Interview: Walking Papers talk latest album

Put up or shut up. It’s a mantra many rock bands of today tend to give great lip service to, but often fail to deliver the goods to back up their lofty claims. The hard-rocking Seattle quartet Walking Papers knows exactly how to forge the sounds that back up everything they want to be as a vibrant creative entity.
Indeed, Walking Papers have upped the sonic ante with the lucky 13 tracks put forth on their aptly dubbed second album WP2, which was released on Friday (19th January) via Loud & Proud Records. Once again deploying the in-sync production handiwork of mixmasters Jack Endino (Soundgarden, Nirvana, Mudhoney) and Martin Feveyear (Mark Lanegan, Kings of Leon, Queens of the Stone Age), and mastered by Chris Hanzsek, WP2 builds on the promising template of the band’s self-titled 2013 debut, which featured deeply impactful tracks like The Whole World’s Watching and Capital T. WP2 brings the band into their wholly ascendant second phase with aurally galvanizing statements like the fuzztastic footstomper Death on the Lips, the anthemic buildup of Red & White, and the delicate yet forceful declarative shuffle of Don’t Owe Me Nothin’. Walking Papers are Jefferson Angell (vocals, guitar), Barrett Martin (drums, vibes, percussion, backing vocals, Duff McKagan (bass) and Benjamin Anderson (keyboards, backing vocals) Check out the album below!

We managed to catch up with vocalist and guitarist Jeff before the release date as he talked about the album and more!

So how pumped are you for the release of WP2?

I feel like the prettiest girl at the harvest moon ball! I can’t wait to see how our new Baby interacts with the world.

What is your favourite track from the release?

The best track is probably RED & WHITE but my favorite is DEATH ON THE LIPS

Can you tell something that nobody knows about the album?

It was recorded in the belly of a whale! Kidding! Nothing really comes to mind about how it was recorded but there are a lot of secrets and mysteries unfolding in the lyrics. I want to save those for the listener.

If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?

I would create a new band with Muhammad Ali on drums, Elon Musk on keyboards, Benjamin Franklin on Lead Guitar, Mark Twain on Bass and Martin Luther King on Lead Vocals. I’d write the music and Mark Twain would Collaborate with MLK on the lyrics.

What’s the alternative music scene like in Seattle at the moment?

There are some great local bands but honestly the scenesters never have the good bands. It’s always the bands that are off doing their own thing and putting their hours in at their practice room rather than at the local meat market that interest me.

Will you be touring in 2018 at all to support the album?

I hope so, it looks like some things are coming down the pipeline so we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed!

If you could play at any venue in the world, where would it be and why?

Tutanknhuman’s tomb or Area 51! I bet the acoustics would be amazing!

What was the first gig you all first attended?

I don’t know about those geezers but for me it was The Police when I was in third grade. They were amazing!