Alternative indie rocker, Wullae Wright is a solo musician from Glasgow, Scotland. He's been recording music since 1999 – on Tape Cassettes and Computer Programs. He's been in different bands over the years including Scots Rock band ‘Hercules Mandarin’. Having gigged endlessly in between 2007 and 2011, and played in King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow in 2009 with Hercules Mandarin. With all of that he's released four self-produced albums and two EPs, and is working on his fifth album "The Orange Line". This guy has got so much more ahead of him there is no telling just to how far his musical career will go. Having said that, Wullae Wright himself took the time to talk about his music as well as his upcoming fifth album!
1. Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Wullae Wright, and how long the band has been together.
Wullae: I am a singer/songwriter from Glasgow, and I write, record and produce all my own music. The writing process entails creating music on the guitar, piano or other instruments I may have at the time. I will tailor vocal melodies around the music - or vice versa; and write lyrics based on my life experiences and interests. I then record and produce the music on different recording programs, until I have a finished song I am happy with. As a solo musician, I have been writing music since 2003; however I have been writing music since 1998.
2. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there?Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Wullae: I am Glaswegian, and the local music scene there is fantastic. There are a lot of local singer/songwriters and bands that are incredibly talented. Over the years I have met numerous acts that I hold in high regard. One local band I would recommend is Hercules Mandarin. I used to be a member of the band in 2010. They have a great rock sound mixed with traditional folk. Hercules Mandarin can still be found doing the occasional gig around Scotland. I would also recommend solo musician Stuart Carroll, who has been writing music for as long as I have. He is an outstanding musician and periodically puts work up online on his sound cloud.
3. What type of band are you?
Wullae: I would say my music is largely indie/rock based; however I do branch off from this with certain albums. I like to think of my music and approach as alternative and experimental. As a musician, I am quite reserved but motivated.
4. Is there any story or concept behind The Orange Line title?
Wullae: The Orange Line has a personal concept attached to it, which is portrayed and understood through the albums artwork. The artwork is made up of old photographs of a train journey I made to Coney Island, New York. I enjoyed the raw intensity and sights throughout the journey. When I think back, it is so clear, so vivid. It was a journey I enjoyed and will never forget. This idea and memory, coupled with the layered artistic style of haphazard hand written notes and doodles behind the cut-up photographs, is enveloped in nostalgia. All the songs on The Orange Line were written between 1999 and 2002. They were forgotten songs for nearly a decade, and then one day in 2012 I thought about recording them. I had the idea that if this were to be my last album, I'd finish were I started. Recording the music and getting to know the songs has been a journey in itself. So the umbrella concept for the album is a journey.5. Select two songs from The Orange Line and what inspired the lyrics.
Wullae: Of all the songs on the album, two tracks that have personal meaning to me are "Superhero" and "UFO".
"Superhero" is currently a work-in-progress track and is not online yet. In my opinion, it is probably the best song lyrically on the album. "Superhero" is about cancer, and it is in some ways linked to a family member who died from it. I have written it from the perspective of how someone with cancer might feel about it - their fears and thoughts. I have written some particularly harsh lyrics, to mirror the harsh nature of the disease, for example "Jump off the skyline, and see it through" and "Hold me down, stop my breathing please; Get this alien out and set it free". For me, it is a very sad song that brings back a lot of memories.
"UFO", in terms of its lyrics, is a very literal song. I use to sit, playing the guitar at night in the dark looking out my window at the sky. It was an intriguing thought, wondering about aliens etc. and the whole idea other life in the universe. I wrote "UFO" based on that idea, about someone wanting to be taken away. For me, the song is about escapism and getting away from everything.
6. Who produced The Orange Line and what was it like working with them?
Wullae: I am currently recording and producing The Orange Line on my own. I have had some additional help with strings on the album from friend and musician Stuart Carroll which has been a massive help. I record and produce all my own albums and EPs.
7. Who did the cover art for The Orange Line and how much input did you have on it?
Wullae: I made the cover art for The Orange Line from photographs that were taken in Coney island, New York, and using doodles and scribbled writings. I like to create all aspects of my music, including the artwork.
8. How does this release differ and compare to your previous releases and how has the sound evolved between them?
Wullae: The Orange Line is quite simple, an uncomplicated album really, with most songs being simply guitar, bass and vocal orientated. I have added drums, strings and some other sounds to add some depth to some songs The album is very clean but raw sounding. In terms of my other albums and EPs, The Orange Line differs quite a bit. My first album "AFTER. THE. RUSH. HOUR'S. GONE" is a raw indie rock effort, quite youthful in nature. My second album "In Cloud Cuckooland" is a dark industrial, alternative dance record. My third album "Anonymous" is a hard rock, dubstep dance album about the internet. My fourth album "Opus. 1" is simply an acoustic album and is a very simple album. The Orange Line is quite different and suits me at this time in my life.
9. Did you feel any pressure to do this release and it being a follow-up to your previous releases?
Wullae: I did not feel any pressure to do The Orange Line at all. If anything, I have given myself a lot of time to record this album. In 2011 I recorded two albums and two EPs - one album having 20 tracks. I felt like I should take a step back and gradually create a new album.
10. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
Wullae: Largely my songs are about my own life experiences, interests and social themes. My first album "AFTER. THE. RUSH. HOUR'S. GONE" is about Glasgow City Centre and the Suburbs at night, and all the sights and sounds. My song "Red Bridge" was written for that album, and it is about homelessness. My second album "In Cloud Cuckooland" is a dark look at mental health, psychology and dreams. My song "Spitting Feathers" for instance is about a schizophrenic man on the Manhattan Subway. My third album "Anonymous" is about the darker side of the internet. My song "Operation Payback" is about the group Anonymous. The theme running through the album is anonymity on the internet, and how people use this. My fourth album "Opus. 1" is a collection of songs from different times in my life, and I have put them altogether. The song "Merchant City Man" on the album is about my time living in the Merchant City area of Glasgow, and how good it was.
11. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
Wullae: I write all my own songs, and enjoy the experience thoroughly. The process itself can vary, and has no set structure.
For instance, my song "Red Bridge" was a different song entitled "Be Lucky (You made me smile when nothing else could)" - which is also on my album "Opus. 1". I got the vocal harmony for the song first of all, singing it to myself in a hip hop style beat. I then wrote the lyrics. I took the "Be Luck" guitar riff, and adapted and changed it, and put it altogether. I recorded the song for my first album "AFTER. THE. RUSH. HOUR'S. GONE", which is quite electronic and indie; however the acoustic version on "Opus. 1" was adapted through gigging.
Songwriting for my song "One Billion Dollar Nuclear White Elephant" - from my album "In Cloud Cuckooland", was completely different. I created lots of different sounds on the keyboard and guitar, and edited and messed about with them. The music sat for months with no lyrics etc. In a local shop one day I saw a headline on a newspaper that read "One Billion Dollar Nuclear White Elephant" about Global warming. From that I then wrote lyrics, and fit them around the song.
12. Who are your musical influences?
Wullae: I have numerous musical influences, but the main ones are Radiohead, Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, Bloc Party and Martin Grech. At particular times, with particular albums I have been influenced by other bands etc including Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Soulwax, Innerpartysystem, Elbow, Muse, Death from Above 1979, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, to name a few.
13. What are your dreams and goals?
Wullae: If I had any dreams in relation to my music, it would be for my music to reach those people who might benefit from it. Where people get a genuine enjoyment from the music, or can relate to it. My goals when writing music, for however long that may continue, is to continuously develop my sound and approach, and try to connect with the subject matter and my audience.
14. Tell us a story about a day in your life.
Wullae: I checked the clock on the wall. The end of the shift was fast approaching. It began to kick in: the knotting of my stomach, my heart pounding off my chest. I grabbed my guitar case and left the small cafe I worked in, that sat just off Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. Filled with excitement I navigated the city centre streets and arrived at my destination: King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. I nervously pottered on through the front bar and into the back area. Other musicians sat about idley, periodically pacing and chatting. I then spotted the other members of Hercules Mandarin, and I caught up with them.
Everything between then and walking out on stage was filled with anxiety and excitement: the sound checking, the backstage banter, the taxis back and forth, and the final wait behind the curtain. I remember standing thinking "Headlining King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, to a sold out, packed venue. This is amazing!". I remember the roar as we came out.
I remember leaving the stage, sweaty, and full of adrenaline. It was one of the best gigs ever. The next night I went to King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, and watched one of my favorite bands, Innerpartysystem, playing on the same stage as I had been stood the night before.
15. What inspires you to do what you do?
Wullae: Anchored emotions and deep routed passion for music. A desire to write and sing about meaningful subject matter. I like to paint my world through music. I see my albums as audio diaries of my life, and it will be nice to look back on it when I'm old and listen to how it all progressed - or digressed, depending on its outcome.
16. What advice would you give to fellow bands?
Wullae: I am a firm believer in the idea that you get back what you put in. Times are not always easy, and sometimes doubt can creep in, but stick at it. I passionately believe that you should never let anyone's negativity towards your music stop you from continuing; music appreciation is a subjective thing, and it will not please everyone. All in all, keep at it.
17. How does music affect you and the world around you?Wullae: Music is my world; my confidence comes from music, my self image and personality are intertwined with my music. Until I discovered music - and I mean on an individual, personal level, I was a shy person who lacked any confidence. Most of my day is spent being surrounded by music, whether that be with my own or someone else's music. I feel so blessed that I am able to connect with music the way I do. It is something that no one can take from you; that no one can manipulate. You form an emotional attachment to it, and it becomes part of you. A cluster of notes that can move you tears; an incredibly powerful art form and I love it.
18. Any final words of wisdom?
Wullae: Be committed, persevere, adapt, have self belief, promote and stay true to yourself.
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