Meet The Westerlies

Hop on your horn people ‘cuz we’ve got a whole brass quartet for your audible pleasures. You’ve never heard trumpets like this before. Hailing from Seattle, The Westerlies are tooting through the genres, filling the void between rock, folk, jazz, classical, and indie.

Yes, that’s a lot of genres. Yes, I too envision trumpets as solely used to awake young whippersnappers at summer camp. But these four friends deliver with their swinging, grooving, and energized tunes. Stop, listen, and learn all about these terrific trumpeteers below.

MASTERPIECE THEATER: A Mad-lib by, The Westerlies

No story ever told seems to INTENTIONALLYcapture the hearts and NUGS of SMOOTH.readers as does the legend of King Arthur and the ACTUARIES of the VOLUPTUOUS table. If we choose to believe the Arthur legend and go along with the story that this FUZZY king removed from a DANK stone the SPICY sword called Excalibur, then we are giving ourselves permission to enjoy this evening's performance. So without further ado let us visit the kingdom of Camelot, where SAUCY knights perform with heroic CACTI, rescue UNDERTAKERS wearing ASCOTS of armor, and ride off on majestic MOOSE in search of adventure.

Would You Rather

all the glass in the world be made of stained glass, or every light in the world is replaced with a disco ball? Why?

Willem de Koch: I’d rather every light in the world be replaced by a disco ball. Growing up in Seattle, sunlight was sparse, so having big, clear windows was always a necessity for letting the light in. Maybe it’s how I associate it with cathedrals, but stained glass always evokes a somber feeling of gravitas in me, whereas disco balls feel fun and festive and celebratory.

Some questions with The Westerlies

Do you feel instrumental music can lead to more interesting interpretations?

Chloe Rowlands: I think that instrumental music has the potential to be interpreted in many different ways depending on who the listener is. Since there is no definitive narrative or story like what exists in vocal music, each listener can paint their own picture and create their own story to accompany the music. I think this can definitely lead to very interesting interpretations, some of which can be completely different than what the composer was envisioning. That’s the beauty of abstract art though; every person’s interpretation is different and reflects themselves and their own unique experiences.

What is your favorite phrase?

Willem de Koch: Ya hate to see that, folks.

What was your first live performance like?

Riley Mulherkar: Our first performance was at the Royal Room in Seattle, in December of 2011. I remember it being sweaty and painful - playing for 50 minutes straight on our instruments without a break was a brand new concept, and felt like an athletic feat! We also were playing sitting down, with music stands, and out of tune, so the whole thing was a bit cringeworthy. But I remember the audience response -- people were into it! It was a scary experiment and the encouragement from those early listeners motivated us to keep chipping away to find a new sound.

Have there been any major changes in your creative process between your last self-titled release and “Wherein Lies the Good”?

Riley Mulherkar: The step-by-step process of composing, rehearsing, workshopping, and recording remained more or less the same from our last album to this one, but there was one major change: welcoming trumpeter Chloe Rowlands into the group! Chloe is a monster trumpet player and brings a new sensibility of playing, improvising, and composing to everything we do. You can hear it showcased throughout the record, and perhaps most beautifully captured on her composition "Laurie."

What is the maximum number of instruments you would want to experiment with at the same time?

Andy Clausen: We love to experiment in the recording studio by stacking multiple layers of horns on top of each other to create new sonic effects and soundscapes not possible with just four horns. On one track we were working on recently, we ended up with 120 layers of horns at a point! That's all our computer could handle, otherwise, we would have kept stacking!

How do you strive to challenge the perception of music utilizing horns if at all?

Andy Clausen: Horns are often perceived to be loud, brash, and insensitive. However, our favorite sounds are created when we play as soft and breathy as possible, trying to create the warmest, most intimate sound we can, like a perfect down pillow.

What is your dream bank robbery scenario? (location, methods, is it a success/mess,)?

Willem de Koch: Mine would be a slow burn - I would infiltrate one of the biggest big banks/investment firms (i.e. Citi Group or Chase or Goldman Sachs) and over the course of a couple of decades work my way up to the position of CEO. Then I would pay reparations to the descendants of American enslaved people, pay off everyone’s student date, and pay off everyone’s medical bills. Essentially burn the whole thing down from the inside in order to create a more just and equitable society. It would be a huge success.

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

Willem de Koch: Support your local artists! Go out to live shows, buy music and merch directly from the artists. Listen to instrumental music!

The Westerlies