wakelee took time out to answer some of our questions about how their sound and their song writing process. Let’s see what they have to say!
First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
wakelee comes from Wakelee Field in Demarest, New Jersey where David and I spent a lot of hours growing up. We associate that park with positive memories.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
-The 3 of us played in a handful of different bands in high school and college. I, Alex, remember the moment I first fell in love with a song. I was on a family trip in Alaska and my older sister had Enema of the State on a walkman and played “Aliens Exist”. I thought it was so cool. I credit a lot of my love for music to my older sister. She was always jamming to some good stuff when we were growing up.
How would you describe your sound?
-Most would say Indie Punk. I think I agree with that…for now.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
-We love pretty much the whole spectrum of rock music. We love indie staples like Oasis and Wilco. As well as newer bands like The Beths, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, Beabadoobee, and Fontaines D.C. We also love stuff like Turnstile and Melt Banana.
What’s the last song you listened to?
-Meant to Live by Switchfoot haha.
What’s your source for hearing new music?
-Usually my friends and my own curiosity
Who is your dream producer?
-Brian Dimeglio, who we recorded our LP with, was honestly the best I could ask for. He made us feel really comfortable. If it wasn’t him then maybe George Daniel of The 1975
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
-Probably, this band called Tennis Courts
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
-Out of all my other hobbies and interests, music always remained a constant. I never fell out of it, whereas I did with most things. It’s so refreshing to have a creative outlet. The process of getting a simple riff or progression into a fully arranged piece of music is so exciting to me. I love listening back to old voice memos to find the first seedlings of our songs.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
It usually starts with a riff or chord progression on an acoustic guitar. We’ll jam out arrangements in our rehearsal space and then Elliot and I will flesh out vocal ideas and different chord progressions in an acoustic session. We’ll go back and forth a lot, but when we play it live in the space and we get excited that’s when we know it’s a keeper.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
- David is really good at making viral tik toks. Then, we get to plug the band.
What’s next for you?
-We’re putting out our debut album April 14th. We worked really hard on it and we’re damn proud of it. We’re writing some more material which we aim to record in the summer!
Bio:
”Formed in Brooklyn in 2019, wakelee consists of identical twins Alex (vocals/guitar) and David Bulmer (drums) and Elliot Shiang (vocals/bass). They met at a friend’s show in New York and immediately bonded over Halal food and music. They have since released an EP, a healthy batch of emo-tinged singles, and are prepping to release their self-titled debut album, produced by Brian DiMeglio (Bartees Strange, Superbloom, Proper) in April 2023.”
