Ever since they first broke onto the scene, US four-piece Night Walks have always looked to add a brighter and more groove-laden appeal to the emerging indie-pop scene. And with their eagerly-awaited debut album set to arrive soon, they continue their upward ascent with their woozy new single ‘Pressure’.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with the band’s David French to discover more about his background and what other plans the band have for the future.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
I started playing music seriously and performing with bands in college. It took me a few years after that to become serious about writing music though – I formed a band with some grad school friends and it all happened very organically. I totally fell in love with writing, performing, and recording my own music, and I feel like it has basically become this life-long endeavor. I doubt I’ll ever stop wanting to write just one more song.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
The first band I really gigged with was a David Bowie cover band, and that influence has always stayed with me. Then in 2015 I really got into The War on Drugs, and that has been a steady influence ever since. That year I lost my brother to brain cancer, and the War on Drugs was one of those things that helped me process it all. That led me to Bruce Springsteen, who probably completes the influences holy trinity for me. Otherwise I try to keep up with current music and I’m always finding new, inspiring artists. Sam Fender is one of my current favorites!
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
Performing for the first time was huge, but it was probably the experience of recording music professionally for the first time. I found the whole process to be totally addictive, and I still do.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
I tend to write lyrics first. Writing is hard, but I feel like once I produce lyrics that feel right the chord progressions and melodies will all eventually fall into place. This band has also been the most collaborative I’ve ever been in though, which is really exciting! Our new single, Pressure, was principally written by Sam (bass, vocals), but then I ended up contributing some additional lyrics, and we all changed the structure in various ways until it felt like us.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
I find inspiration for music honestly everywhere. Like every time I hear a cool song I want to go write my own. Lyrically, I tend to write from one of two places: 1) I’m trying to vividly describe an emotional place I’ve been inhabiting, or 2) I’m describing a past event that was impactful to me.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Generally speaking, music gives me solace. The songs that resonate with me take me on a trip through someone else’s emotional baggage, which invariably makes me feel better about my own. At the end of the day I really just want one of my songs to provide solace to someone else.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
Being heard. There is so much new music coming out every day, just being heard at all can be a challenge. The pandemic and its aftermath have made everything that much harder – we’ve lost tons of the smaller, independent venues that are essential for emerging artists, and it has become harder than ever to connect with other artists and get people out to shows in general. Our only hope is to keep being authentic, and hopefully it will all work out.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
Honestly it’s the people we’ve met and the relationships we have formed. Just finding the group of musicians who are Night Walks has been an absolute blessing. It feels like a family in all the right ways, and experiencing every high we get as a group has been exceptional.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
As far as songwriting goes, I just keep trying to write songs that I want to listen to and play. Writing, recording, playing, and promoting is way too hard to do for a song that doesn’t bring me joy. Otherwise, promotion seems to be the fastest evolving aspect in the industry, and it’s always a challenge trying to keep up with that. I think we just try to keep focusing on the things we actually want to do, and try to ignore the noise.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
We’re super excited about our upcoming album release! We’ve been working hard on these tracks for a while, so it will be great to get them out and let everyone hear a complete set of Night Walks music.
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
I see us building off of this upcoming album’s sound and looking to become the best version of ourselves – ambitious, pushing our creative borders, and building a sound that’s yet to be heard.
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Listen to Night Walks’ new single ‘Pressure’ below.
