In The Whale emerged in the latter days I walked the Earth. I would have killed them outright had I known they would become such a problem, but I had my own issues of decomposition to tend to. Formed in 2011 in Greeley Colorado, mortals Eric Ryley and Nate Valdez joined forces when they grew tired of their respective bands preoccupation with “making it.” They formed In The Whale to remind themselves of why they liked to play music in the first place. They also chose to remain a duo, because they enjoyed the dynamic and how they interacted with each other on stage. With nothing more than an old fashioned rock and roll work ethic, they hit the road non stop, released six amazing EPs over the next decade and to this day have enjoyed an incredible following. While their earliest music boasts a stripped down, garage punk sensibility, it has evolved over the years toward a grungier, darker and even metal-friendly ferocity. They were putting the finishing touches on their most recent release when they unfortunately crossed paths with me.
And now they’re dead. But here is their final interview.
~Maris The Great
THE DEMISE OF IN THE WHALE
IN THE WHALE FINAL INTERVIEW
If you could travel back in time to your very first album, what advice would you give your younger, naive, mortal selves?
Nate: Don’t follow trends. Do the music you want to do. Practice and write more.
Eric: For me, it would be to stay in the moment. To take the raw emotions as to what you are feeling, have it come out sonically and to stop trying to play perfectly or do something perfect.. And just give a performance instead of perfection. The performance and emotion comes out way better than just playing something perfect.
When you originally started in Greeley, you left other bands to form In The Whale. What did this band allow you to be or do, that you weren’t getting in those other projects?
Nate: The other ones were really serious. For us it was remembering why we like to play music, and not having this heavy-handed, “We’re going to have to sound good to make it” kind of thing. (Those bands) were very adamant that they should be about…”Let’s try to make some strategic moves to get this person’s attention or to get this music business person’s attention, or get this label’s attention.” Instead of, “Let’s play this shit because it sounds bad ass.” You know what I mean?
But isn’t that what you are doing now? You’re trying to make it and must have a strategic plan.
Eric: We have a strategic plan, yes.
Nate: But we don’t care what everyone else’s wanting us to play. Like “Oh you should play like this or you should do this so you can get radio play.”
Eric: If that was the case we would be SoundCloud rappers.
Nate: Right. We don’t care about that.
But was writing a song like “Galaxie” a conscious decision to have a single?
Nate: When we wrote it?
Yes. Or was it a happy accident?
Nate: It was a happy accident. It was the same thing that happened when the song “Highway” made billboard charts. It’s the slowest song we have.
When you started, did In The Whale click immediately with mortals?
Nate: We ate shit for years and still do from time to time. We hustled really hard and went to all the shows and passed out fliers. We were very strategic with the shows we played and how often we played. We didn’t want to over-saturate the market. Early on, we made a business plan and registered the band as a local LLC. We also made it a huge point to tour. We played Boise six times in one year and Denver only one time.
What do you have against Denver, aside from the fact I am here and plan on killing you?
Nate: We didn’t want to be “local guys.” Because of that, we got offered good tours and have been on stage with Slash from Guns ‘N Roses, Jane’s Addiction, The Darkness. 10 Years.
Most acceptable! What was the process of the band getting signed?
Nate: At the time, we had been playing for a few years and many labels came out to see us. All the reps loved us and bought our stuff, but always said the same thing: “Rock music is too risky right now”…meaning, they were looking for Billy Eleish.
Yes, I can see that.
Nate: The label from Australia hit us up, because in Australia, they still love rock. We talked , they sent us a contract, we asked for more money…and they said, “yes.”
Eric: I’m glad we found a label that is actually stoked about our music and gets what we want to do as a band.
But how important is getting signed? Mortals don’t buy records anymore.
Nate: I disagree. We are doing the work and playing shows around 150 plus a year and we are selling the hell out of records. I sold 15 records yesterday.
Really?
Nate: Yes sir. We sell CD’s and vinyl all the time.
There’s hope for rock and roll.
Nate: People my age and generation, remember Mom and Dad playing the round records and now we are adults and doing it ourselves. I go to the record store wherever we play. When I come home from tour, I usually have about 20 records.
Eric: I think a record label’s importance depends on the artist. For some it makes sense and for some it doesn’t. We were doing just fine as an independent band and with this current record we felt like the help of a label would be very advantageous. Golden Robot was and is very stoked about us and really understands what we’re trying to do as a band, so it was a great fit
Tell me about the new album.
Nate: We recorded in January, at Dave Grohl’s studio. It’s called Studio 606 and it is awesome. It’s so great. We made it a point to go back there cause this will be the second recording done there.
Eric: It was produced by Steve Evetts. One of our favorites. He’s done a lot of great stuff. We worked with him on DOPAMINE and on this new record. Just really wanted to build upon what we did there to make it bigger and better.
Where are you going with your sound?
Eric: Writing more seriously on more serious subject matter I guess. Going in a heavier direction. It’s a lot more screaming and getting a little more technical musically.
What inspired that change?
Nate: Do you see what the world is going through today?
The darkness that has brought me back into your realm inspired your writing?
Eric: I think recordings and songs are just snapshots of moments in time and these are the moments that we are living in. So this is what we are writing about and this is what we are doing.
Right now, your mortal world is going through Covid-19 and the BLM movement. Would you like to address these topics now?
Eric: Yes. Listen to the CDC and…Black Lives Matter.
Mortal Nate, tell me about your intriguing past with the dead
Nate: My grandparents owned a mortuary. I worked there all through high school. I came to Denver after graduation from UNC in Greeley and couldn’t get a job, so I went to a mortuary. It’s recession proof. . I worked there for years and also did work with the Denver county coroner. I’ve seen many things. Real shit. People halved, pulled people out of the river, hanging, murder, suicide
How is it that you hath remained unscathed from trauma?
Nate: I have been even-keel my whole life. I’m not very much affected by trauma. I feel for the families more.
Didn’t you get your touring van from that world?
Nate: I bought it from Crown Hill Mortuary while I was working there. And then bought it when they decided to sell it.
Why did you stop working at such a superior place?
Nate: I got my ex-girlfriend a job there and started touring so much, I didn’t feel right taking away her job. Not the best answer…I just didn’t want to be a dick to my ex (laughs)
Did you and her have any kinks surrounding death? Did both of you take turns playing the corpse?
Nate: I have no kinks (laughs)
What about you, Eric?
Eric: I love a tall, stocky build. That way, she can crush my head like a grape between her legs.
What about jerking off on the road? That’s an important topic to cover.
Nate: Man.. I don’t… I don’t think it’s ever been an issue.
So, you just whip it out? Is that what happens?
Eric: Maris. Two words. Hotel. Shower.
But, a lot of times you stay in the van ‘cuz you don’t have enough money to stay in the hotel.
Eric: Just take a shower whenever you can.
How often is that usually?
Nate: A couple times a week.
I thought touring meant you needed to offset cost by playing every single day of the week?
Nate: Originally, we used to. Now we’ve made sure to hit the good days. Monday and Tuesday are always hard but in the past when we would tour with a lot of old punk bands, it would be every single day we would be playing a show.
Eric: We try to average about five days a week.
So in that case how many times a week would it be….
Eric: That we would jerk off?
Yes!
Eric: (laughs) Maybe two.
How old are you both?
Nate:33
Eric: 36
You are well within your ejaculatory years. But I find it hard to believe that you would wait two or three days until you pleasure yourself in a hotel shower.
Nate: We’re tired.
Eric: Personally I could go at least a week.
Why?
Both: Tired.
Some bands I’ve interviewed have jerk off contests while they drive.
Eric: No. we are pretty entertained with podcasts. But once we run out of podcasts we might have to bring that into the conversation.
Nate: Yeah, I don’t know I’m on the same boat here with Eric. We’re pretty entertained or too tired. So no, the answer is no.
Do you have a fleshlight?
Eric: Here’s the thing about a fleshlight: You have to clean a fleshlight.
Yes
Eric: That’s fucking disgusting.
You don’t have to clean it.
Eric: You don’t have to, but you should. So after you use the thing you gotta clean it on the road. If you don’t, that’s no bueno.
Photography and trailer by: Sinister Star