- PREMIERE: Eloah Jones – “Under the Bridge” - November 18, 2021
- PREMIERE: Highbeams – “Campfires” - November 10, 2021
- Tali Azerad Shines on New Album - November 5, 2021
Island Records artist Wrabel has emerged on the scene quickly after the success of “Ten Feet Tall,” his collaboration with Afrojack. Armed with a fantastic new EP Sideways, Wrabel is set to gain an even bigger following this year. Check out our interview below and grab the EP HERE.
How old were you when you started making music? What did your first songs sound like?
i really started playing piano just before i turned 16. i wanted to write a song, so i figured the piano would be the best place to start. i had written a song to one of the prerecorded demo tunes on one of those janky keyboards when i was probably eight or nine…something about climbing up the mountain…i’m sure it was just beautiful…haa. my earliest songs — like in high school — were…well…can we skip a few years? haha. i mean really though, i’ve written some big time clunkers. from when i first started to last week…clunkers just happen. they need to i think.
Tell us about your time at Berklee College of Music. What did that experience do for you in terms of preparing you for a career in music?
berklee was a good time. i absolutely loved being in boston. i was only there for one semester before moving to la, and spent a few weeks of my one semester on a writing trip to london. i think the best part about berklee are the students. i’ve kept in touch with a few friends from there. the talent that comes out of that school is NUTS. i think i learn better outside of school? i feel like i really started learning and experiencing so much more after moving out to la.
It seems like “Ten Feet Tall” is everywhere now. How did the collaboration with Afrojack come about?
it was through the label — universal // island // def jam. my understanding is that daniel werner and david massey were playing nick (afrojack) some songs and thought they’d play him “ten feet tall” (because nick is about ten feet tall in real life…6’9″ i think). he told me he fell in love with it the first time he heard it and just felt like so inspired by the song. we started talking and he was sending me versions // etc…i was seeing youtube clips of him playing it out at tomorrowland and some huge shows like that. it’s just been crazy. nick is so inspiring and inspired and truly brilliant. and the nicest guy.
What was the experience like hearing the song on TV for the first time? How about now when you hear it for the 1,000th time?
the first time i cried. the thousandth time i cried. need i say more? really though, every time i hear it on tv or the radio or out and about, it’s just crazy. one of the funniest times was at a friend’s place for dinner and they had some game on in the background. i was talking to somebody and she asked “what do you do?” as i started to answer, the bud light spot came on and everybody started freaking out. it took me a good 15 seconds to realize what was happening…i was looking at the tv like “what? why are we yelling?” it’s just unreal. such a weird feeling.
Sideways EP is out now and it’s a crisp, refreshing listen. How long have you been working on this EP?
hmm how old am i? about that long. the ep is actually quite new. i think “sideways” is the oldest song — i wrote that one with jim eliot // dan mcdougall about a year ago? and the newest song is “into the wild.” maybe six months old — wrote that one with dan black and drew pearson. the whole sound and concept and style of the record has been in the works for a while, though. probably four to five years. i was lucky enough to have one of my best friends and most talented people i know, kat kim, work on the record with me as executive producer. it was quite a process writing and writing and polishing and polishing and really just finding the moments that worked. kat, along with the best freaking a&r karen kwak, were really able to help guide sessions and pushed me and the record to this really interesting place. i couldn’t be happier with where we ended up.
The song “Sideways” is a beautifully written song and showcases your vocals really well. What was the inspiration for this song?
well thank you! really appreciate that. “sideways” came from such a special day with two good friends of mine, jim eliot and dan mcdougall (mentioned above). it’s a pretty literal page out of the journal kind of song for me. it was a moment for me just realizing i wasn’t moving. when a relationship reaches a point of stasis. not a nice, peaceful stasis (if that exists), but a point of angst-filled stasis. we’re not moving forward, we’re not slipping backwards, we’re just kind of existing — sideways. and neither one of us is willing or maybe brave enough to say something. it’s really quite heartbreaking i think.
The EP has many (myself included) really excited to hear more. Do you have plans for a full-length in the works?
yes! we’ll be releasing a full-length in the next few months. just wanted to get something out, so this ep was a way to do that. can’t wait to get out the rest of the record. i’m still doing a bit of writing for it, although it’s technically “done”…i think i’ll be writing for it until the second it releases. haa.
What’s coming up next for you this Summer and Fall touring-wise?
honestly, i’m not sure! can i say that? i said that. i may have some more dates with afrojack. i’m sure i’ll be playing some more shows around la and getting back to ny a good bit. london, i also may be seeing you very soon. cross all of your fingers, please. (i love london.)
When did you decide to move to LA? What have you learned about the industry and music scene here that you didn’t know before?
i decided to move about halfway through my semester at berklee. i think i just wanted to go for it. i wanted to just throw myself out there and see what happened. that’s maybe the best thing i learned — that you just have to go for it. school is amazing, but i don’t think school is for everyone — and it for sure wasn’t for me. i even tried to get out of high school early, so…haa. when i moved out here, i just wanted to write with anyone // everyone who would write with me and play anywhere i could. whatever “it” is, “it” works in the weirdest ways, through the weirdest connections and chance meetings and events. i just wanted to see what was out in la for me, and i’m so glad i did.
What is your go-to spot in LA when you need to get away?
i’m not sure actually. i would say runyon canyon, but i don’t go there enough. i would say the beach, but i don’t go there enough either. i would say the movies? i certainly go there enough. maybe the arclight hollywood? ha. i love movies, i think it’s such a nice way to get out of your head and jump into another world for a couple of hours. i do enjoy a shop or two. i also like to get away — out of la — even just for a night. santa barbara. san francisco. newport. you can drive to so many beautiful places from here, it can be such a nice mini mini vacation.
Where is the best place to stay updated with you online?
i’d say twitter. @wrabel. i’m on facebook // twitter // instagram all as @wrabel. but twitter is my go-to. also www.wrabelmusic.com
Wrabel – “Sideways”
