A rowdy 4-track introduction to the playful and cheeky spirit of Walker & Royce’s forthcoming album, No Big Deal encompasses the bombastic, no-holds-barred style that has shaped the duo’s sound. Emblazoned with the boisterous, unruly nature of their over-the-top signature, No Big Deal is expressed through the lens of Walker & Royce’s party-starting mindset. From the overzealous basslines of ‘Let’s Live It Up’ to the sharp, tech-driven synth stabs of ‘Cheap Thrills’, Part 1 is a sonic rollercoaster that features new collaborations with Indian-Canadian hip-hop artist Harm Franklin, South Central vocalist Barney Bones, and comedic musician Reggie Watts. Vocally-led and full of personality, Part 1 is as bold and brash as the duo themselves, and will leave listeners excitedly awaiting the next phase of No Big Deal.
No Big Deal (Part 1) arrives amidst Walker & Royce’s headline tour that will see them perform at New York’s Knockdown Center, Denver’s Mission Ballroom, and Chicago’s Radius, along with festival stops at Seismic Dance Event and PROPER NYE.
No Big Deal marks a welcome homecoming for Walker & Royce, who released their debut album Self Help on Dirtybird in 2017 and made their most recent appearance last year with ‘Feel The Vibe’. Prior to returning to Dirtybird with No Big Deal, Walker & Royce saw their biggest year yet with collaborations alongside Diplo and Channel Tres (‘Diamond Therapy’), and Aluna (‘Playing Wit Ya’). The boys have long generated a following with their quirky house sound and playful aesthetic, collaborating with the likes of Chris Lake, Claude VonStroke, Nala, VNSSA, and Ardalan for releases on Higher Ground, Black Book Records, Club Sweat, and their own Rules Don’t Apply Records.
We sat down with Walker & Royce to speak about the release. Have a great read!
WWD: Talk us through your No Big Deal (Part 1) EP. How does Part 1 fit into the larger body of work?
The tracks on part 1 of the album are ones we have been playing for some time. But it’s more than just that, they represent the sort of unexpected vibe we are going for with No Big Deal. We have long been fans of contrast and melding together elements that normally don’t fit. We hope we are breaking new ground with NBD and that it inspires other producers to experiment more as well. That is why Cheap Thrills was important to include on part 1, its all these elements that sound strange and fresh together but somehow really work. That is what we want to convey on No Big Deal.
WWD: Every track on the EP is a collaboration with an incredible vocalist. How did these collabs come about?
All the collaborators on part 1 are people we felt a real connection with and have been fans of for years. Reggie Watts is known a lot for his comedy but he has collaborated with LCD Soundsystem and DFA records for years. His voice is so soulful and distinct, it really was a dream come true to work with him. Harm Franklin is the homie and he recorded those vocals for us a few years back, so glad we finally got them out. Elohim we had always been a fan of but Felix and Johnny from Glass Petals were the ones that brought us all together. While we released Stop Time on RDA earlier this year it was important to include on the album because we felt like it was the track that sparked the whole idea for us.
WWD: What’s the story behind ‘Cheap Thrills’?
Barney Bones was an artist we didn’t know too much about but what we had heard we loved. We were able to get in the studio with him for a day and it was really magical. It’s crazy how talented he is. We did 3 songs in one day with him, one of them will be featured on part 2 as well. With Cheap Thrills we started it from scratch that day and it came together quickly. We are trying to nod to some of our bloghouse electro roots while cutting it with Barney’s cool AF smooth vocals effortlessly sitting on top. This is a new favorite for both of us.
WWD: Tell us about your return to Dirtybird and why the label feels like home.
Well when we first signed to Dirtybird we were literally about to quit. Not in a dramatic fashion like we threw our headphones on the ground and stormed out, but we sort of felt like we had pushed as far as we could. We had been making music that DJ’s played and we had a few good tours in Europe but it felt like our progress had been stagnant for a while and we needed to be realistic. One of our last booked shows was the first Dirtybird campout and it ended up being life changing. It opened us up to so much and together we were able to sort of redefine us and the Dirtybird sound all at the same time. And now that we have really grown as artists it feels good to come back to Dirtybird after they have also grown and become part of the Empire family. It was clear that this was the right move for us.
WWD: How does No Big Deal compare to Self Help?
Self Help definitely was the start of an era for us and we’re not exactly sure if it’s over or not but NBD is a huge step in a new direction for us. A lot has changed since Self Help, other people’s perception of us, our own perception of us. We are coming at everything from an entirely different angle pushing new sounds and different vibes. However one that has stayed the same is our ethos. We still want to be weird and we are still going to be different and we still want to just have some fun.
WWD: What can fans expect from the new album?
We are pushing some new sounds and developing some old ones but all in all it will still have the innovative fearless W&R outlook we can’t seem to shake. Can’t wait to share more music!
WWD: Are there any surprises in store for the No Big Deal Tour?
If we told you it wouldn’t be a surprise would it? All jokes aside, we are planning some more pop up shows in some of the city’s so make sure you pay attention to our socials. We are also about to announce some support acts for our bigger shows that we are super excited about.
WWD: You also have a festival performance at PROPER NYE coming up. What track off the EP are you most excited to play out live?
Honestly every song on the EP has a place in our set right now and we love playing each one. We are really most excited about the songs that we are fine tuning for the rest of the album. No Big Deal.