Walkwaves

Toronto, ON-based alt/electro-pop band, Walkwaves has released a brand new single entitled “One Night” featuring Trophy Kid Diz who is the former frontman of PRTY H3RO.

Chris Bundas shares on the single,

“When we got teamed up with Trophy Kid Diz to do a project, we had no idea what to expect as an outcome. Our styles are so different, but with ease during our first meeting we just started grooving to a keyboard melody Matt played. Next think you knew we were singing lines, and adding other instrumentation, and the song just wrote itself. It’s a hip-hop, reggae/alternative mashup with a retro flare that creates this feel good, summer tune that makes you want to dance!” - Canadian Beats

Walkwaves hang out with Luke at 102.1 The Edge on "Home and Native Bands" and chat about their new record, the transformation between albums, challenges, zombie apocalypse plans, weird dietary habits, and more. Watch the full live-streamed interview. - Luke

Walkwaves goes live on air with 95.1 The Peak FM and discusses their new record "Midnight for a While". The Northern Tracks spotlight by The Peak FM goes to "Girls on Snapchat". - 95.1 The Peak FM

Walkwaves joins the "What She Said" show on 88.5 Jewel FM to talk about their new album "Midnight for a While" and does an acoustic performance. - What She Said

Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, electronic based pop group Walkwaves have released their debut album, Midnight For A While. The band, consisting of Matthew Bundas on vocals, guitars, and keys, bassist Brian Mackay, guitarist Christopher Bundas, and drummer Kevin Branagan looks to seamlessly blend electronic textures with organic instruments on their first full length record, and does so to varying degrees.

Opening on an ambient note, “Get You Out” feels like much of today’s popular synth driven indie pop until the song develops towards the chorus in which Walkwaves demonstrates in truest form their strong 80’s dance influence with a bopping groove from the bass and drums that feels partially inspired by disco along with classic Madonna. The following track, “Skin”, on the other hand, is far more in line with today’s pop music and feels as if it would fit in perfectly with today’s top forty radio hits. Much of the album seems to fit this description, including “T.T.T.L.”, “You Could Be Why”, and “Human Being” which features Karina Es on vocals. All of these tracks, among others are nearly completely electronically driven, giving something you can dance to with a side of corny lyrics that depict the millennial dating scene (see “Girls On Snapchat”).

What these songs lack is the feeling that a band is present as most of the album- save a few songs or sections from the odd song- sounds like a collection of electronic effects and beats created on a laptop with Matthew Bundas’ vocals recorded over top. While Bundas has a great voice and sounds very crisp in the clean production of Midnight For A While, the band element is certainly lacking. This truly is unfortunate as Walkwaves shine best during the guitar led sections which feel more organic and closer resembles modern alternative pop groups of the likes of Judah and The Lion. “Friend” Stands out as a ballad that exemplifies exactly this, as well as the chorus of “Get You Out”, along with the angst and industrial influence of the closing track, “Nightfall”. It is in these moments that Walkwaves sound at their best and resemble a cohesive band rather than an electronic based solo project.

Midnight For A While is certainly a mixed bag of a debut record. I applaud Walkwaves for taking the ambition of making their first ever release a full length album, but the album itself often lacks the organic-electronic synthesis which the band aimed for. Instead, the album feels far too reliant on electronic textures that, while well written and orchestrated between different effects and soundscapes- feels hollow and unenergetic at times. That being said, however, Walkwaves’ Midnight For A While should fit in with Toronto’s popular electronic pop scene as they play it safe with the genres stylistic boundaries for their debut. - Canadian Beats

Markham, Ontario group Walkwaves is pleased to introduce its new album Midnight for a While. The band goes beyond the popular pool of smooth synth pop into the rougher seas of new wave and succeeds. At times funky, at others gritty, but always with catchy beats and expressive vocals, Walwaves strikes us as a more organic Depeche Mode. Opener “Get You Out” burbles along carefully before switching on some rumbling bass pulses; it’s a delicious track. The catchy “Girls on Snapchat” (see MV below) combines vocal crooning with detailed instrumentation.

While modern electronic musicians seem to perpetually use the same few synth/computer voices when there are thousands available, you’ll find a nice variety through the Walkwaves disc; find many on track “T.T.T.L.”. For something different, check out the atmospheric “Friend” one of the more experimental tracks which satisfies by throwing in unexpected musical twists. Closer “Nightfall” packs a nice punch to cap things off with a bang. iTunes - Canadian Music Blog

Walkwaves have extended their boundaries and pushed their creativity to unexplored territory with “Midnight For A While”, growing as a band and refining their sound since the group’s debut in 2015.

With many years of experience in the Canadian music scene, playing with their previous bands, members Matthew Bundas (vocals, guitars, keys), Brian Mackay (bass), Christopher Bundas (guitar) and Kevin Branagan (drums) were looking for a new artistic challenge: creating a blended sound that would stand them apart in their own new genre. This initial desire sparked curiosity and experimentation that ultimately led to the making of “A Day of Winter,” the group’s first EP, released under the band’s initial name ‘The Underneath‘.

What started out as songs written on an acoustic guitar, suddenly became infused with unexpected synthetic layers and electronic dance drum lines once the studio process began. This sparked a new way of thinking while producing music and was then channeled into efforts for the band’s first full length record. The new material was being written with hyper attention to detail directed at every sound recorded into the soundscape. This transformation in song writing even sparked a name change in the group, evolving into their new identity as Walkwaves.


WALKWAVES EXTEND THEIR BOUNDARIES WITH NEW RECORD “MIDNIGHT FOR A WHILE”
HEATHERJULY 7, 2017
MUSICNEWS0 COMMENTS 1
Walkwaves have extended their boundaries and pushed their creativity to unexplored territory with “Midnight For A While”, growing as a band and refining their sound since the group’s debut in 2015.

With many years of experience in the Canadian music scene, playing with their previous bands, members Matthew Bundas (vocals, guitars, keys), Brian Mackay (bass), Christopher Bundas (guitar) and Kevin Branagan (drums) were looking for a new artistic challenge: creating a blended sound that would stand them apart in their own new genre. This initial desire sparked curiosity and experimentation that ultimately led to the making of “A Day of Winter,” the group’s first EP, released under the band’s initial name ‘The Underneath‘.

What started out as songs written on an acoustic guitar, suddenly became infused with unexpected synthetic layers and electronic dance drum lines once the studio process began. This sparked a new way of thinking while producing music and was then channeled into efforts for the band’s first full length record. The new material was being written with hyper attention to detail directed at every sound recorded into the soundscape. This transformation in song writing even sparked a name change in the group, evolving into their new identity as Walkwaves

Over the past year, Walkwaves have spent many hours in the studio working on their debut LP, ‘Midnight For A While’, and for it, the band was determined to hone in on their own unique sound. There were no limits or rules in the recording process as the group began blending unlikely sound profiles.

This experimentation is evident right from Midnight For A While’s opening track, ‘Get You Out,” which hits hard with big drum beats, dance grooves and pulsating bass, all within the band’s signature atmospheric canvas and emotional vocals. Influence from Depeche Mode and modern day EDM is evident throughout. The indie electro groups flexes its diverse song writing scope as the album progresses over to the retro inspired, fun, summertime song ‘Girls on Snapchat‘, with its infectious melodies, feel good grooves and modern lyrical play on social media culture.

The ebb and flow that ‘Midnight For A While’ sustains was developed from an overall feeling of the night, particularly those in the summer. The band focused on capturing those lasting moments and impressions left from summers past and all the thoughts, feelings and emotions that run through your mind in all of the moments between when the sun goes down and comes back up. Like the sea, the listening experience personifies the ‘waves’ in the bands name, swelling with intimacy and energy to waning with space and passion track by track.

The album tells a moment by moment story from sunset to sunrise with how each song points highlights certain emotions and experiences one would experience during a summer to remember.

The target with ‘Midnight For A While‘ was to capture the night, and to capture the summer; the title a reflection of the sound profile within. It was no coincidence that these songs were written under matching circumstances in Summer 2016. They are filled with atmosphere, beautiful synths, crying guitars, and soft melodies, while also delivering big drum beats, dance grooves, driving bass, and pulsing rhythms. The new material was being written with hyper attention to detail directed to every sound recorded into the soundscape.

Inspired by artists like The 1975, The Neighbourhood, Young Empires, and a wide variety of music of the 80’s,
90’s, 2000’s, all the way to the trending sounds of today, Walkwaves have found their
own place somewhere in between with ‘Midnight For A While‘.

And they are comfortable in it.

Midnight For A While is out on all platforms now

Walkwaves on Facebook
Walkwaves on Twitter: @Walkwaves
Walkwaves on Instagram: @ Walkwaves
Walkwaves on Snapchat @walkwaves - Lifted Frequencies

Al Joynes, long-time radio host at Q107FM, features Walkwaves on his Discovery Spring 2017 Podcast with "Get You Out". - Al Joynes

Generation Alternative is a new music podcast being aired on Erin Radio 91.7FM every Friday evening from 6pm - 7pm. Walkwaves was the featured artist on April 28, 2017. - Mat Boisselle

Hello guys, thanks for taking the time for the interview. Would you like to introduce yourselves?
Matt: Hey everyone! We are The Underneath. I’m Matt, doing vocals, guitars and keys, Brian plays bass, and Chris is on guitars.

How did you guys meet each other?
Brian: Well, Matt and Chris are brothers and I know they’ve been playing together since they were kids. Matt and I grew up together since like Kindergarten and have stayed friends ever since. I’ve known Chris basically the same amount of time because he’d always be around when we were kids hanging out. Essentially, we’re all like brothers. There’s an easy vibe between us all having known each other for so long. Playing together is just fun and smooth.

When I google the band name the results bring me to another band and a film directed by Soderbergh. Why did you choose The Underneath as the name of the band? I guess it is very meaningful to you…
Matt: When we chose the band name, we didn’t worry too much about how else it was used. For a while we didn’t even have a name, we were writing and rehearsing, making songs, but without a band name for a long time. We wanted it to be right and represent the mood that our music creates, and also have a connection to us. I was actually reading a book that kept referring to a place called “the underneath” and how it was dark and mysterious, and to find your way through you really had to know it. Right there I realized that would be a great name for us because our music talks a lot about what’s underneath being left unsaid, or hidden. We make a lot of reference to people having faces they like to wear, and that it doesn’t show what’s really underneath. I took the idea to the guys and it just worked well.

Congratulations on the release on your Ep “A day of winter”. How does it feel to have it out there?
Chris: Thank you! It definitely feels good to finally put out something you’ve been working on for a while. It lets you take a breath and get your head clear so you can start thinking about what’s next. I always found that as a band you tend to be working ahead of what everyone else sees. So when you finally put something out, you’ve been so into that for however many months or years, that by the time it gets put out there you’re ready for something else, although someone else is only seeing/hearing it for the first time. But hearing people’s feedback that have finally heard it is always amazing and you feel like achieved what you hoped for when you know someone else digs what you’ve done.

How would you describe it to someone who is going to listen to it for the first time?
Brian: “A Day of Winter” is pretty unique. Its name represents what you hear on the record, a cold, ambient, atmospheric sound that has a lot of mellow, emotional moments and then goes to more groovy, picked up points with some attitude. We did an unusual mix of organic instruments, like acoustics, piano, bass and we mixed them with electronics and a lot of synth, percussion and effected sounds. That’s what makes it sound so different I think. The best feedback that we get is when someone says they can’t compare it to anything they know. That’s what we wanted.

Was there a special moment while making it?
Matt: I think the special moment was right when we were recording the very first song for the EP. It was basically an experiment at that time, trying to see if our idea to mix organics with electronics would work well or not…and as we got into it and started hearing it back, we realized that it was actually starting to sound really cool. We were like wow, let’s take this farther and do more. And that was when we decided to make a full EP out of it.

Where do you gather your inspiration for your music? how do you manage the creating process?
Matt: Most of the songs were written about a year ago, last winter coincidentally. I just really wanted to write songs that were about real things, real emotions, real fears, real love, real pain. And at that time I didn’t worry about how anyone would react to it, good or bad, catchy or not, I just wanted them to connect with anyone who felt those things. I would just pick up a guitar anytime I felt inspired and would sit around and try to get it out. Sometimes it’s an hour, sometimes it’s eight hours, sometimes nothing would come out and other times it would be exactly what I was aiming for. And sometimes a song can come out in 15 minutes, it just flows so nicely, while another one takes months to finish. It’s a weird process but I’ve learned that you can’t rush it or force anything, because you’re never happy with the end result when you do it that way.

Chris: In terms of inspiration, I think it comes from tons of places. Music has changed so drastically in the past decade and a half, and we’ve seen new genres, new music that show you different, cool things you can do and gives you ideas you never thought of before. We’ve been into Rock, then saw Pop bands become huge, then EDM became super popular, all while indie genres kept expanding and now there’s a huge spectrum of styles. I think all that stays inside you, and indirectly comes out when you’re creating, whether you realize it or not.

What’s next for you?
Brian: The EP has only been out for 2 weeks even though it seems like it’s been way longer so we will be living and breathing it for a bit, playing shows so those songs can be heard live. I know we’ve talked about some video ideas for a couple tracks on the record, that will probably be one of the next moves we make. We have our single “In Your Hands” being released as a single on iTunes in the next couple weeks which will come with a couple bonus tracks. Then I think we also want to consider some collaborations we have been talking about. There’s too much to do is the answer I guess!

To wrap things up, is there anything you’d like to say to everyone who will be reading the interview?
Matt: What I would say is thank you for taking the time to read this and to take interest in The Underneath and what we’ve been up to. The best part of making music is having someone else feel it and connect with what you were trying to accomplish. You have the highest regards from all of us. - Music Pixel Blog

The Underneath is a Alternative/Electronic band from Markham, Ontario. The band consists of three members Matthew Bundas, Brian MacKay, and Christopher Paul. The Underneath has produced their own unique sound from acoustic guitars, piano, and bass. The band displays a lot of emotions in the songs they create and they tend to connect with every listener.

The Underneath has recently released their newest album on November 6th. The album is entitled ‘A Day To Winter’ and incorporates the unique sound that the band is known for and features six full length tracks. Listening to the album was a great experience and I fully enjoyed it. The two songs that stood out to me were ‘In Your Hands’ (track one) and ‘Without You” (track five). ‘In Your Hands’ is an upbeat, catchy song that caught my attention immediately whereas ‘Without You’ is an acoustic, slower song. Both of these songs demonstrate their talent and passion for making their own music. - Canadian Beats