WALL: On The Same Wavelength

Blending elements of desert rock, thrash, and doomgaze, WALL is the heavy instrumental project of twins and fellow Desert Storm members, Elliot and Ryan Cole.

The brothers Cole started WALL initially as a side project when, like the rest of us, they found themselves stuck at home during the UK’s Covid lockdown. Furloughed and flatsharing, guitarist Ryan and drummer Elliot began improvising and writing songs to pass the time.

When restrictions lifted, the twins developed the tracks in the studio, finally releasing them on two EPs put out by APF Records. The brothers have since performed as WALL at Bloodstock, Masters of the Riff, and Desertfest London, as well as touring Europe and supporting the likes of Will Haven, Discharge, and Gnome.

Released back in August, the debut album ‘Brick by Brick’ is comprised of tracks from the earlier EPs, plus enough new material to keep WALL fans happy. 'Sonic Mass' is probably our favourite track. We can never resist a slow, dissonant riff.

Openly acknowledging their inspirational debt to their favourite bands, amongst the album's original compositions are thundering covers of Black Sabbath’s ‘Electric Funeral’ and Karma To Burn’s ’Nineteen’. These sludgy, tasty grooves are guaranteed to give rise to the stankiest of stank faces.

With impeccably bad timing, we first contacted the boys just as they were about to embark on the album's promo tour. Ever persistent, we were finally able to corner Elliot for a nice long chat about WALL, brother Ryan, songwriting, touring and more. For nerve-racking gigs, dauphinoise potatoes, and riffs, riffs, riffs, read on!

♣︎ ♣︎ ♣︎

Great to meet you. Thanks for your time. To kick off, please describe WALL for anyone who hasn’t heard you.

ELLIOT COLE - I describe WALL as instrumental sludge metal with some thrashy elements too. Or maybe, more simply put, heavy instrumental riff rock.

If you had to point to one track that best typifies WALL, which is it?

'Legion' is one of our favourite tracks. It’s full of riffs and grooves, and has lots of cool bits in it. It has a nice little thrashy section towards the end too. It’s heavily influenced by Black Sabbath and Karma To Burn, which are our main influences and inspirations behind this band.

What's WALL's secret sauce?

I think it’s maybe that our main focus is purely around the riff. That and the fact we’re twins. I know it doesn't really have much to do with the music, but it looks kinda cool on stage seeing a two-piece band that are twin brothers. 

Tell us how WALL came to be?

We started during the Covid lockdown period in 2020. Nobody knew how long it was gunna go on for and, since we couldn't rehearse with our other band, Desert Storm, me and Ryan decided to start WALL.

Originally, WALL was just intended to be a studio project, but we soon decided to do more with it.

What’s it like being in bands with your brother? Dish the dirt.

We’re best mates, so to do the bands together is really cool. With WALL, decision-making is easier with just the two of us. In a full band you have to factor in everyone else's opinions.

Also, we know each other better than anyone. We’re generally on the same wavelength when writing music. We know what we want something to sound like.

What are the drawbacks?

Ryan likes to piss me off, a lot, which can get annoying. I guess I do the same too though. I'm sure he would say I do anyway.

That being said, we didn't really argue much on our recent European tour.

Beyond the music, do you each have roles in the band? Who’s managing the itinerary?

Ryan is more on it with the organisation of the band stuff, like keeping on top of the calendar.

Being twins means we’re pretty similar, but I'd say Ryan is slightly more social and approachable than myself. I’m a little more shy these days, I guess. I never used to be, but after Covid I definitely suffer a bit from social anxiety.

Yeah, house arrest didn’t do any of us any good. Do you remember your first gig as WALL?

Yeah, it was at The Wheatsheaf in Banbury. I think it was August 2021. We were supporting our other band, The Grand Mal, on tour. It went pretty well, from what I remember.

We love The Wheatsheaf. Was that first gig your most nerve-racking?

No, our next gig, the following day, was more nerve-racking. It was at Bloodstock festival on the Jager Stage. That was a lot of pressure for only our second show.

Our worst gig for me was probably one we did in London earlier this year. I just think I played shit. I kept getting cramp in my wrists and hands. But we seemed to go down well, which is the main thing.

It’s a lot harder to cover up and hide mistakes in WALL, as it’s just the two of us. We’re a lot more exposed. I like to think we play pretty tight and well though, generally.

Do you have a favourite track to perform live?

For me, personally, I would say either 'Sonic Mass' or 'The Tusk'.

We also cover 'Nineteen' by Karma To Burn in every show we play, pretty much, and that is always a fun one to do.

Do you have a typical songwriting process? Please describe it for us.

In this band, everything is based around a riff. We work on structuring together. For WALL, being an instrumental band, we find that sections like verses are shorter than what they would be in Desert Storm.

There are times and places where it’s cool to really drag out the riff, but in places that feel like a verse or chorus it generally needs to be shorter than when playing with a full band and vocalist.

Apart from this interview, what’s been your biggest pinch me moment?

I’d say either the Bloodstock performance or playing Desertfest London. Or supporting Will Haven at The Underworld. Those were all pretty cool shows.

And supporting Gnome in Antwerp on their album launch was great. It was a sold out show in an incredible venue called De Studio. We were fed some amazing food and looked after really well.

Tell us more about your tour. Any highlights? 

It was awesome! We did a short run of dates in Holland and Belgium, as well as a couple in England, to promote 'Brick By Brick'. We managed to do it all in a car as well, rather than hiring a van, which was impressive and a lot cheaper too.

We had a great gig in Oss, near Eindhoven in Holland, at Cafe Lollipop. It’s a great DIY rock bar. A good friend of ours, Amber, runs that place. She wouldn't let us buy a drink all night. Really nice of her. Our mates in White Mamba also played the show. They’re a really cool rock band from Holland.

We finished with a show at The Bear Cave in Bournemouth. We love playing that venue. Bear, who runs the place, is an absolute diamond geezer.

Do you like touring?

We love touring! It is so fun and we get to meet lots of new people and see lots of new places. It's a great way to travel and interact with the fans. There can be tough times too though, like long drives, uncomfortable nights’ sleep, or no sleep, and we both miss our family a lot when we’re away.

What advice do you have for someone just starting their musical journey?

Practice your instrument as much as you can. Take your time with writing songs. Be open to ideas and suggestions from band mates. Be well rehearsed before going into the studio. Work with engineers with good reputations, or at least with people where you’ve liked the sound or their previous work.

Sound advice. If you could be in any band at any time - not including WALL, Desert Storm, or The Grand Mal - which would it be?

That would have to be Metallica, during a headline appearance at Download or Hellfest. Just imagine the size of that crowd, all watching you, and the interaction you’d have with them. It would be absolutely incredible!

Give us three albums everyone should own.

Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. ‘The Black Album’ by Metallica. And Karma To Burn’s ‘Almost Heathen’.

Bangers all. What’s something you think everyone should do at least once?

Go travelling. See the world, or as much of it as you can. You only live once and there are so many amazing places to see out there.

What’s the best way to start the day?

Freshly squeezed orange juice and a big ol' greasy fry up!

Can’t be beaten. You’re on Death Row; what are you having for your last meal?

Fillet of beef wellington with dauphinoise potatoes, cabbage with bacon, and a madeira jus.

Going out in style! Cheers for chatting with us, Elliot. We appreciate your time.

No, you’ve been waiting a while for me to do this interview, so sorry for that. Thanks for your patience. Yours is a great blog. We love that you’re genuinely into your music and go out of your way to promote up-and-coming bands. You all seem so friendly.

Thanks, dude. Just enjoying what we’re doing. What’s next for WALL?

We have a show supporting Desert Storm in Reykjavik, Iceland, in March. That will be amazing. We’ve never been there before.

Shortly after that, we’ll be touring the UK with our friends in Gnome. Then, in August, we head back to Bloodstock to play on the Sophie Lancaster stage, which will be great.

Exciting times. What are your dreams for WALL?

World domination!

Good to aim high. Any final words or a message for your fans?

Thanks to everyone that has supported us, and continues to support us, by putting us on or buying our merch. And thanks again TEN OF CLUBS for doing this interview with us. We really appreciate it.

Keep an eye out on our gig listings and tour dates. Come to a show soon!

♣︎ ♣︎ ♣︎

▶︎ ‘Brick by Brick’ by WALL is streaming now on Spotify, Apple Music and elsewhere. Pour it in your earholes!