“Where are you now?” is a pretty dramatic opening line for a chorus. Top that with a killer rave-tastic production, and you’ll understand why Alan Walker spent the last year on the road, promoting his melancholy heavy electro-ballad “Faded.” We called the rising star to discuss his newest single, the mythology behind his trademark face mask and how he peaks female vocalists for his songs.
He’s 19
His sound may evoke '90s nostalgia, but Alan Walker was just a baby back then since the world-renowned producer only turned 19 last August.
He’s Influenced by Cinema
Alan Walker has a knack for creating rather scenic music pieces, so it’s only a matter of time before some filmmaker will commission him to create a soundtrack for an action flick. “I would love to compose music for a movie, because my music is pretty much a movie soundtrack. I’m very much influenced by the composers who work in film, like Hans Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky. I like to work on songs that can easily be used in movies.”
He’s Half-British, Half-Norwegian
Alan Walker’s mother hails from Norway and his father is British. The producer was born in Northampton, England, but moved to Bergen, Norway, at the age of two. That raises an interesting cultural debate: does he consider himself a British or a Norwegian producer, since the two countries have different history when it comes to electronic music? “I’ve pretty much grown up in Norway. And because of that I would rather consider myself Norwegian but at the same time I’m British. So it’s definitely both for me.”
Alan Walker is His Real Name
Alan Walker is using his real name as his stage name, while his logo consists of creatively intertwined letters A and W. “In the very beginning I was using DJ Walkzz. I’ve been a part of many different producing groups and thought about becoming just Walkzz. But people eventually told me that my real name was fitting enough. In 2013 I actually designed my AW logo, which I’m still using now. Having always been interested in graphic design, I apply it to music as well. So I’m really happy with my decision. ”
His Music Videos Are All Connected
In case you didn’t know, his music videos are basically one linear story. How involved was Walker with the creation of this concept? “I come to my management with the idea and tell them what I should or shouldn’t do. Sometimes I take inspiration from a movie that I find cool or think of something that only Alan Walker could do.”
He Turned “Fade” Into “Faded”
The most fascinating thing about Alan Walker’s success is that his breakthrough single was all instrumental. So he clearly knows how to compose a commercially appealing melody. The track in question was called “Fade” and it eventually evolved into Iselin Solheim-assisted “Faded.” “When I got in touch with my management in 2015, we discussed that it was cool to change “Fade” to “Fade Away” or something like that. Then we got vocals from Iselin and she absolutely nailed it. The whole story of how we got in touch with her is pretty weird. One of the guys in the studio said he knew a perfect singer for the record and told us she sounded 'just like Ellie Goulding.' We invited her to sing the demo version for us and loved it so much that we used it as the official version.”
His New Single Is “Alone”
While the follow-up to “Faded,” “Sing Me To Sleep” was once again brought to life by Iselin Solheim, for his third single, “Alone,” Alan Walker teamed up with Swedish singer Noonie Bao. “Our demo tracks end up being so good that it becomes pretty hard not to use them. That’s what happened with both Iselin and Noonie. She has this very powerful voice and we wrote this insane topline. She had perfect voice for that song. I’m really happy with how it turned out.”
He’s Not Alone On Stage
Alan Walker’s music videos so far played out like an epic post-apocalyptic story, but how cinematic are his live shows? “I would say my live shows are unique in a way. On my first tour we had three musicians on stage performing, which created this special concept. That really created this idea of 'the Alan Walker show.'”
You Can Join His Movement
“'Alone' pretty much finished the trilogy of my singles. The idea is that anyone can be a Walker, we are all equal. We’ve created this fantastic symbol: a hoodie and a mask. You put it on and you immediately become a Walker. Since the video came out a lot of people has been posting photos on Instagram with the hashtag #WalkersJoin. That’s what we wanted to spread out: the idea that no matter who you are or where you are, you can join us.”
Since it’s already such a vital part of his artistry, we expect Alan Walker to drop his own line of face masks soon. “I think it is a cool idea. This has become the image of my project. We already have hoodies that you can buy online. But for the time being we don’t have masks. I think we can consider that.”
He Likes Golf
When asked about his secret hobbies, the mystery man revealed that he loves… golf. “I’ve been trying golf for a couple of times and even posted a video of it on my Instagram.”
But what does he do during these long flights and bus rides as golf is hard to pull off on the road? “I don’t really watch TV shows, but on my recent flight from Beijing to London I watched two movies, documentaries about Earth. I find it very interesting learning more about our world.”
Talking about traveling, he's all about touring for now. “For the time being I don’t have plans to do an EP or an album, so I’ll keep releasing singles. I still haven’t been to the United States or South America. I’m really looking forward to going there.”
Learn more fun facts about your favorite up-and-coming artists by visiting our 10 Things page.
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