We met Alan Walker at Osheaga in Montréal. Music was flooding the enclosed media area from all sides and Canadian wildlife was roaming the grass offering side-show entertainment. Alan is seated at a picnic table, journalists swapping out every 10-15 minutes like it’s a media speed-dating event – I do not envy the work it takes on his part, staying focused for so long between planes, trains, busses, and sound checks. Walker has a gentle presence and is noticeably humbled by his success. His fall tour was already selling now, with new dates being added in multiple cities to satisfy fan demand, his reply to this success is a timid “it’s amazing”. 

A couple of hours after our chat Alan took his place on the Coca-Cola stage, the stage that was rolling some of the world’s best electronic producers and DJs all weekend. The crowd here was always on the full side but today, for this set, it got thick with people spilling out onto the main road. Dressed in a yellow hoodie and his signature black mask the Alan Walker we saw behind the decks was a completely different person, energetic, vibrant, feeding off the energy of the crowd. It really is impressive and mesmerizing how his personality turns up on stage.

Kateryna Topol: Hello Alan, how’s your day going so far?

Alan Walker: So far so good, I just got in a few hours ago. We did Toronto [Veld] yesterday, here [for Osheaga in Montreal] today, and then going to Faro Islands tomorrow.

KT: Welcome to Montréal! Let’s go back a little bit how did you first get into music?

AW: That was random,  I came across a YouTube channel sharing some crazy music when I was like 12-13 years old. And it was so awesome I was like, hey, how do you make the music that you put out and then he responded to me and me that he was using a program called FL Studio and then he helped me with getting FL Studio by teaching me different basics, and showed me some YouTube tutorials and so on. So that’s pretty much how I got started, I had no musical background just the pure intent of just trying to make music without financial gain whatsoever, never really even thinking about getting famous.

KT: So like a curious hobby that turned into this whole career

AW: Yeah, ‘cuz when I was younger, I was also very interested in programming, interested in figuring out like, how do websites work, why can’t a website remember my username and password and all that sort of weird stuff that interested me when I was younger, random.

KT: Was music around in your house?

AW: Mom used to play a lot of piano and my sister did too; my brother was also born in technology so I never thought I would be working or be as much into music as I am today. And it feels amazing… Now it’s like music is what I love. It’s like literally my mission, getting to work on a full-time schedule was like a dream.

KT: And what about your parents or were they surprised?

AW: Yeah, they’ve said it many times that they’ve never expected it but they’ve always been really supportive about it because when I was younger they didn’t really understand what was going on. I was just stuck in my bedroom every day writing all these songs and putting them up on the internet and then one day I come running down to my dad and go like “Hey dad you gotta sign this contract” because I was 16 years old and he was like “ok I’ll sign it” and that was the start for my music beginning to get recognition.

KT: So you weren’t old enough to play some of the venues that you played in back then? 

AW: Yeah and like for example in the US and all that we would say no nightclubs and I use to only be allowed to go in as soon as my intro starts and then I was kicked out as soon as the last song is done. 

KT:  So this YouTube community and other kinds of online music communities on Facebook were a huge part of your early career. Is that something you still participate in?

AW: Not as much as I used to because Facebook got a bit overwhelming for me, but back then it really helped me build a friend community within the music industry, just a bunch of up-and-coming music producers were connected in this small Facebook group. I made friends in Canada, the US, Portugal, like all over and it was amazing, such a nice way to get feedback on what you should and shouldn’t do, tips and tricks, and so on 

KT: Do you still keep in touch with any of those people?

AW: Yeah some of them. Some of them I also bring out to shows, like for example there is this one guy he lives in Barcelona and so when I go to Barcelona to perform I always bring him out because he was the one who inspired me in the very beginning and so I bring him out to show gratitude. You know, it’s like all of this craziness, like we went from being bedroom producers located in different parts of the world and now we can meet up because of music.

KT: Music can for sure bring people together. Ok, jumping to the current year –  congratulations on the release of WalkerVerse Pt 1 EP, it’s a great record, what was the process like?

AW: I decided to split it up into two pieces because some of it was ready and some tracks were not, so instead of putting them all out when they are not completely done I decided to take time to rework them, part two is planned for the fall.

KT: And how is it going, fall is very soon, are you working on the record while you’re on the road?

AW: Yeah, it’s the only way, just right now we’re doing about 100 shows this year. And after August, we’re starting WalkerVerse tour so it’s like non-stop touring. For the WalkerVerse tour we are creating an entirely new show, brand new visuals, a brand new stage, new runner setup for everything – never seen from Alan Walker before. I think it’s going to be critical.

KT: That’s exciting. There are quite a few strings and orchestral elements on this album and from what I understand you kind of do it all yourself on a computer?

AW: Yeah, and also I work with producers as well, to assist me with for example creating more orchestral stuff because it’s been a more like a cinematic universe I’ve been trying to dive into. And I think we’ve been able to create something magical.

KT:  The first track “Adventure Time” sounds like a soundtrack or a movie theme, let’s say if it was a movie soundtrack, what would the movie be about?

AW: [Laughs] Good question, I have no idea ‘cause usually when I’ve been asked what kind of movies I would like to make music for, I would say action movies. So I think that would make the most sense.

KT: Like an adventure action movie or like a James Bond action movie?

AW: It could be both [both chuckle]

KT: Au/Ra, who is joining you on the WalkerVerse tour, has been a long-standing collaborator for you, how did that come about?

AW: It started when we did “Darkside” together and no we’ve done five collaborations in total, she’s joined me for some other shows and I’m excited to bring her along because she is an amazing talent. We recently wrote some new songs in the Bahamas, I normally work on the music production side and she helps with the lyrics.

KT: Do you find the environment influences your music production at all?

AW: I mean, sometimes. But I feel like this inspiration is just a soundbite. I could just be laying in bed, just hearing it in my head, and I’m like ‘Oh, let me just try to do something with it,’ play with it and record it on my phone first, and the next day I might be trying something with it on my computer.

KT:  It’s been a few years since your breakout single “Faded” came out, I’ve read that you are trying not to lean on that track’s success and are just trying to make new music independently from it 

AW: Yeah, yeah, because it could be scary to constantly think that I need to create a new “Faded” or something that’s better than “Faded” because if you have that mentality you can just trash the next potential upcoming project that could be another hit so instead I just create what I love.

KT: So in terms of what’s next – WalkerVerse Pt. II is coming out, and the tour … 

AW: For the tour, we’re doing about a month in Europe and on a month in North America, and then we’re doing some shows in Asia so it’s pretty much until November. I’m very excited, it’s been a long time since I’ve done my own headline tour in all these cool places around the world. 

The first track from the new EP, “Extremes,” is out now. It is a collaboration with Trevor Daniel, yet another club banger, radio-ready pop-infused electro track.  

KT: Is anyone in particular opening for you on tour?

AW: We usually bring in local acts, we don’t necessarily have a main opener. I think it’s really cool to work with local talent, sometimes it is someone up-and-coming, sometimes bigger but yeah… 

KT: Giving people a boost while you are there

AW: Yeah, exactly, giving people a platform and a chance to shine and do something with their career, I think is really good and I always like to support other artists. 

KT: Nice, as a parting thought, is there anything that would be fun for people to know about you they might not know?

AW: Oh yeah, I love go-karting. We were considering going on today but the crew had to go to the venue so maybe next time I’m in Montreal 

KT: What has been the coolest go-karting experience you’ve been to?

AW: I think in Copenhagen they have the world’s largest indoor go-kart track cloud, it was a good track.

* * *

Alan Walker is currently on tour:

6^th October SPORTHALLE HAMBURG Hamburg, Germany
7^th October MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC HALLE Düsseldorf, Germany
8^th October TAURON ARENA Krakow, Poland
12^th October ST MARX HALLEN Vienna, Austria
14^th October HALLE 622 Zürich, Switzerland
15^th October FABRIQUE Milan, Italy
19^th October AFAS LIVE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
20^th October ZENITH Paris, France
21^st October ROCKHAL Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
22^nd October JAHRHUNDERHALLE Frankfurt, Germany
3^rd November SOUTH SIDE BALLROOM Dallas, TX, USA
4^th November CONCOURSE Austin, TX, USA
5^th November BAYOU MUSIC CENTER Houston, TX, USA
8^th November BUCKHEAD THEATER Atlanta, GA, USA
9^th November ECHOSTAGE Washington, DC, USA
11^th November GREAT HALL Brooklyn, NY, USA
15^th November HOUSE OF BLUES Boston, MA, USA
16^th November MTELUS Montreal, QC, Canada
17^th November LONDON MUSIC HALL London, ON, Canada
18^th November REBEL Toronto, ON, Canada
19^th November RADIUS Chicago, IL, USA
25^th November HARBOUR EVENT & CONVENTION CENTRE Vancouver, BC, Canada
26^th November ROSELAND THEATER Portland, OR, USA
29^th November MISSION BALLROOM Denver, CO, USA
2^nd December HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM Los Angeles, CA, USA
3^rd December BILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM San Francisco, CA, USA

Cover image of Alan Walker, image by Benoit Rousseau, Osheaga

The post Alan Walker reflects on the early days of making music and other stories appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Osheaga Music and Arts Festival finally returned to Montréal for its 15th-anniversary edition after a forced 3-year break. Between July 29th and 31st, Montréal’s île Sainte-Hélène (Parc Jean-Drapeau) was the centre for music fans from the nearby areas and abroad; a total of 120,000 attendees made their way to the festival over the 3-day weekend.

The area near the festival grounds becomes so busy the city has to bring in extra police forces to manage the metro traffic. As the music fans spill out of the train stations at Parc Jean-Drapeau the sounds of Osheaga immediately grab their attention, funnelling the crowds into different entrances all of which were getting progressively busier leading up to Sunday.

A roundup of one hundred artists played over the weekend, needless to say, it would be impossible to see them all but given the different genre representations, the crowd was always divided into fluid groups: those mostly staying at Coca Cola stage for electronic music, indie band fans at the SiriusXM stage tucked away on the side, top40 headliners were split in the main area between two stages, and the close follow up performers were on the other side of the park. A total of 6 stages is a lot of ground to cover so between them, and the bathroom lines or drink quests, we all got our steps in for the week. 

Music is what people come here for but there is a lot to do between the sets. Various artists were working on installations throughout the weekend creating living backdrops for all those insta shots. Food stations (from niche trucks to hot dog stands) were located within close proximity to every stage, some were full-on restaurants. Hammocks and mixed resting areas were filling in the gaps while elevated VIP areas were located near the main stage, looking over from the side and in some instances, allowing concertgoers to go as close to the stage as the photo pit.

J Shantz Art in front of his mural

Sunday crowd relaxing to Tove Lo

People napped on the crisp green grass while waiting for their favourite artist to start, sipped on Apparel Spritz, played games in various branded activation booths, made TikToks, and gathered in groups around moving minibars (1-2 people passing through the crowds with coolers and premixed cocktails). Every day I would still find something new – a new bar, a new area, a secret bathroom. Parc Jean-Drapeau turns into an Osheaga city for 3-days and once you get past the sheer size of it, it becomes a home. 

This year’s performer lineup brought together a wide range of artists across genres and from around the globe. Crowds gathered to see Kygo (and friends) and hear party anthems like “Stole The Show,” “Freedom,” and “Forever Yours” Avicii tribute with a dash of “Satisfaction” by Benny Benassi. Elevated to the centre of the stage on a platform Kygo was easy to spot from anywhere on this side of the park, he danced, talked to the fans, and was generally a really fun set to see, despite the rather quiet sound delivery.

Kygo, image by Tom Snow, Osheaga

French electronic music duo Polo & Pan performed on the nearby stage and came with their latest tour set up, disco ball and vocal performances by Victoria Lafaurie included. But most electronic music fans stayed put at the Coca-Cola stage, tucked in between two main areas and away from the main crossing path. During the day we got to hear Chicago’s John Summit,  playing his mix of feel-good dance tracks and classic house music tunes, and the Italian songwriting/DJ duo Giolí & Assia who put all their musical skills on display with tracks like “I’ll Be Fine,” “Fire Hell and Holy Water,” and their edit of the “Creep” (the duo have also just released a new single “Playing Chess”). 

Giolí & Assia, image by Benoit Rousseau, Osheaga

Malaa, image by Benoit Rousseau, Osheaga

In the early twilight hours, the party picked up with French electronic DJ/producer Malaa. Geared up in his usual black balaclava Malaa immediately got dark and deep with tracks like “How It Is” but pivoted his set to suit the sunny summer vibes matching the bouncing pool noodles with his cover of Moby’s “Natural Blues”.  Sébastien Léger’s Modular Live set was certainly one to remember. For 90 straight minutes, Léger played banger after banger in the peal afternoon sun. AURORA’s “Running With The Wolves” was an anthemic song to hear in this setting and a perfect bridge to take us into the evening.

Sébastien Léger, image by Benoit Rousseau, Osheaga

Sunday standout electronic performance was by the British-born Norwegian DJ Alan Walker. This was by far the busiest stage all weekend with bodies packed in shoulder to shoulder at the edges of the stage corridors. Dressed in a yellow hoodie and his signature black facemask Walker owned the stage like the pro that he is, commanding the audience’s participation throughout the set. Fans got to hear a range of tracks of his latest release Walkerverse, Pt. I and some juicy remixes and older songs like Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”. Having chatted with Alan just an hour before his set it was amazing to see his personality animate on stage. Stay tuned for the interview.

Alan Walker, image by Benoit Rousseau, Osheaga

For the second year in a row Glass Animals walked out on the Osheaga to some misfortune: last time the band got rained out and today they were faced with some technical difficulties. Dave Bayley did his best to entertain the audience but a small break was necessary to course correct the stage. Soon enough Glass Animals came out for take two and proceeded to own the main stage much like one of their odd music videos. We all joined the band in their universe for a short time and were taken on a journey, hand-held by Dave Bayley who really blossoms in the spotlight. Naturally, Dreamland was the main focus of this set but we did get to hear “Gooey” (2014) and as one of the long-term Glass Animals fans I was here for every bit of it.

Glass Animals, image by Pat Beaudry, Osheaga

Tove Lo, image by Pat Beaudry, Osheaga

Pop queen Charli XCX, joined by two dancers, had a very engaging and fairly complex set, it was kind of hard to tear your eyes away from the world of Charli XCX. Tove Lo took the torch the following day, quite early in the afternoon. Her set time certainly caused some traffic around the metro stations but the entry lineups were worth the wait. Tove Lo, dressed in leather chaps and embellished bikini set, was constantly dancing and teasing the crowd, causing roars of applause. Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ return tour was also a memorable one. The songs themselves are quite catchy but what stole the show is Karen O’s outfit (costume?) which with its many thrills and layers of complexity kept surprising us all.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, image by Pat Beaudry, Osheaga

Burna Boy, image by Pat Beaudry, Osheaga

And then there was Burna Boy. It certainly felt like maybe Montréal is not his biggest fanbase but a good few of us fanned out to Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu like it was a Christmas morning when “Last Last” came on. Suited up in bright orange pants Burna Boy danced around the stage in front of a burning fire projection and other fast-moving visuals. Dancehall and Afrobeat is a heavily underrepresented genre at Osheaga so this was definitely a treat and hopefully a path to better representation next year.

The rap and hip hop lineup highlights featured the legendary likes of Future who came with his own t-shirt gun, Big Sean who managed to rise above his sound issues with tightly dialled-in vocals, Sampa The Great with a fantastic live band, and French rapper Laylow who brought his own thunder to the Osheaga stage.

Houston music trio Khruangbin played the main stage and their sound certainly carried well through this space. The band took us on a musical adventure back in time to when music festivals and psychedelics were joining hands as one in America’s flower fields. There was no chit-chat or commentary, just song after song fluidly mixing as the band members vibed with each with completely unmoved facial expressions.

Khruangbin, image by Pat Beaudry, Osheaga

While there were quite a few options for the weekend close out I followed some friends to see Bristol’s Idles, a five-piece rock band that had a much smaller but a very, very dedicated audience. Vocalist Joe Talbot, who came out kind of looking like a small town preacher, is a force to reckon with. Talbot spent his time sharing his various opinions, shutting down drunkens in the crowd making absurd demands of him, and just generally kicking ass. The band was not far behind – the entire five-piece was very engaged, jamming, crowd surfing, and dripping pure musical energy sweat. Meanwhile, people were blissfully spinning away on a carousel at the back, enjoying the Montréal skyline.

Idles, image by Tim Snow, Osheaga

Much like the two days prior people flooded out of the festival grounds into the metro station. This train ride was a flow of controlled chaos with buskers playing Beatles’ “Come Together” in the halls, drunk and tiered people singing along. It’s a cheery time for anyone who is not trying to get home from work. 

When “reflecting on the weekend festival representative Nick Farkas shared: “It is hard to describe the feeling we had when the gates opened – there has been so much planning to make this an unforgettable 15th anniversary, and when we saw the joy of all these people returning to their favourite festival, it reminded me of exactly why we do this. It is just so great to be back, but most of all to be back, TOGETHER!” and it was certainly nice to be there to witness this comeback.

Idles, image by Tim Snow, Osheaga

The post Osheaga brought a hundred acts to Montréal and here’s how it went appeared first on Quip Magazine.