Introducing: Walt Disco

Here at Breaking More Waves Towers I have an imaginary box where I file away many of the new artists that I hear, ready to post about them at some point in the future. However, this box is always stuffed full and a lot of music gets lost in the crush. So, this week I’m emptying it out, writing about some of my favourites, then starting afresh with an empty one. This means a series of Introducing posts for the next few days; apologies if you’re an avid new music fan, most of these acts may already be known to you, some have been sitting in the box for a while.

First out from the pile are five sharp glitzy boys from Scotland called James, Dave, Lewis, Calum and Finlay and they create a brutal beautiful indie punk sound under the name Walt Disco.

Having met at university Walt Disco have been gradually putting out tracks and picking up the praise for their vitally raw and energetic songs, marked in particular by a flamboyant vocal croon that many people have already compared to Billy Mackenzie from the Associates - I don't disagree. In amongst the dark melee of their edgy art-pop you might be able to hear early 80’s new romanticism, punk and even the blackest of styles – goth.

Current single Strange To Know Nothing has hints of early Simple Minds, Talking Heads, Orange Juice, Duran Duran and Franz Ferdinand all fired up with extra spice and these references continue through to the wonderfully titled My Pop Sensibilities, a song for all the people who feel like they don’t quite fit; it’s about being yourself and not having to be 'normal'. The slower Dream Girl #2 meanwhile is the sound of three glasses of red wine and a staggering waltz around a velvet lined cabaret club with the opening line “Like a Disney Princess, I’ll sing every ballad to you, it doesn’t matter how short your hair, I’ll act all shy coy and unaware.”

Walt Disco’s songs are sometimes (but not always) raw, almost angry sounding, but like the title of one of their tracks, there is a pop sensibility in there as well. You can hear it on the frantic Drowning In Your Velvet Bed. It’s a storming, flailing brilliant grunt of a tune, but just when it seems like it’s all getting a little too intense, on the recorded version, the band throw in a smooth come to bed saxophone as if we really are back in the 80’s. It’s moments like this that make Walt Disco stand out amongst the current crop of angular new indie punk bands, of which there are many. They seem to have more than one idea up their sleeve. Let's hope they continue to reveal more of that as time goes on.

Walt Disco has already been out on tour with Sports Team, played the Great Escape and Live At Leeds this year and you can expect to see more of their impetuous glamour and action as 2019 progresses. 

Get involved with Walt Disco now, if you haven't done so already.

Walt Disco - My Pop Sensibilities

Walt Disco - Dream Girl #2 (Video)



Walt Disco - Drowning In Your Velvet Bed (Live)