Watersdeep
Virginia
DMV Access recently had a chance to speak with Watersdeep from Virginia for the 3rd time. A lot has changed since the last interviews but things are looking good for the band currently. Below is our conversation with the band. Read below to see what’s new, what they’re focusing on and where they are going!
Q : How have you guys been? It's been 2 years since our last interview. How do you feel about where the band is now compared to where you were 2 years ago?
Gabe: We’ve been great! I remember our last interview like it was yesterday, it’s crazy how fast time flies. A lot has definitely happened over the past couple years. New music, new lineup, a lot more shows and touring, etc. We’ve been grinding really hard and it’s amazing to see the growth this band has made since 2018.
Q : Tell us about the lineup change and how it all came together
Rohan: Gabe brought me on board when this first started as a fill in bass player. This was back when we were still performing a lot of the older, more acoustic material. I quickly realized how much I enjoyed performing with Gabe, and eventually became a full time member. A few weeks later, I made the switch to lead guitar and I brought one of my buddies on board as our bassist. Our drummer at the time and my buddy on bass didn’t end up working out long term, but we ended up bringing our good friends Max and Julia on board a few months later to fill out our rhythm section.
Q: Has the bands style/sound changed at all due to the lineup changes?
Gabe: One of the biggest style changes is the fact that we’re no longer an acoustic band. Watersdeep started out as an acoustic project, and even when it first became a full band, we were still playing as an acoustic trio. Now as a four piece, the sound has definitely gotten a little heavier compared to our older material, but we still have the same catchy melodic energy that we’ve always had. We mix a lot of different elements and styles into our music now compared to when we first started out, which I believe has really helped us grow as musicians.
Max: Rohan brought in the much heavier elements, I’d say he was the biggest change; he’s essentially the reason we have 7 strings from what I understand.
Rohan: Max is right. I did in fact pressure Gabe into picking up a 7 string for this band. Nah all jokes aside though, it definitely worked out pretty well. We made the transition to electric guitars relatively soon after I joined, and then I had my genius idea to play 7s. As outlandish as this idea sounded at first, I feel like it has given us more to work with and has allowed us to dip our toes into different genres of music in terms of our writing.
Julia: It’s definitely different when we’re live; there are times we’ve got three vocalists singing at once! Since I’ve got a mezzo voice it’s often easier for me to take the chorus melodies as opposed to forcing Gabe into his higher register throughout the set. It’s a lot of fun to bounce between harmony and melody in verse and chorus, and I love when we split lyrics such as in “Don’t Hold Your Breath”: it feels like we’re having a conversation instead of one person leading and the other following.
Also, no one in this band has the normal amount of strings on their instrument anymore. At this rate I’m going to have to get my hands on a 6 string bass in order to keep up.
Q: Due to Covid-19, it has made it tough/impossible for a lot of bands to carry on and go forward with what they had planned for 2020. Tell us about how it has affected the band/ you personally and what the biggest struggles for you are.
Gabe: This year has definitely been a struggle for us, as I’m sure it has been for everybody else in the music scene. All of our spring shows have been postponed until it is safe to gather again, and we really miss being on stage and seeing you all at our shows. On the bright side, this quarantine has given us a lot of free time to work on new material, which we can’t say too much about yet, but new music is definitely in the works!
Max: The world is in a state of mild chaos right now and I find myself focusing more on that than my own work, sometimes. I intend to be more focused, but one’s intent and actual accomplishments are two very different things.
Rohan: 2020 has been a roller coaster ride for sure. I have been trying my best to stay occupied, and sometimes that means overworking myself. I have been constantly creating and trying to learn as much as I can about music, production, marketing, etc. during these times. As Gabe mentioned, this quarantine has given us quite a bit of time to work on new stuff, but he’s right, I can’t say much more than that.
Julia: I completed my undergraduate degree to a bit less fanfare than I’d hoped, and I’m continuing to take a lot of free online classes to cope with that lack of closure. I’m glad to be back home as it means my commitment to the band is no longer long-distance, and while there’s no shortage of ideas being able to execute them as-desired has been a perpetual challenge. Internally we’re setting on organizational aspects of the business side of things and establish that foundation to come out swinging when things start to resemble “normal,” whenever that may be.
Q: Since the last interview, it looks like you guys got to play some bigger shows/ got to tour and play for many new people. What's some advice you can give to bands hoping to follow in your footsteps?
Gabe: This may sound like lame advice, but persistence is everything when you’re in a band. It’s really tough getting that first show, or getting people to listen to that first EP. But if you’re passionate about what you do, and you keep pushing and believing in yourself, everything will eventually fall into place! And always remember; The only person that can make you successful is yourself! Your drive and motivation to push your music forward will take you farther than anything else.
Julia: Every show you go to is an opportunity to meet incredible people. You’ve always got to be on the lookout for new connections and friendships and be willing to put in the work to maintain those relationships outside of “what can this person do for me.” I lived in Massachusetts for the majority of the last 4 years attending school, and it took a lot of work to maintain long-distance friendships. If it weren’t for that work I put in I would have felt like an outsider in the DC and Maryland music scenes upon moving back... and I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to join this band!
Max: I only recently joined so I can’t exactly weigh in on this band specifically, but in my own experience I would say aim up, take bigger and bigger shows. Say ‘no’ to some stuff because otherwise, you end up playing the same venue to the same people over and over. Also, an effective internet presence is kind of crucial and is very hard to do right: we’re always learning how to do it better.
Rohan: Spend as much time as you can honing your craft and make sure you are proud of your product. Don’t jump the gun. At the same time though, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Do your best, be on top of your game at all times, and try not to get discouraged too easily. Personally, I can be quite tough on myself, so it’s important to recognize how much you have accomplished and what your overall goals are. Oh, and don’t forget to have fun with it! At the end of the day, it’s all about your passion and self expression.
Q: What should we be expecting from you guys next? What are your plans for the band right now?
Gabe: As of right now, we still have one show that’s still on in September. If things are safe by then, we’ll be playing at Blue Ridge Rock Fest in Appomattox VA, along with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Motionless in White, Underoath, and many more! We’re very excited to play this festival alongside so many bands we grew up listening to, and we hope we’re able to see some familiar faces there!
Julia: Hopefully the next “release” so to speak will be two of the songs off the latest EP reimagined. One of them is going to be an orchestral version, and the other is more like “acoustic plus.” (so, almost a return to the band’s previous sound!) Since I did the visuals for our last EP, I'm looking forward to being able to do that again and get some new promo shots of the four of us.
Max: Write more, I think. That’s mostly Gabe and Rohan, they’re the core of the operation. That, and play Blue Ridge, which I’m sure will be fantastic.
Rohan: There may or may not be some new music in the works...but it might be a bit too early to say anything more than that. I’m super excited for Blue Ridge Rock Fest in September too. This is absolutely going to be one of our most insane shows to date.
Q: What do you think of the BLM movement and do you think it's important for bands to speak up and make a difference during this time?
Gabe: Everybody in Watersdeep fully supports the BLM Movement, and I hope with these protests, we can see some reform in the justice system. It is infuriating to see how much police can get away with in this country, and it’s time we put an end to police brutality.
I do believe it is very important for bands to speak up about these issues. Anybody with a platform can help make a difference, and the more voices we have, the stronger we will be! For anybody who wishes to donate to any organizations or sign any petitions, please click the link below. Every effort in this fight for equality counts!
Rohan: I think it is super important for anyone who has the ability to speak out to speak out. Bands included. Music is a form of self expression, and people’s love for music is definitely a way to unite people. This could be a way to unite more people towards a common goal, and that’s what it seems like would be best during times like these. The BLM movement is incredible, and it’s wonderful to see so many people standing with the community with everything that’s going on. Although racism is still a pressing issue, I feel that bringing awareness to it and doing what we can to educate people is important. Every single person’s effort counts, and if we all stand together and do what we can do in order to give those who are oppressed a stronger voice, we will see change.
Julia: Max and I have been going to protests regularly as well as raising hell about the cause for anyone in our networks who might still be on the fence. It’s important to remember that when we pick up our instruments we are benefiting from an inherited musical tradition created by so many black artists like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Chuck Berry. Black artistry is the foundation of all rock music, and it’s vital to keep being vocal about justice and equity once the protests and media coverage fade. Part of what everyone should continue to do is diversify your individual music consumption, and actively promote and seek out diversity within your own music scene. Pay attention and ask yourself why there’s only a handful of people of color on stage playing a rock show in Baltimore, for instance, or why the crowd at your DC DIY show is predominantly white. Your social circle is where you can begin to make the biggest impact, and as allyship is a lifelong practice that means it’s always the right time to start making a difference.
Max: Black Lives Matter. There are no two ways about that. The movement is crucial and anyone saying they’re too disruptive and destructive definitely has some biases to check. Since the outbreak of these riots, police have killed at least two other people with zero justification, and it’s barely been 2 weeks. The protesters, by contrast, have killed no one. Yet the protesters are portrayed as the violent ones. The rhetoric of regressive conservative voices has remained unchanged since Dr. King and Malcolm X, and the lies being told about protesters and about BLM are not dissimilar to the lies initially being told about King, or Malcolm, or even the Black Panthers.
What we can do is amplify minority voices in metal, particularly Black voices. Metal has far less of a race-issue than some people might tell you (not every metal band is Pantera) but that isn’t to say we can’t do better. We should do better. Promoters can consciously put more bands with POC in them on the bill. PULSES is a VA band that immediately comes to mind, I’ve played with them a couple of times and they’re phenomenal.
We can of course always write about it but actions speak louder than words, and promoting bands is a really helpful action.
Photo Credit : Casey Allen, Brandon Smith, Emma Bishop