The Whomping Willows (Blog)

Amazing new I Believe In Nargles t-shirt, redesigned by Lauren Fairweather! Click here to check it out and pre-order! Shirts will ship on/around February 20. :)

Text 9
Notes From Ginny To Luna (New Single!)

Happy New Year, wizard kids!

A few weeks ago I wrote a new song, entitled From Ginny To Luna. The inspiration for this song came directly from recent live performances of Draco and Harry, in which I’d substitute “Ginny and Luna” for Draco and Harry during the last chorus as a means of demonstrating that Ginny is badass enough to find her own happiness and not just pine over Harry when he’s distracted by other romantic pursuits. My plan for this song was to make a music video and hopefully release it in late January or early February.

However, as the New Year approached, I decided I wanted to make a statement to open up 2012: Since a few people have expressed concern that my new side project, Matt Maggiacomo, would become my sole musical focus at the expense of The Whomping Willows, I wanted to begin 2012 with the release of a new wizard rock song to reassure people that I’m still very much invested in the wizarding world!

And so I decided to release the song now on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp and worry about the music video later. This kicks off one of my new year resolutions: I plan to write and record at least two new songs per month, release them all as digital singles, and maybe eventually compile them onto a CD (likely in time for summer tour). I think this will keep me in a creative mindset and it’ll also give Whomping Willows fans something to look forward to every month between now and June!

Here are the various places where you can get From Ginny To Luna:

iTunes

Amazon

Bandcamp

Love,
Matt

Text 4
Notes Q. Will The Whomping Willow Ever Release A Solo Album?

A. I received this question via twitter from @loveofstrings, and I have to admit that it threw me for a loop. My immediate reaction was “Yeah, he’s released like 8 of them already,” and then I remembered that The Whomping Willows is actually a collab between the Whomping Willow and the human he possesses (me). Before striking this deal to possess my body for live shows and recording purposes, the Whomping Willow performed music for Hogwarts students using the most powerful form of magic: music itself. Specifically, the music simply emanated from the Whomping Willow’s body. There were no instruments, no PA systems, just the tree and his music and a very limited audience (Hagrid, and mostly just when he was drunk). The Whomping Willow had no plans to release any albums — UNTIL he created a Myspace account and discovered Harry and the Potters. Hearing that Harry had started a band with himself inspired Whompy to take his music more seriously, and he knew that the only way to start a true career was to utilize muggle technology like musical instruments, computers, and compact discs.

In any case, it’s impossible for the Whomping Willow to release a solo album because he needs a human host through which to operate. And ultimately it’s impossible for any non-Hogwarts student to hear what Whompy truly sounds like, because Whompy is limited somewhat by the existing sound of his muggle host’s voice (and arguably also limited by his muggle host’s instrumental talent, as there is only so much Whompy can do with Matt’s pudgy fingers on guitar). The only thing Whompy has control over is the songwriting, and even that has been compromised by his host’s overbearing desire for creative control (see: Demons at the Helm).

In all seriousness, the real answer to this question is that all Whomping Willows albums and Matt Maggiacomo albums are coming from the same brain. If you support one, it behooves you to support the other. After all, if you do not wish to support a Matt Maggiacomo album based on the fact that it’s not wizard rock, then that kinda makes you a Death Eater who discriminates against muggles. Think about it. And then buy my album here. ;)

Text

Anonymous asked: I didn't really know where to post this but I did the pay for your album before it was real thing haha :) and I just wanted to say that I really really love it and I'm sad that people have to wait to listen to it because it is just brilliance! :) <3 -Heather, 17, Denver CO

Thank you, Heather! :D

Text 15
Notes The Future Of The Whomping Willows (2011 Edition)

Wow. Is it really that time of year again? Am I really posting another one of these retrospective end-of-year blogs? Am I really still in a wizard rock band? Are you my real mom? WHO AM I?! (Answer key: 1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. Yes. 4. Results of DNA test still pending. 5. Matt Maggiacomo!)

My band’s official six-year anniversary came and went without much fanfare, and I think that’s mostly because I forgot to mention it. At this point I feel confident that I’ll reach a ten-year anniversary, and after having hit the 500th show landmark last year I feel like I should only really make a big deal out of the BIG landmarks. The ones that end with zeroes and fives.

I was looking at a recent facebook status update from Jarrod Perkins, the affable southern gentleman behind the wizard rock band Gred and Forge. He said something about his gas tank being empty, and he wasn’t talking about his Prius. He was talking about his creative juices, and how he’d simply run out of ideas for new wizard rock songs. Responses ranged from “Tell me about it, brother” to “Well, that’s understandable, you’ve already explored your chosen characters extensively” to “WTF ARE YOU QUITTING WIZARD ROCK?!! YOU ARE DESTROYING MY DREAMS!!! DANCE FOR ME, MONKEYBOY!!!” I wanted to respond with something supportive, but instead I let it all sit in my head to simmer and this blog is basically an expanded response to that entire thread of comments.

I think Draco and the Malfoys summed up the state of wizard rock’s veteran bands in their 2009 smash hit single “Out of Ideas.” At some point, every wizard rock band has to question whether or not they’ve entered retread territory. Do we really need another song about Weasley sweaters? About Dumbledore’s death? About the status of Snape’s moral compass? About how Hermione is, without a doubt, the most perfect woman on the face of the planet?

While some veteran bands have hit their threshold and decided to retire, others are taking a more open-ended approach. Should I ever reach a point where I can’t justify forcing out more Whomping Willows material, this is undoubtedly the approach I would take. Personally, I want to keep this band alive while I’m alive, because who knows when inspiration will strike? How awesome would it be if I release a Whomping Willows album 20 years from now? How can I predict that I won’t want to do that? This is my main argument against retirement — I simply don’t know what the future will bring. My whims are difficult to predict, and I don’t want to limit myself in any way.

In terms of my immediate future, I do plan to release the sixth full-length Whomping Willows album in 2012. I still plan to write songs about Marauder-era Hogwarts from the perspective of the Whomping Willow. I plan to keep this album almost 100% canon-based. I plan to seek inspiration from bands that were popular at the time that the Marauders were at Hogwarts. This will be a very unique Whomping Willows album and I’m very excited to start working on it this winter.

As for touring — well, I’ve played around 80 shows this year, which is the smallest number of shows I’ve played in a single year since 2007. I expect to reduce that number even further in 2012. As much as I love playing shows, and as much as touring has been one of my primary sources of income for the past four and a half years, it’s getting to the point where I almost can’t keep up with my own tour schedule. My health has suffered, my relationships with friends and family have suffered, and overall I’m looking forward to spending more time at home with my wife and cats and home friends and parents.

Also, as you may have heard, I am about to release my first non-wizard album in six years, and DFTBA Records has kindly offered to help me with that process. I love this new album and I feel that it deserves my full attention. It’s very possible that it will be wildly successful and take over my life — just as The Whomping Willows took over my life in late 2006/early 2007. It’s possible that I’ll want to do something crazy, like tour specifically in support of this new album. Imagine if I toured as Matt Maggiacomo and NOT The Whomping Willows. Would you still come to the show? I should hope so. I need to leave room in my life for stuff like this to happen — otherwise, I’m not investing enough in an album that I truly feel is the best work of my life.

Which brings me to my final point, and this is a point I’ve made before but it’s worth repeating: the end of Draco and the Malfoys doesn’t mean the end of Brian and Brad. If you love the Malfoys, and if you truly enjoy their music, then you should keep in touch with them and continue to support their musical endeavors. This applies to any wizard rock band that “runs out of gas” or retires or otherwise moves on to something new. If you truly love the music, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t love what these bands put out in the future. I know that I’m always going to make music, regardless of whether or not other people listen to it.

Of course, I’d much prefer that you continue to join me on this wild ride. :)

Long story short: No worries. You’ll see plenty of me (and the tree) in 2012!

Love,
Matt