Photo Courtesy of Arman Wali
Every Friday, we’re here to remind you of the Boston artists we love and think you oughta know.
Atmospheric soundscapes, the peaceful strum of an acoustic guitar, soothing tones swirling throughout the music as it flows around you. The music of Portland, ME native Arman Wali is both quiet and intense, modest and bold. Peaceful while instilling an emotional unrest in it’s listener. I first experienced this on Wali’s lead single “Alone,” off his recently released EP The Pace of Nature. The lyrics tell a fragmented story of finding your place in the world, dealing with past memories and relationships. The music gradually builds throughout the verses before plunging you back into its depths like rough seas punctuated by sudden stillness.
On the second track off The Pace of Nature, “Breaking Point” begins with the light strumming of a guitar before giving way to Wali’s soft and airy vocals. The rest of the song is built upon a mantra that repeats throughout, “Someday I’ll change, somehow someway, somethings gotta break” as he echoes feelings many young people can attest to; being lost, gaining your independence, and struggling to find the momentum to take charge and break through the monotony of daily life. These are moments in our lives when we can feel miserable and depressed but Wali provides a lush background of sweeping sounds and textures. Another gradual build takes the listener from a place of sadness to a place of newfound hope, finding a point of soft intensity that Wali knows how to create so well.
Crediting his influences to various acts such as classical greats Debussy and Liszt to modern indie favorites Sufjan Stevens, MGMT and alt-J, one can detect a wide range of creative interests at work within Wali’s music. However the DIY electronic vibe of alt-J seems most fitting here. Wali plans to continue working on his process of mixing “electronic [music] with random things I have around my apartment. Like I have a collection of random instruments, but on [“Alone”] I used a lot of things that weren’t even musical instruments and just mixing that in with the electronic. I really like that vibe.”
With the state of current affairs keeping live music effectively on pause, many people are left to wonder what the future of live performance will look like. With artists being forced to cancel entire tours and postpone festival dates by months at a time, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we will be able to attend concerts once more. And when that day comes, what could a typical Arman Wali show look like? “A lot of visuals and light production. Pillows and soft places to chill and relax.” A vibe most likely picked up from past memories performing in intimate house shows throughout Allston. Small apartments stuffed to the brim with eager faces searching for the next up and coming band/artist. Attendees maybe not knowing a single band on the lineup but happy to spare a few bucks in support nonetheless.
That sense of intimacy and being close with other artists has instilled a spirit of collaboration within Wali’s musical process. On his track “Lionfish”, Wali recruits some friends including frequent collaborator Donna Vatnik of Boston duo Otter. Collaborating is something he wishes to continue doing in the future with new music and new creatives, with his eyes set on a full length release at some point. But before all of that, keep an ear out for Wali’s latest single “Radio Underground” premiering soon!
Follow Arman Wali on Instagram and stream his music on Spotify and Soundcloud.