Rody Walker sits in the basement of Ritual Nightclub with his beard largely unkempt, and a smile from ear to ear. He has the look of a musician ready to hit the road.
Walker and his bandmates in Protest the Hero are kicking off their North American tour in Ottawa with a new record in tow. Their fourth studio album, Volition, was released Oct. 29. Having opted not to sign a label contract with Underground Operations, the record was entirely self-released.
The recording process was supported financially by fans of the band through the crowdfunding website IndieGoGo. Within 18 hours of the campaign launching, the band had met and exceeded their goal of US$125,000, eventually finishing with US$341,146.
Walker said the most rewarding aspect of the process was that people still cared about what the band had to offer musically.
“We were at a point in our career where we thought that people didn’t seem to like our last record as much as they liked the ones that came before it,” he explained. “We thought maybe our fan base was waning a little bit. But they came out of the woodwork and kicked us in the seat of the pants.”
Crowdfunding has also allowed the band to make more money from record sales than if they had worked alongside a record label.
“For the most part it’s gone into the production of the record and it creates content,” he said. “We released two lyric videos and we purchased a couple of different cameras so that we can continue making content. All of the money is being put back into creating things for the fans.”
Apart from the financial aspects, Volition marks a change in the band’s lineup as well.
Original drummer Moe Carlson left the band prior to recording to return to school, forcing the band to enlist Lamb of God’s Chris Adler to record and finish the record. The band has recently recruited Ottawa native Mike Ieradi of local metal act The Kindred to fill the position full-time.
Volition also marks the first time Walker has written the lyrics to every single track on the record. With lyrical duties usually being handled by bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi, the frontman has brought a powerful, conscious style of writing previously unseen in the band’s work. He credits his lyrical work from just having something to say.
“I’d like to feel something when I’m writing. I like to be passionate about what I’m singing about,” he said.
For instance, the track “A Life Embossed” deals with the issue of pit bulls and breed-specific legislation in the province of Ontario. “Underbite” provides a cynical look at the typical rockstar stage show.
The sold-out crowd loved the band’s set, in which they played songs from all across their catalogue.
“The show was awesome and every single band on the bill was great,” said Gavin Kaisaris, who saw Protest the Hero for the first time. “They exceeded my expectations. They sounded great despite having just gotten the two new members.”
Walker said he believes crowdfunding will begin to become a bigger trend within the music world with bands and artists of all sizes.
Though he predicts it may tail off because of that increased interest, he said the band would be willing to go through the process again for future projects.
“I would definitely do it again,” he said. “It would largely depend on the industry climate, like what’s happening within music and with record labels. I would love to do it again and try and iron out some of the wrinkles that we came across—just another opportunity to do it better.”
