After hydrating us with their unbelievably impressive tune ‘Soak’ in the later stages of last year, Waxflower is back, and is already tying the knot with 2022 as the year for sensational new releases. This time around, Waxflower has released ‘Ring’- a track capturing the band’s fresh, thoughtful sound that perfectly intertwines with a loveable nostalgia and inspired flair.
No matter the occasion, Waxflower’s unmatched storytelling and sense of authenticity continues to prevail upon every release, allowing them to transform each track into a slice of memory, experience, and story. Through ‘Ring’, the band uses a slice of 2000’s heaven to capture the hearts of listeners young and old, luring them into one of the band’s brightest tracks yet. Bending through vibrant riffs and solid verses, Waxflower lead us to the ultimate piece of resistance- that insanely catchy chorus. Delving into a world of self-affirmation and a discussion of keeping one’s dreams alive, ‘Ring’ has certainly stolen our hearts, and once again highlights Waxflower's unwavering ability to share and create with meaning at the forefront.
We had a chat with Waxflower about the growth from 2021, the journey to ‘Ring’, and some of the important memories from their recent times!
‘Soak’ was the first release to follow the show stopping EP ‘We Might Be Alright’! Was there a different sort of pressure to live up to the same hype as the EP?
By the time ‘We Might Be Alright’ was being released, we were already in the studio recording this new batch of songs! That pressure to step up is something I would be putting on myself regardless of how the previous tracks were perceived. I’m really proud of all of our work, but it’s been clear that ‘Soak’ has connected with far more people in a shorter amount of time. That’s really exciting.
‘Soak’ and ‘Ring’ both offer a very different energy. What was it like being able to switch between these two dynamics so close together?
The vibe of these songs is definitely different. I think that was a mixture of wanting to up our composition game and the influence of what we’ve been listening to. It all felt really natural!
Similarly, you’ve consistently shifted sounds throughout your career. When did you discover that Waxflower was so flexible (basically void of any certain genre lock) and how do you think that has helped you creatively?
We all have different musical backgrounds so that definitely plays into it. For me, I’ve been writing music for so long that I’ve dabbled in so many areas over the years. For ‘Soak’ it was like, “Oh it would be cool if there was an Underoath style breakdown here” - and then ‘Ring’ sounds like Hot Chelle Rae or something. I just think it’s cool we can put out two songs so different that live in the same world.
The reaction to both singles has been pretty incredible! How does it shape up to what you were expecting?
I try to keep expectations as low as I can, which admittedly, I’m not very good at. I am guilty of putting too much of my self-worth in the reception of the songs. ‘Soak’ has been our best reception by far which is amazing, but I definitely need to stop tracking that stuff as much as I do. At the end of the day, if the songs are connecting with people on any level, that’s enough.
What has been the best memory of the ‘Ring’ release cycle- anything!
When we were recording drums for these new songs, we were hanging out around the hire car and Dan was sitting on its roof. He jumped off and badly sprained both of his ankles. Dan had to track some of the kick drum parts separately using his hands!
All of your music this year has been created in some pretty tumultuous and confusing times! What do you think you've learned about yourself, your music, or even each other in this time?
We’re really missing playing live. It’s definitely the most rewarding part of being in a band and it’s devastating to see the industry still suffering. I worry that there will be a lot of artists who throw in the towel. It just feels a little bit helpless at the moment. At the same time, I’m truly grateful we’ve still been able to record and release music.
Do you think a song like ‘Soak’ would have emerged without some of the tests of this past year / what do you think gave the band this push into edgier territory?
I definitely think some of the hopelessness of the last few years seeped into the track. Looking back at the writing process, it would be odd if it didn’t - we started writing it just before everything kicked off and it took over a year to complete.
It’s safe to say you guys have had a massive year! What are you proudest of? :)
I’m proud of ‘Soak’. It’s been amazing to see the reception to this one pop off more than we’ve seen before. It really gave me some hope in an otherwise shitty year.