we came back home with a ton of new experiences. We can’t wait to go back!

Looking back on how you all decided to form this band, what do you think first made you all think you could do this and make music together?

We honestly stared this band as just a creative outlet. We weren’t trying to be successful. We were just messing around playing house parties and bars for our friends. When we moved to Denver, we decided to record our first proper EP, Cake, with then local producer Joey Barba. Working with him made us realize that hey! these songs are actually pretty good! Being able to sit down and actually dissect the songs and think about why the parts are played and sung the way they are, we realized that the songs actually have great foundations. Months later, we sold out our first show, which was our EP release party. It felt wonderful.

How did you all first meet each other and come up with your band name? What other band names were you considering? How do you think your name sums up with you are and the kind of music that you make?

Nate started the project as a solo album. They were all songs about a very intense and awful breakup he went through. Those first songs were about being abandoned by his significant other and feeling isolated and alone… like Jonah. Later Eric, who was a mutual friend from the music scene joined up and we started writing songs that were less…emo. But, we didn’t really see any reason to change the band name, moving forward.

How do you think you have all been influenced by being from Denver? What is the music scene like there?

 Denver is an island. There’s no real “industry people” there, but at the same time it’s a pretty big city. So, there’s a large pool of amazing artists and musicians who aren’t worried about who may or may not be able to bring them to stardom. It’s an extremely supportive scene. We’re all friends and help each other out and go to each other’s shows. We’ve been on the road so much the past few years, that we don’t have much time to be a large part of the Denver music scene which makes us sad. But alas, we must tour!

How has In The Whale grown over the years and changed?

Over the years we feel that we’ve matured as people, and that in turn translates to the band. However, we’ve always been a couple of dudes who love to make fun of each other, and that definitely has not changed.

When do you hope to release new music? Are you in the process of putting together an album soon after you get off the road?

New music in 2017 when the time is right.

Now that the summer is almost over, what was something fun or exciting that this band did or tried? How was your August tour? What were some favorite venues or crowds?

We recently played New West Fest in Fort Collins, CO. It was a SUPER rowdy crowd! Circle pits, and crowd surfing ensued. One of our favorite shows of the year for sure. The August tour has been great. Best show of the tour was Edmonton, AB, which is one of our favorite cities to play.

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

It’s hard to choose one or the other. We love both. But there’s nothing like performing in a packed club.

How do you think being a musician and in this band gives you all the most joy in life today?

 For most of our lives, music has been everything to us. It’s an outlet to express just about every emotion. We can’t imagine life without it.

Who are you all listening to these days? What artists have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

We’ve been revisiting the Rage Against The Machine catalogue, which is of course incredible. The new Brand New album is fantastic, as well as the new Code Orange.  Also, our manager just turned us on the a UK band called Slaves that we’re listening to a lot as well. Big inspirations on the band are Smashing Pumpkins, Melvins, He Is Legend, and Clutch. It would be a dream come true to work with the Deftones in any capacity.

At the end of the day, what do you hope your fans take away from your music? What do you hope is the message of your songs?

We hope our fans are able to use the music as a way to forget about the every day bullshit and just have a good time for a second. But honestly, we just want to make people react in SOME way. Indifference is the devil to us.

What advice would you give to a young band just getting started today?

Play out as much as you possible can, and try to be nice to everybody you come into contact with. But try no to come across as desperate.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourselves or your music?

Check out the music on iTunes or Bandcamp and be on the look out for new music in 2018!