Meet Perth crew Indigo Walrus and their debut, self-titled EP

If you're yet to be acquainted, Indigo Walrus are a rising five-piece from Perth who are quickly bubbling into something special. They're being rushed into the spotlight thanks to their debut, self-titled EP arriving today, which premieres the band's expansive, genre-bending sound as they combine groove-filled indie-rock with layers of blues, funk and brass-driven jazz that puts them in their own lane, whipping up something remarkably special - and unique to the band - across the EP's four-track duration.

They're launching the EP at The Rosemount Hotel on July 6th with a tonne of special guests - Montana Wildhack, Tied Down and Ah Trees - which you can get more info on HERE, but in the meantime, we're going to let them do the talking as they introduce themselves as a band that should be on your radar leading into the second half of 2019.

Tell us about yourself?

Indigo Walrus is made up of Portia (vocals), Mark (guitar), Aiden (guitar), Philippe (bass & trombone), and Khazia (drums). We are a family band, everyone is someone’s best friend's cousin's roommate. We all come from pretty different musical backgrounds and wanted to make tunes that allow everyone to have their slice of the pie... and are fun to play. We started as a four-piece last year experimenting with different sounds over living room jams, and intertwining our wide range of influences. It became clear that Aiden was the missing piece to tie it all together. We peer pressured Philippe into dusting off his trombone, which had been sitting in its case since his brass scholarship expired. We released our first demo Ghost mid-last year that we recorded in Philippe’s teeny shoebox bedroom, and have since released our single Gin Logic a couple of months ago. 

What’s the vibe music-wise?

We try to take the best parts of the bits and bobs we write and distil them into something we can all enjoy. Mark has jokingly described our sound as ‘dream funk and blues’ but it’s actually not a half bad description of the sound that comes out of the melting pot. We try to strike a balance between lush, powerful vocals, and chuggier funk rock that showcases guitar work, rhythm sections, and a hint of brass. We have a shared appreciation for a nasty groove and have a lot of fun cooking up funky jams as well as dreamy and introspective tunes. 

What are your production and writing processes like?

Someone usually rocks up to practice with a half-written song or riff that we just start jamming and adding layers to. Everyone in the band also plays the guitar, writes independently, and can generate a half decent demo so it just sort of flows from there. Once the ball’s rolling on an idea, we’ll workshop them into songs during collaborative jam sessions. We all bring something different to the table and try to capture that as much as possible in the final product. Sometimes the lyrics are written before we jam to chords. In other songs, the lyrics reflect that initial feeling when we first play something together, with melodies written through improvised tangents that Portia later refines. 

Can you tell us about your new EP?

This EP is our first release, and is about experimenting with different sounds and writing processes. We decided to self-title the EP because the process was really about finding our sound through consolidating our diverse musical influences. We’ve written quite a lot of music before we started gigging, but we thought these four tunes really showcased the broadness of our sound, while retaining the signature that makes it sound like us. We recorded this with Tristan Sturmer at Sumo Sound Studios in Perth. It was our first time we’d recorded together and he got some great sounds out of us and really pushed our songwriting abilities. Artwork for the EP was done by our drummer Khazia. The EP is inspired by the experiences of early adulthood with a focus on the themes of coming of age, alienation, social constructs, and on a lighter note just having a good time. 

The first track Gin Logic, which we released as a single, explores drifting relationships and the overthinking and self-doubt that can follow. This was the first track we wrote with Aiden when he joined the band. The second song Group Therapy is a jammy number about partying and just generally having a good time. It stems from that feeling of having a big night with a bunch of mates, or even people you’ve just met when you’re out all bobbing along at a gig. Space Cadet is the third track, which was written about alienation, creating your own understanding of the world and social constructs that influence who we are. The final track Time pays homage to losing someone who was very influential in shaping who you are and celebrating the memories and storytelling passed between generations. 

Any tour dates coming up?

We haven’t got any tour dates coming up but we’re launching our EP at The Rosemount on the 6th of July, with Montana Wildhack, Tied Down, and Ah Trees. 

What does 2019 have in store for you?

We’ve been writing a lot of new bits and bobs. We’re keen to jump back into the studio to record a few singles to follow up this EP and there are plenty more local gigs on the horizon. 

Where can we find more of your music?

At this stage, we have our first demo Ghost and single Gin Logic out on Bandcamp and Unearthed. The EP will be available on Spotify, Apple Music and all other major streaming platforms on Wednesday the 26th June.

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