Interview with William Walker of Graveshadow

1. Name, position in the band, and where are you originally from?

Hey, my name is William Walker, I play guitar and am the main business contact for the band. I’m born and raised in Sacramento, CA.

2. What is the band’s current lineup for this new album and tour?

Our current lineup is me and Aaron Robitsch on guitar, Luci Rae on bass, Bones Padilla on drums, and Rachl Raxx Quinn on vocals. Aaron also does a lot of work on our orchestrations. This lineup recorded the record and will also be the touring lineup for the group.

3. Tell me about the new album “The Uncertain Hour”? Who produced and mixed the music?

Absolutely! So the record like our last two was a collaborative effort. The majority of the songwriting and instrumentation was handled by Aaron and me. Aaron definitely took on the majority of the writing. He would write the song out and then together we would go through and make changes as necessary to make the flow better. Other times I would have guitar parts written and Aaron would take them and fully flesh them out. Rachl contributed all vocal melodies and wrote lyrics for the majority of the songs. I did however write the lyrics for The Betrayer.

The recording was handled through a couple of different studios. We worked with Justin Aufdemkampe from Miss May I on all guitars, bass, vocals, and mixing. Drums were recorded at Pus Cavern here in Sacramento, CA. Alberto De Icaza handled the mastering. Honestly, everyone we worked with added something special to the project and working with Justin was an awesome experience. Getting to have someone with that level of experience and knowledge so involved with the process really helped shape the record and we’re thrilled with how it turned out.

4. I see the tour kicks off with VINTERSEA, on July 15th. What is the band’s plan for the tour and setlist?

Our main goal for this tour is to just get back out there and perform again. The idea of doing a run with VINTERSEA is something I’ve talked with Riley about for years and it’s great that we finally have the opportunity to make it a reality. We’re focusing primarily on material from the new record, but we have worked on a couple of songs from ‘Ambition’s Price’ and one from ‘Nocturnal Resurrection’. The one-off of NR went through a bit of a rework but this new version is one we think fans will enjoy even more. We’re all really just excited and ready to get out there and start sharing this new material with everyone!

5. What do you think the fans will like the most about the new lineup and new album?

This is one I think about a lot actually. For me, this album represents the natural evolution of the Graveshadow sound. Even though we have some new faces in the mix, the path the music was on has stayed true. I think people are going to enjoy the more dynamic guitar work and will love what Rachl brings to the table. Something we always heard when we were touring before was how much people enjoyed just getting the chance to stop and talk with us at shows, and I think that’s going to be the same when we’re on the road this time. Everyone is extremely friendly and we all love meeting new people! I think that casual, friendly experience is going to carry over and be something people will enjoy from this new group.

6. Where do you see Graveshadow by the end of 2022?

We’re still figuring that out! We’ve been looking at touring options and also discussing ways we can engage with our fanbase more through social media. I think it’s either going to end with us out on the road or us releasing more videos, playthroughs, etc. Rachl and I are both into World of Warcraft and have talked about doing a weekly stream together where we run through dungeons and whatnot. Ultimately it’s our goal to be more in tune with our fans and prepare for an ambitious 2023.

7. What is your favorite and least favorite things about being on the road?

My favorite thing about being on the road is that I feel it’s one of the places I am able to be the most present. Every day is focused on getting to and performing the gig. No matter what else is going on, I’m in a vehicle on the road in the middle of nowhere. Even if something major were to come up back home, my ability to do anything about it is kind of limited. Of course, I still try to be available to my partner and family but I really do enjoy that ability to just be. It’s liberating. I also love being in a new city every night, I love traveling.

My least favorite thing about being on tour is those occasional 12-hour drives that need to be made overnight. Those nights can be stressful even if they are still fun to some degree.

8. Any last words or anything you would like to plug?

Thank you for taking the time! It was great to get a chance to speak with you about ‘The Uncertain Hour’! The new record is out July 15th via M-Theory Audio and our tour with VINTERSEA kicks off the same day. Check out the music video for ‘Solider of 34’ and ‘The Swordsman’ which are both out now and streaming o YouTube. Thank you to everyone who continues to support us, we appreciate you and cannot wait to see you out on the road!