Interview with Negative Wall

Tell us about your latest release: the main concept; what fans should expect; what were/are your goals with it:

We were all three fans of sixties sci-fi, especially The Outer Limits TV show. That show had a serious tone and used inverted film for a creepy effect. That’s how we came up with the name Negative Wall, to create an album of sci-fi songs, and use a lot of black and white photo plus the whole mad scientist look on stage. As for goals, we hope the album does well enough for now and we’ll see where that takes us.

Did you have a specific sound in mind when you formed the band, or did that grow and evolve as you played together?

I kept suggesting and voting for slower tempos and a floating feel. Our guitarist, Don Cole, is a rather bluesy player so the combination came out as delightfully spacey. I produced the album and tended to get a bit layered. I’m not surprised, but it more or less made itself and we just followed the feeling.

How does your writing process normally work out?

Normally I write songs in full, bring them in to musicians and say here It is. done, here’s the arrangement. But in the case of Negative Wall, it was my first time in my career that I agreed to jam out the songs as a group! This was at the coaxing of Dennis Reid, the drummer. And I have to say I did like the results!

What are your ambitions and how far do you want to push your band?

I make the albums, put them out there, promote them, and see if people respond. If people like it, then we’ll carry on. I will always create and record music, though I may dress it up different from time to time. It’s still my music or collaboration with some amazing musicians. I just keep pumping it out no matter what or who else comes and goes

What are your influences/musical references and the impact those same influences had in your sound?

For Negative Wall I would say that seventies blues rock had a big influence on our sound. Also, we like Electric Wizard and, although we don’t sound anything like them, we did an interpretation of their song Torquemada 71 for the album Gammagelu.

What’s next for you?

I’m producing Tombstone, Blacklight Midnight, and the second Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf album during the next 3 to 4 months and am excited that my label Black Doomba Records is a sponsor of the Maryland Doom Fest and I’ll be there as a vendor as well. Negative Wall may tour in the Fall.

Answers by: Tommy Stewart