Project Description
Interview with
NICK DI STEFANO and TONY BURKE
from
IF WALLS COULD TALK
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Alternative pop-rock quintet If Walls Could Talk aim to create an experience for their fans through their theatrical sound and engaging live performances. In 2016 the band released their debut EP, What Would They Say?, which features tracks that are structured like a classical aria while others blend elements of rock, rap, and pop. The band recently announced a re-release, titled What Would They Say? Deluxe Edition, and launched it on June 8th, 2018. It includes new tracks as well as three revisioned acoustic tracks.
I caught up with Nick and Tony recently and asked them some searching questions.
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How did you guys first get together? How did your careers first begin?
Nick: Three of us actually went to high school together! We played in bands through high school and we always gelled. Once we reached college, we decided that we wanted to do this for the rest of our lives and make a living from it. We were lucky enough to find the other two members that shared the same goal, and here we are!
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What kind of music did you all grow up on? How has the band’s sound changed since you started five or so years ago?
Nick: I know I personally started with pop-punk music, and many of my first bands reflected that. But as I got older and found more music, our sound evolved much more into a pop-rock. I think bands like Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, and Twenty One Pilots have significantly influenced our sound.
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How do you find the balance between your everyday lives and your musical ones?
Nick: It can be tricky, because we put in enough hours into the band for it to be considered a part-time job. We have rehearsal at twice a week that take up the entire evening, and on other days we’re doing business work and writing on our own time. For me personally – I make sure to spend time with friends and family on those days off, and I try to fit in some “me time” after that!
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You’ve just released a “Deluxe Edition” of your 2016 EP “What Would They Say”. What inspired that choice? Can you describe its origins and evolution? Any special tracks that mean more than others?
Nick: Our journey since 2016 has been significant. When we tracked that EP, we were nobody. Of course, I’m not saying that we’re “somebody” per-say, but we do have so much more traction than we did then. We’ve sold out venues, toured a little bit, and played massive venues with big bands. We had songs that we played live and wanted to share with people, as well as new music videos. With the addition of “Static,” we are showing our evolution from two years ago into the next generation of IWCT.
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Do you have any plans to tour the “Deluxe Edition” in 2018?
Nick: Only here and there – our goal with this Deluxe Edition is to basically say “Here you go world, here’s the rest of of What Would They Say?, and now we’re going to bring you even more.” It’s an end of a chapter for us, and the start of an exciting beginning.
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Any plans for a new album in the pipeline?
Tony – When people think of “working on a new album” they typically think about designating a bunch of time solely for the purpose of woodshedding as many songs as possible. Well, we’re always writing new music so nothing has changed in that regard. It’s more a matter of time for when we want to do something with the music we’re writing and when we are ready.
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How do you see your sound progressing in the future? Who are and have been your inspirations?
Tony – We have a very diverse assortment of inspirations so it’s difficult to say that one particular band is leading the new sound of If Walls Could Talk. Personally, I’ve been listening to Imagine Dragons, AWOLNATION, Twenty One Pilots, and Panic! At the Disco a lot more recently.
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If someone had never listened to If Walls Could Talk before, what song of yours would you recommend them to listen to?
Tony – I would recommend they listen to Beautiful You, Specter of the Dead, and Static because they are all so diverse. Beautiful You is upbeat and fun. Specter of the Dead is spooky and theatrical. Static is aggressive and bold.
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It’s been 5 years now. Where do you envision yourself to be in the next 3-5 years?
Tony – I feel like our progress has been growing exponentially and we’re always exceeding our goals. If I could guess what life would be like in the next 3-5 years, I’d say we’d definitely be touring a lot more and even dabbling in international venues. I think the more involved we are in the band and the more time we are able to spend with one another will lead to greater and quicker success. But we definitely plan on releasing a new album in the very near future!
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If you could pick absolutely anyone to bring on tour with you, whom would you pick? (Dead or Alive)
Tony – Albert Einstein. Tours include lots of time on the road or in the sky. Since I’m someone who likes to spend every moment being productive, I’d love to learn everything he has to say about astrophysics and relativity. This is a very nerdy response, but very true.
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Are there any venues or locations you aspire to play in the future? What are your major goals or milestones for the future?
Tony – The one venue I would love to play is Soldier Field in Chicago. It’s a great venue and also has a lot of sentimentality to it. The band saw Coldplay perform there a few summers ago and it was just a really great experience. Another milestone would include actually playing with Coldplay and that’s a crazy dream of mine. But it’s good to stay hopeful.
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Finally, this is a paragraph dedicated to some quick discovery. May sound corny, but for the fans, can you tell me your favorite album, artist, movie, place, drink, meal and person (living or dead) and some brief reasons why? Answer some or all please?
Tony
Album: Modern Vampires of the City – Because Vampire Weekend is the bomb and this album is flawless.
Movie: Interstellar – Because it relates spacetime to the transcendence of emotion and consciousness.
Place: Earth – Because I’ve never been to another planet.
Drink: Water – Because it makes up most of humans and is good for you.
Meal: Pizza – Because it makes up most of Tony and is good for Tony.
Person: Whomever is reading this – Because you are beautiful and unique in your own ways!
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What Would They Say? Deluxe Edition
Track Listing:
1. Static
2. Beautiful You
3. Sleepless
4. Summertime
5. Specter of the Dead
6. Nighttime
7. A Rose In The Sky – Live Redux
8. Beautiful You – Live Redux
9. Nighttime – Live Redux
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What Would They Say? Deluxe Edition
Order HERE
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Follow If Walls Could Talk Online:
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AMNPLIFY – DB
My nickname is “The Amnplifier”. Why? Because around here my focus is on being a conduit for providing greater outcomes that people come here for. My day to day “work” is living in the moment, and I love helping others concentrate on finding their connection to themselves through their experiences.
Why start a music environment? The truth is I love music, I love writing, and I love life. I work with musicians every day, and I feel certain that I will be until they put me in the ground. I have been managing people in businesses of some sort for over thirty five years so along the way I have developed some “wisdom” from my regular and constant “observations”.
Amnplify your experience. That is what we want you to do here, and if you want to let me know why you do, or don’t, shoot me a message on Facebook.
Hope you enjoy yourself here and find something that hits you somewhere.
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