The Whomping Willows (Blog)

It’s that time of year when people begin to look back on the present year and think about how it’s gone, how it’s changed them, and how they’ll proceed over the next year. As I’m one of those people who spends an awful lot of time thinking about everything, this opportunity for introspection never seems to pass me by, and it usually results in an end-of-year blog.

I don’t think it’s any big secret that a lot of wizard rock bands are taking a step back from the community and focusing on other things. Some bands are retiring altogether, others are just transitioning to other artistic pursuits. I think this is a natural process for any artist. When I started The Jena Campaign in 2003, I had no intention of transitioning away from that band in favor of a novelty band inspired by the Harry Potter novels, but that happened and it was pretty much unavoidable. Such is the plight of an artist — we do whatever our creative energy tells us to do, and my energy has been almost entirely focused on wizard rock since 2007. 

I don’t expect this to change any time soon. As much as I’ve enjoyed seeing some of my friends and colleagues branch out to other things, I can’t really see that happening with me. I decided a while back that I wanted to release at least seven full-length Whomping Willows albums (one for each horcrux), and I’ve released five to date. Given that I’ve averaged one full-length album per year since the beginning, I’m expecting to be fully engaged in wizard rock for at least two more years, maybe more.

However, I do have this nagging itch in my system. New songs are entering my brain and they aren’t wizard rock songs. So far, they’ve been country songs about past failed relationships and other mishaps. I’m not sure what’s up with that. Bottom line: I am going to release an album under my own name in 2011. It will have nothing to do with wizard rock, Harry Potter, or anything else of that sort. Most likely it’ll focus on my life as a teenager and twenty-something, because apparently I still have some dirty laundry from that era to air out in musical form. Whateva.

I’m also kinda/sorta working on the sixth Whomping Willows record. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to recording this, but I’ve definitely decided on a theme: the beginning. I have to give credit where it’s due: Recently, the infamous WrockSnob posted a great review of Magical Christmas of Magic, a compilation released by Harry and the Potters in 2005. This comp included the first-ever Whomping Willows song, Seasonal Depression, which posed the thought-provoking question, “What was Dumbledore thinking when he made me?” WrockSnob expressed disappointment that this line of thinking wasn’t explored in future Whomping Willows material, and I found myself feeling disappointed in myself for squandering the opportunity. Then I realized that I’m not retiring any time soon and I still have time to do it, and hence my idea for WW6 was born: The album will focus on the Whomping Willow’s experience from birth through the era of the Marauders, and the music will be a reflection of the time period. Of course, that could mean a lot of things, as Black Sabbath, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, John Lennon, Al Green, Electric Light Orchestra, David Bowie, the New York Dolls, ABBA, and Nick Drake were all active during that time. Also, I’m me, not an artist from the 70s, so obviously my own creative restrictions apply to everything I do. I guess we’ll see how it turns out.

I think I’m going to release demo versions of new material periodically before I start working on the final studio album. I may release these demo versions via bandcamp, or compile them and release some sort of short-run limited edition collection of demos like I did for Demons at the Helm. More news on that as I actually start setting music to tape.

Finally, as I prepare for my 500th show this coming weekend at the Sixth Annual Yule Ball in Cambridge, I am already looking forward to reaching 600 shows (or at least coming very close to that) in 2011. I’ll be touring for 10 days in early February, for four weeks in April/early May, and for six to seven weeks in the summer. No specific plans for the fall yet, as I’ll be getting hitched in September. :)

As always, I want to thank all of my fans for another incredible year. Lauren and I have spent the last few weeks trying to keep up with a holiday sale that has already exceeded our expectations literally three times over. We aren’t just sitting here raking in a new pile of money and bragging about our success. The numbers are ultimately meaningless to us, so long as we can pay our bills. What we’re thrilled about is that we have an outlet for our creativity and we have fans who continue to support us, over five years after our bands were created. We are incredibly lucky and we don’t take you guys for granted. We have nothing but love and respect for you, because you — the fans — are what makes this community the phenomenon that it is. Thank you all so much, and see you in 2011!

Happy holidays,

Love,
Matt