CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 142: EVOL WALKS BRING A NEW LIFE TO 'SLEEPING WITH A GHOST'

Interview by Brooke Gibbs.

Renowned for their thunderous riffs and bone-shaking drop tunings, the powerhouse that is Evol Walks is breaking free from the walls of distortion with their latest release, 'Sleeping with a Ghost (Reimagined).'

In this soul-stirring adaptation, 'Sleeping with a Ghost (Reimagined),' listeners will embark on a journey that traverses the haunting depths of emotion. It's an enthralling testament to the vocal and songwriting prowess of the band's driving force, Leah Martin-Brown. This darkly melodic reimagining breathes an entirely new life into what was previously a relentless, high-energy anthem.

We caught up with Australian rock sensation, Leah Martin-Brown, the creative force behind Evol Walks to explore the new life that has been brought to this song.

FMM: This is such an exciting week for you because Sleeping with a Ghost (Reimagined) drops this Friday. How are you feeling?

Leah: I'm really excited, and I'm a little bit nervous as well because it's still obviously a song that we've released before, but it's an acoustic version and we don't really do that as a band. This is the start of an entire record. There's a new acoustic song, there's a cover, and then there's also two more reimaginings. So, I'm a little nervous how people are going to like it because they're so used to us doing heavy and riff driven stuff, but I'm excited.

FMM: Yeah, I know what you mean about the change, but it sounds like people would be open to that change as well because it's good to have different meanings to a song that they familiar with and that they've heard before from you guys.

Leah: Yeah, I'm really hoping that that's the case because obviously, the song itself is not a sad song, but it is quite a dark song and it's quite heavy subject matter. I think when you hear it with the riffs and it's very high energy and people are like, oh, my God. It's very easy, unless you really dig into the lyrics, to overlook the original meaning. It's two acoustic guitars, my voice, and some harmonies. Also, one of my friends, Jasmine Crowe, played some violin on this, so it's very stripped back, very raw, and more of a dark, kind of moody, haunting vibe, so it's going to be cool.

FMM: It's interesting that you mentioned people can sometimes overlook the lyrics or the meaning. What are some ways an acoustic version can bring that original meaning back to the audience?

Leah: I think first and foremost, and this is just for me at least, I think first and foremost, is when you take away all of the elements. In a rock song, you've got the drums, you've got the bass, you've got the electric guitar, you've got all the effects. People kind of lose focus on the vocals and the lyrics because they're hearing so many different things at once. I love that they're focusing more on the sounds and the rhythms and the feeling, whereas when you really strip it back and make it more acoustic, people are forced to listen to your lyrics because they can actually hear them. Because even in an electric song, I know with ours, we mix the vocals down a little bit to sit better in the mix in some cases. So, sometimes I know I can hear every single lyric, but that's because I wrote them, so I know what they are. This just kind of really showcases, I think, and then adds a moodiness to it because when you're playing acoustic, you're not going to play the same chords, you're going to add different ones or maybe make that major chord a minor, just little arrangement things.

FMM: I'd love to hear more about what inspired this track and why you chose this song for an acoustic version.

Leah: So this song, I originally wrote it in Los Angeles in 2019, and it was about 90 days after I became sober. Originally I wrote it about someone else, but then when I dug into the lyrics a bit more, I realised that I was really talking to myself and it was my newly sober self talking to my old self, and that I needed to sort my things out, otherwise it was going to be bad. I chose this one as an acoustic song just because I felt there was so much meaning. I loved the chord progressions and the lyrics and the melodies, and I really wanted to showcase them in a different way.

FMM: I's interesting you say that, too, when you think you're writing about one thing, but then as you explore the lyrics, you're writing about something else that's important to you as well.

Leah: Yeah, absolutely. I definitely think it was one of those, like, oh, I'm projecting. I definitely think it was one of those. Later I was like, oh, I think I also want an apology.

FMM: Given that, do you think that's what's drawn you back to the acoustic? Because you mentioned on social media that you've been playing a lot more acoustic guitar, and that's going to really reflect on the new EP that's coming out.

Leah: Yeah, I think so. There are a few reasons I wanted to do not just this acoustic song, but an acoustic EP before we get into the really heavy stuff. When I first started out, I was eleven and I started as a girl who played acoustic guitar and I wrote songs and I performed them and that's what I did. I never played with a band. It wasn't until I got into my mid to late teens that I started to add extra people. I love working with a band. I love being in a band. I love the energy, but I just feel like I kind of lost a little bit of confidence, and I kind of wanted to come back to that to showcase, like, well, I'm not just in a band. I am a songwriter and I am a musician. I'm not just a singer that stands out the front. Also, since the pandemic, since 2020, I have been traveling a lot. Obviously we couldn't play gigs in 2020 because we were locked down. So there was a lot of acoustic in my bedroom on Facebook Live.Then I lived in Sweden for about 10-11 months recording. So when I played gigs there, I didn't have access to my band. It was just me and my guitar. Then when I came back to Australia, I didn't have the network that I once had. So again, any shows that I played were acoustic. The idea originally came to me because I was trying to play some gigs, and people were like, well, what do you do? And I was like, this is what I do. They're like, well, we're an acoustic venue, so we can't have that. I'm like, well, no, but I play acoustics. They're like, yeah, cool. So I was like, oh, I need an EPK and then I was like, hang on. Because I worked a lot of them out acoustically. I was like, I'd actually love to do a record where I just focus on the songwriting and the lyrics and the musicality, rather than riff driven, head-banging rock and roll, just something different.

FMM: Of course, and it's good to have that difference, too, because it really showcases your abilities to write songs, but also your incredible vocals.

Leah: Thank you so much. I am very excited about some of the vocal harmonies that we've popped into this one. I worked with two of my very close friends, Patrick and Alex Windsor, on this. Alex is an amazing bass player and guitarist, and she's also been helping with the production. Patrick, her husband, is an incredible guitarist, especially acoustic guitarist. He just knows all these things that I wouldn't even like. All these chords. I'm like, I didn't even know you could do that, man. His mixing and engineering, they really got the project. When I sat down with them, they just nailed it. So I'm very excited to have that, too.

FMM: Do you guys have any big celebrations planned for the release on Friday?

Leah: Nothing official, but I think we're going to watch the numbers and just be like, yay. Isn’t that how exciting? And probably text each other and maybe go out for dinner. I think here in Australia we're going to save the really big celebration for when the whole EP comes out, which I'm still deciding on, that there's two more songs I want to release as singles and then the full EP will come out with the two extras. I think there's five songs in all, I think. Sounds right.

FMM: Sounds lovely. I've been following your band for a while and it's great to see how you guys have progressed and the evolvement you guys have made over the years. For anyone that's just coming across you now, can you tell us more about who's in your band and what you guys represent?

Leah: Yeah, absolutely. So, Evol Walks, we are a five piece at the very beginning of the band. I did like to push it as a band, but it is myself as a songwriter and I've kind of collected all these incredible musicians along the journey. Our drummer's name is Jimmy Lee and he used to drum with Edge of Paradise. He does a lot of touring, so he's kind of a core member at the moment. We have this awesome bass player called Elliot Larango and he also kind of trades off with Nicholas Diltz, depending on who's on tour, because all of my guys are wonderful, wonderful musicians and everyone wants them on guitars. We presently have Sam Bam Koltun and we also have Logan Nikolic. However, they're always out on tour, so that's the current iteration of Evol Walks. It's definitely a band that loves to make music. We love to headbang, we love to play live shows and it is definitely all about being super passionate and kind of leaving everything on stage. It's a band that just likes to have a great time and give the audience an awesome show.

FMM: That's such a diverse group of musicians and talent!

Leah: Yes. They're all just amazing musicians. I'm very blessed to be able to work with each and every one of them.

FMM: I know you're based between Queensland and LA. What are some of the changes you've noticed between the music scenes of each location?

Leah: So the pandemic was obviously quite detrimental and things are only just coming back now. I did notice I was away from Queensland for a very long time, so I was mainly based in Los Angeles full time up until 2020 and then I went away to Sweden for a while and it wasn't until the beginning of last year that I really started coming back. And just the difference, especially in the Gold Coast and Brisbane scene since I was there last year, is astounding. There are so many new music venues, there are so many artists of different genres, there's so many different events. It's really becoming this thriving scene and it's so exciting. I really wish that I had been coming up in the scene how it is now then when I did, because when I started around, there weren't as many places to play. Especially on the Gold Coast, there didn't seem to be as much of a scene as there is now. Los Angeles will always, in my opinion, I think Los Angeles has a great scene. There are definitely different… You know, the rockers hang out on the Sunset Strip. You've got kind of the punk and indie out over in Silver Lake, but there are definitely a few venues that are really starting to stand out after the pandemic being like, the key places. The thing I love about the Los Angeles scene is that everyone is friends, everyone knows each other. If anyone's looking for a musician, like this person needs a bass player, you can guarantee that you'll always find someone to recommend you, someone that they know. It's just very interconnected and very supportive. That's what I found in the scene, at least. So, yeah, I'd say I'm just astounded at the difference in the Queensland scene and how much it's just grown since I was last year. It's amazing.

FMM: It sounds like you've really made your mark in LA as well, because I see things you share on social media, and it always looks like you're up to cool things and working on cool projects.

Leah: Oh, thank you. I just lived there for a really long time and I'm very passionate about what I do. Not just about performing and writing, but I'm very passionate about going out and supporting other musicians. I just kind of live it, if that makes sense. If I'm not on stage myself, I'm out trying to find someone else who is so I can watch them.

FMM: Do you have a rough estimate on when we can expect that upcoming EP? Well, everything's ready to go. Music wise, it's all mixed and mastered. We all did it together. I would like to release two more songs before I get to the EP. Obviously there's going to be a break after Christmas. I think the next single will come end of January, early February, and then the single after that will probably be in March and then I'm thinking maybe April/May for the full EP. I think that will be. Unless something changes, I think that will be a good time.

FMM: That's exciting, and I know we've talked about how the acoustic sound would be a common theme throughout the EP, but do you have any other themes or inspirations that we can expect from this EP?

Leah: So this EP, there are three reimaginings, because I did want to get some of our regular audience to listen to something completely different. So I was like, look, the songs that you already know, and I've redone them for you. So there are three reimaginings, just really stripped back, really bare. Then there is a brand new song that I wrote during the pandemic that didn't really fit anywhere. Then there's kind of a spooky, quirky cover in there, so it is all acoustic. I have a friend called Jasmine Crowe who was kind enough to come in, and she's laid down strings on two of the songs, and her violin work is just incredible. I just think people can expect this to be different from what we do, but istill Evol Walks and definitely something to look forward to in between this one, ahen I get the full electric album finished.

FMM: Yeah, I'm so excited to hear it, especially with the violin and the spooky ones as well. I'm excited to hear what this cover is going to be, too.

Leah: Thank you. I'm really obsessed with the cover. I wanted to release it first. I was like, no, I'm releasing Sleeping with a Ghost first because it's also the one year anniversary of the original release of that song. So I was like, no, it makes more sense. Look, I'll just tell you now. It's a cover of Pet Sematary by Ramones.

FMM: Oh, nice. Okay. That's great.

Leah: I know. I'm very excited. We, Patrick, the producer I worked with, when we were figuring out the key of the song, we figured it out, and he's like, you know what would make this better? I'm like, I'm not sure, what? And he's like, a Baritone Guitar. I was like, so we've used a Baritone Guitar. We've used strings again. It's Sad Girl Pet Cemetery. It's going to be fun.

FMM: I'm excited to hear your twist on it. I think that's going to be great.

Leah: I'm very excited. I'm not sure if that one will be the next single or if the new song that nobody's heard will be the next single. I haven't decided yet, but I'm leaning towards the cover.

FMM: And lastly, do you guys have any shows coming up or how can people come out and support you guys and what you put out?

Leah: So at the moment, because we're just coming to a holiday period, we aren't doing any shows. The best way to support us is honestly streaming our music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, liking our stuff, sharing it with your friends, saving it to your playlist because the algorithm, and then just following us on social media, we are going to be playing more shows starting next year and I can't wait to get back into it. I think we're also going to do, and we will do a proper live EP launch, too. So whenever that happens, there will be signs,.definitely.