Internet sensations Walk Off the Earth talk to MM about YouTube, live performances, and thoughts on becoming viral, ahead of their concert at Manchester Academy on October 2.
Their initial success as a band came when they rose to fame in 2012 for their video of a cover of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know, in which all the band’s members are crowded together, playing on a single guitar.
They told of how the viral attention attracted by the video, which included over 100 million views and an invite on the Ellen DeGeneres show, was always their ambition.
Ryan Marshall said: “We had hoped to have a video at some point that would be seen by millions and millions and millions of people.
“That video definitely broke down a lot of walls for us and allowed our music to get out into the world. It was a great thing for the band.”
The band, who have just released their third studio album, Sing It All Away, continue to frequently release covers on its YouTube channel, where their musical project started, and feature unique and creative videos with each song.
They credit their creativity in working across the music and video medium as part of the reason of their meteoric success.
Ryan said: “It’s probably one of the most beneficial ways an artist can work nowadays.
“We see ourselves first and foremost as a band for sure but you can be a lot of things in a band nowadays.”
Now a fully-fledged international touring band, they still strive to bring their playful creativity across when playing onstage.
“It’s pretty simple really, we just figure out a way to do what we do in the videos on the stage,” said Ryan. “We have to change some things up and switch things around a little but for the most part it’s a very entertaining, visually stimulating live show.”
They are now eagerly anticipating their European tour, which starts in Birmingham on October 1, before they arrive in Manchester on the 2nd.
“We love Europe. We can’t wait to hit the stage again overseas,” said Ryan.
“We absolutely adore the UK. We cannot wait to get back there. Fans should expect one of the best shows they’ve ever seen in their lives!”
Their set will no doubt be sure to feature some of their most famous covers, which are often tailored to their audience during shows.
“We appreciate where music comes from and where artists come from, so we like to kind of indulge the audience while we’re in their city or country,” said Ryan.
“We honestly have the most dedicated awesome fans in the world. But it also just depends on which songs are the most fun to play for us!”
Tickets for Friday’s show are available here.
Image courtesy of tjchampagne, with thanks.
