Walt Disco
STYLE.
Theatrical goth glam perfect for self-expressive folks that indulge in new wave, glam rock and queer anthems.
BIO.
Modishly reinventing their 80s Scottish post punk influences (Talking Heads and The Associates) with a theatrical approach, Walt Disco (James Potter, Lewis Carmichael, David Morgan, Finlay McCarthy, Charlie Lock and Jack Martin) have captured the hearts of many with their queer modern art-pop aesthetic. In typical rebellious punk fashion, the glam rockers are also constantly challenging the gender divide and encouraging discussion of self-exploration and love in the digital age.
Working with idiosyncratic producer Thomas McNeice of Gang of Four, the Glasgow band’s hit single ‘Cut Your Hair’ is a tongue-in-cheek, young queer anthem that ridicules the toxic masculinity portrayed in mainstream media; while ‘Hey Boy (You’re One of Us)’ is a stylised new-romantic jingle that keeps us on the dancefloor.
“In terms of references when recording, we were listening to so much female, queer pop and dance music, we wanted the tempo and whole feel of the song to get people moving. Not only do we love this music, but we also want to be a band for 2020 and the future, so we wanted to move away from the sounds of the new wave bands that inspired our formation and songwriting,” says singer James Potter.
Having built a reputation for their riotous live show since their debut in 2018, Walt Disco relentlessly cut their teeth on tour across the UK and Europe last year including dates with Interpol, Sports Team and HMLTD. Since the very beginning, part of Walt Disco’s charm is their uncensored look and earnest authenticity. With their 2020 successful EP release of Young Hard and Handsome – which champions self-expression and self-love – the band is destined for bigger stages.
Q & A.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT QUEER POP AS A GENRE MEANS TO YOU?
I think pop is the most direct way of expressing an emotion that is widely felt. It’s feeling limitless whilst being confined to a structure. To add to this, the queer community own pop-culture like no other.
YOUR SONGS ARE ALL ABOUT SELF-EXPRESSION AND SELF-LOVE. ARE THERE ANY SONGS THAT YOU ONCE CONSIDERED TOO PERSONAL AND WERE UNCERTAIN ABOUT PUTTING THEM OUT INTO THE WORLD?
I think once you put songs out to the world, they become whatever they mean to the listener, so it is something to never really worry about. Sometimes when a song is first conceived and you write lyrics involving people in your life particularly, you wonder if they’ll ever find out or if I’ll ever tell them the song is about them.
WHAT NON-MUSICAL TOPICS AND HOBBIES DO YOU GUYS BOND AND LAUGH OVER MOST?
We have recently gladly revisited our roots of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Star Wars, Drag Race, Queer Eye, Minecraft. Jack’s ever-expanding meme collection makes us laugh the most out of anything though!
