Giant Walker talk single "Past the Peak" - interview
Heavy progressive rock band, Giant Walker hail from Newcastle, UK. Their music captures the many lows of loneliness and nods to the music that gets you through hard times; immersing you in a conceptual journey, from giant riffs to melancholic melodies, and ambient soundscapes.
We caught up with Giant Walker to talk about their third single, "Past the Peak", how they first formed, their dream tour line-up and everything in between.
Hey Giant Walker, can you describe the band in three words or a phrase for our readers.
Powerful, dark & nuanced
How did Giant Walker first come about and because we’re always so intrigued at APU, what’s the story behind the band name?
We’re all originally from Newcastle in the North East of England. After individually relocating 300 miles to study music, we coincidentally formed in the South, through a shared love for bands such as Karnivool, Soundgarden, Radiohead and Deftones. The band name was the creation of our bassist, Jordan, who came up with the idea after looking at mythology. He imagined a giant being walked on a leash by a small kid, hence, ‘Giant Walker’.
“Past the Peak” is your third single, what does the track mean to you?
I think something that we always strive to do is give every song we write it’s own unique flavour, but "Past the Peak" is especially different from anything we’ve ever written, both in the ethereal soundscape of the verses and the pop-y hook of the chorus. The lyrics narrate the story of those who find themselves in a constant spiral of demotivating themselves out of their ambitions and explores the problems that are caused by being encouraged to do, not what we enjoy, but instead what is conventional. We medicate to cure our lifestyle choices, rather than confronting the cause, because it’s easier to bury our head than face our issues.
What would you say are the main messages you want to convey in your music?
I think that we find ourselves drawn to art, of all forms, with more nuance and to work that makes you think, especially after consuming it. So, whilst all of our songs have some kind of specific lyrical theme, we’d say the main message is generally open to your own interpretation from some deeper level of thought.
Is there an album/EP in the works?
Maybe...
Who are your main musical influences?
We have an amalgamation of various different influences but collectively we’d probably say a big mix of Soundgarden, Deftones, Karnivool, Queens of the Stone Age, Big Wreck, Radiohead, Tool, The Contortionist, Black Peaks and Rage Against the Machine.
What would be your dream tour lineup?
Any combination of the above would be insane, but Karnivool, Queens of the Stone Age & Soundgarden would take the cake!
Is there anything else you want to say to our readers?
Thanks so much for reading and listening - we have more music on the way, so stay tuned! And for those interested, we have a UK headline tour this coming June - come on down, we'd love to meet you! https://www.giantwalker.co.uk/live