Upcoming artist Boardwalk is making waves into the indie scene with his new EP

Solo artist Boardwalk is surfing into the indie scene with his debut EP 'Tsunami Orange,' which he wrote and produced himself just to bring much-needed positivity into our world. Diving into the six-track record, including his first two singles 'I Got Myself' and 'Is It Love?', listeners get to explore the singer's modern electro-psych indie sound that is perfect for the summer.

 Since we know you'll love 'Tsunami Orange,' it makes sense for you all to get to know the emerging star through our interview with him where he discussed his amazing story behind the making of the EP and his stage name. 

It was exciting to talk with Boardwalk and we encourage you all to follow him along his musical journey as he produces more music because he's one artist we all need to watch out for. 

You can find him on Instagram, Spotify, and YouTube.

Introduce yourself! Who is 'BOARDWALK'? 

BOARDWALK is sort of the front-facing name for my solo project. I couldn’t really call it a band, because it’s just me making the music, but I didn’t want to use my own name for the project. It’s not really about me - it’s music I want everyone to enjoy and relate to in their own way.

Where did the name come from?

My roommate actually tossed the idea out to me when I was spitballing names. As soon as he said it, I knew it was perfect. It’s simple and evokes this very specific and nostalgic feeling, which is the energy I wanted to capture with the project - carefree, cruising down the boardwalk, wind in your hair.

Talk to us about 'Tsunami Orange'.

‘Tsunami Orange’ is my interpretation of a lot of the different feelings and experiences people seem to move through in their twenties. I made the record at home, combining a slew of different instruments and sounds into one cohesive thing. It was a really cathartic experience for me.

What's the story behind the title?

To be honest, I always wanted ‘Tsunami Orange’ to be a band name or artist name of some sort - it just never happened. But I’m happy with it finding its home as the EP title. It means a lot of different things to me. I guess it’s one of the ways in which I conceptualize life: this massive wave coming at you, and whether you figure out a way to ride it and enjoy the colors, or let it swallow you up, is up to you. I also just like the image of a big orange tsunami - it makes me feel a certain way.

What inspired you to produce 'Tsunami Orange'? 

I genuinely have a lot of love for producing. It might be one of my favorite parts of music: having an idea for a song at its most infantile stage, and then making that idea come to life and take shape. I think of it like cooking - what does this need to give it extra spice or flavor? That’s producing for me. I wanted the space and time to really dive deep into the process and breathe life into these songs as best as I could. 

What are you hoping listeners will take from it? 

I hope this record encourages people to explore. That’s really what the whole record is about. Exploration of self, exploration of space, exploration of love. Exploring new ideas and new ways of thinking - exploring one’s own potential. At least, that’s what I feel the EP is for me. 

What was your favorite part about working on 'Tsunami Orange'? 

My favorite part of making the record, and of making music in general, is that early stage of writing a song. You’ll be strumming chords on a guitar or playing around with different synth sounds, humming nonsense, and then an idea hits you. Sometimes it’s a motif, sometimes it’s a thematic idea - but that sudden burst of inspiration and emotion is pure magic.

You have a music video coming out for your single, 'I Got Myself,' an impeccable song. Tell me about your experience with shooting your first music video. 

Oh man, that was so awesome. It was great to get an inside look into video production and all the behind-the-scenes action. I had a ton of friends show up as extras and actors, which is so cool because it’s pretty much a snapshot of what our lives were like during this time, preserved forever in video form.

What does the future hold for BOARDWALK? 

I started making this record during COVID, and haven’t had a chance to play any of these songs live yet. I can’t wait to translate all the sounds from the record to a live performance and rock out! Other than that, I just want to continue honing my sound and production skills, and keep writing new music to show the world! 

Taylor Berry

@_taylorberry20_

Image: Boardwalk's Tsunami Orange EP Cover (press)