The internet is magical. Don’t you ever forget that. A few weeks ago, it seems the whole world caught on to the band Walk Off The Earth and a little video they did covering Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Over forty-eight million views later, the band’s still catching people’s eyes with five people crowded around one guitar and playing simultaneously.
What you need to know about Walk Off The Earth is that they’re not a cover band; they’re a band that did a cover (okay, okay, they’ve done a few) that gained some attention. Is it any wonder why? With five people playing a guitar simultaneously and singing with a beauty that surpasses that of the original by Gotye (featuring Kimbra), it’s not hard to understand why the Ontario natives are gaining speed.
This band also puts out some beautiful music that is all their own. Walk Off The Earth is Gianni Luminati (bass/ drums/ guitar/ ukulele/ vocals), [Ryan] Marshall (guitar/ harmonica/ trumpet/ bass/ vocals), [Mike] Taylor (keys/ vocals), Joel Cassady (drums/ percussion/ samples), and Sarah Blackwood on a smorgasbord of instruments and vocals. Read the interview and tap into the magic behind the video that swept the nation.
How did the band begin?
Gianni: The band started on misty autumn morning. It was cold and colourful out. I was working since the night before in my studio as I tend to do from time to time, and suddenly—POOF!!!!! There was an explosion, and Marshall appeared before my eyes. From that day forth, we started playing music. We picked Sarah up one day from the side of the highway. She was hitchhiking. We saw she had a guitar, so we told her we would give her a ride if she sang the whole time. She did and was so amazing! So, so amazing! Then a year later, Taylor and Joel were dropped into our laps. Now, we’re a band.
What is the story behind the name?
Gianni: The band name we liked because when we make music we want it to take people away from the “every day.” We want people to walk off the earth and into the happiest place in their minds.
How do you approach the writing process?
Sarah: We don’t. We just come up with stuff and mash it all together, and eventually a song comes out. Sometimes songs are continued from one to another. It’s a big ol’ fucking story.
Do you enjoy covers as much as writing original material?
Marshall: When we do covers, we think about what the song would sound like if we wrote it. We never cover a song the same way it was done originally. We love all music. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s awesome in our brains and we love it.
How do you feel about the attention your cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” is getting?
Gianni: We’re happy about it. Attention is a good thing for sure.
Whose idea was it to cover Gotye with all of you playing on one guitar?
Sarah: Gianni heard the song on the radio and brought it to us. He said, “Sarah! I heard this song today that rejuvenated my faith in music on the radio!” And from that moment on, we knew we were going to do that song at some point. I guess unconsciously we put it to the forefront of the project list.
Have you only released music digitally?
Marshall: No. We have two full-length albums under our belts. They are available on CD. The digital thing is cool because now-a-days it’s how people buy and listen to music.
Would you be interested in pressing vinyl in the future?
Sarah: We are also very interested in pressing vinyl. It’s making a huge comeback, and we want to be a part of that for sure. I have always been a big fan of vinyl. My Dad’s record collection is huge, and he actually just gave it to me! I’m pretty happy.
What’s next for Walk Off The Earth?
Sarah: Outer Space? Taking over the world? Dinner.
Will you be touring soon?
Gianni: We’ll be touring all the cities… all the cities of the world.
