by alex grainger
photo by janet yuan
Platinum selling indie-pop band The Walters recently released their breezy pop anthem “Stuck In My Ways.” Sonically, The Walters are anything but stuck, as this track challenged the band to experiment with new pop rhythms all while keeping the vintage Walters sound fans have been hanging onto since 2014.
Arm wrestling and potato sack racing to the funky beat, the music video transports us back to moments of pure childhood fun through field day activities. The eclectic group of participants who are all stuck in their ways lean into a healthy bit of competition to work through their troubles.
“Stuck In My Ways” is The Walters latest installment since returning from hiatus after their hit single “I Love You So” became a viral sensation. Their highly anticipated return has been fueled by their EP Try Again and the band is back in the studio working on their first full length album. Read more about “Stuck In My Ways” and The Walters below!
There’s a certain degree of self-awareness in “Stuck In My Ways” as it’s inspired by your daily actions that ultimately get you in trouble with your partner. Can you tell us a little bit more about this story?
The Walters: “It really is the same old story of repeating the same actions that get you in trouble with your partner. We all say we want to change for the better but getting there has many setbacks.”
Having come off hiatus after “I Love You So” went viral in 2021, now with your 2022 EP Try Again under your belt, what was it like getting back in the studio to create “Stuck In My Ways?”
The Walters: “We had a good time working on the tune. It’s a bit different from the songs we’ve made in the past so it was refreshing for us creatively. You never wanna feel boxed in as artists and I think this was a song that helped us see that more clearly.”
How do you feel the light and breezy layered sound created for “Stuck In My Ways” drives its narrative?
The Walters: “The track draws from more pop centric beats, think Calvin Harris. Our bass player Danny and drummer Charlie had a lot to do with this tune sonically. They led the creative path for us on this one and you can feel that summer dance vibe in there.”
How does “Stuck In My Ways” represent who you are as a band in this moment? How does this track show your growth as a band from 2014 to now?
The Walters: “The track is showcasing us in a different light. It still feels vintage Walters, but sonically there is an element of modern pop that we haven’t really done before. I think we’re at this point where we want to challenge ourselves and really see what tunes we’re capable of making together but still holding the basic qualities of why fans have been drawn to us from the beginning.”
Reflecting on the creative process, did “Stuck In My Ways” teach you anything about how to handle troubles with you partner? Did you find you planned to change your ways, compromise, stay the same, or just move on?
The Walters: “I think writing songs like this that your partner knows about your situation is always kind of therapeutic as long as you’re on the course of betterment. A song won’t fix all your problems but it can be a gentle reminder that you’re willing to work to be a better partner.”
The music video takes us all back to our childhood with the iconic field day events. What was the inspiration behind the field day narrative of the video?
The Walters: “We thought it would be fun to bring in the different characters instead of having it just be about a couple’s relationship. It was really cool casting actors and assigning various roles. Everybody likes a good old fashioned field day and that’s what we tried to accomplish with the video. Light hearted, fun.”
We see the competition in this music video to be an ex-lover, old nanny, high school wrestling coach, and a landlord. Why did you choose each of these characters? How do they work into the overall story of “Stuck In My Ways?”
The Walters: “We came up with the characters by throwing ideas around with each other on what we thought could be funny. They all fit into the narrative because there is a problem that has existed with each of them and they’ve been ‘stuck’ in it.”
Were the outcomes of each field day event scripted or was everyone truly trying in each competition? Was there one event which was the most fun to compete in and film? Out of the four of you who is the most competitive?
The Walters: “There were some things that were scripted and others that we just freestyled. The most fun was probably the arm wrestling between Walter and Rex. The most competitive in the group would most likely be Luke.”
We heard you’re gearing up for your first full length album. Can you tell us a little about what you ultimately hope the album will be?
The Walters: “We’re working on an album that we’re really excited about. It has a little bit of everything that we like. We’ve never put out a full length album before so this is a big deal for us and we wanna make sure it lives up to what we’ve always envisioned it to be.”