EMQ’s With THE WRING
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs with Canadian Progressive band, The Wring. Huge thanks to their Guitarist and songwriter, Dan Dewulf, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Hello! My name is Don Dewulf, I play guitar in a band called The Wring! I also write all the music and lyrics. The Wring was formed around 2015 in Northern Ontario, Canada. We released a self-titled album in 2017 and performed some shows to support it. In late 2018, the other members decided to move on, but I carried on and released 3 more albums using studio musicians. I hope to play live again someday!
How did you come up with your band name?
Trying to choose a band name that hasn’t been taken is a lofty endeavour. We had list after list of cool names that had already been used. I wrote a song called The Wring for the first album and my drummer suggested that would make a good band name. It hadn’t (really) been taken so it made perfect sense!
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
I live in a small city in Northern Ontario, Canada. Most of the live music here is either country, covers or tribute bands. There are a few purveyors of metal but no proper venue or support. This is mostly why I have had to carry on as a studio band.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
The Wring releases a 4th studio album ‘Nemesis’ on September 27, 2024. The first single ‘The Sword’ was released on August 13, along with a video. There will be additional singles and videos to follow. I am very excited about this record!
Who have been your greatest influences?
There are many, but Rush was my first love. They still are but they kind of lost me around 1983 or so. Early Megadeth was very inspiring; Dave knew no limitations in those days and created some incredible things. My world changed again when I discovered Opeth. They combine so many styles and have done so many amazing albums; truly inspiring. Another significant influence was Tool. They really impacted my sense of time and mood. Honourable mentions to Porcupine Tree and King Crimson…
What first got you into music?
At a very young age I wanted to play guitar. I don’t remember why but it was certainly a fascination. I took lessons and learned facility and how to read music but had not yet discovered my true calling. As a teenager, I opened Pandora’s Box of rock and metal and it set me on a path for life. I already knew how to play, but now had a vehicle of passion. I’ve never lost that passion.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I don’t think I’m a very good collaborator. I tend to hear things a certain way and want things a very definite way. I present new songs to players in full demo form, so the vision is very clear from the outset. I have always let the players interpret their parts but typically none strayed too far from the script. I did encourage Reggie Hache (singer & bass player on Nemesis) to come up with his own vocal melodies and push his limits which worked very well. So, I suppose the person I would most want to try a full collaboration with would-be Reggie!
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Probably Bloodstock or Wacken. They both seem to have very eclectic line-ups and some very heavy stuff, which I love. Metal fans are passionate and more inclusive than any other fan group. They love it all! It would be very cool to be a part of the tidal wave that these shows produce! Also, I would hopefully get to meet some of my heroes!
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
After a show once, a guy came up to me. He shook my hand and reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. He opened it right in front of me; it was filled with hundred-dollar bills! He took one out and handed it to me, saying how much he enjoyed the show. I tried to refuse or just get him to buy a T-Shirt, but he insisted so I took the money and bought a couple of T-shirts, which I then gave away. Too funny.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thank you! I am very grateful to everyone who takes an interest in what I do, even those who don’t care for my music. At least they took the time to form an opinion. There are so many choices these days and all are at your immediate disposal. If I made it onto someone’s playlist, I have nothing but thanks.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Randy Rhoads. It was also very terrible to lose Neil Peart, but his career was fulfilled. Randy’s was just getting started. I wish I could slip into some alternate universe in which he survived, just to know what he accomplished. We lost a lot the day he died.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I love everything about being a musician. It has provided me with a lifetime of joy and fulfillment. I can’t even really single out one thing that I like better than the others, it’s all great! I try not to hate anything, especially these days when hate is boiling everywhere. I know that’s not what the question meant but I am somewhat sensitive to these things. I will say the thing that disappoints me most, as a Canadian prog rock guitar player, is that there are just so few outlets and like-minded persons available to me in my city and, really, my country. You could name a hundred metal bands from Sweden. Hard to name more than a few from Canada. We have a similar climate and demographic structure and 4 times the population! WTF??!!
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I kind of wish we could go back to the 70’s. Even pop acts wrote good songs. Rock music was prominent on the charts. The image mattered but I think the music mattered more. People bought records and played them in a room, not just in their ears. Music was monetized, giving value to artists for their efforts. Music was recorded in carefully crafted studios, not bedrooms. There was mystery and intrigue surrounding your favourite artist – Led Zeppelin! Kiss! There are certainly good things about today’s technology and social media is a double-edged sword but overall, I think the life of the artist has declined.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
I think Rush’s Moving Pictures is the best album of all time. It has every element of interest for a prog-minded listener, packaged into beautiful compositions of style and brevity (except maybe Camera Eye). I have listened to it 1,000 times and never get tired of it. Honourable mentions: Opeth – Blackwater Park; Tool – Lateralus; Ozzy – Diary of a Madman. There are so many more, but these come immediately to mind.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Well, I am an avid fan and purchaser of hard copies of music. Cassettes are long gone for me, and I never download anything I actually want to own, out of principle. So, I buy CDs and Vinyl and have facilities for playing both effectively. Truthfully, my preference is CD. I prefer how it sounds. What some call ‘warmth’ in vinyl, I call ‘muddiness’. I do love the large format for artwork and liner notes, so for albums where I am emotionally invested, I buy both!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
The Wring opened for Diamond Head once. Their early albums were a big influence on me and on the scene, even though they never really got the recognition they deserved. Metallica obviously helped with that, but not enough, in my opinion. We played a great set, and I got to meet Brian and the other guys, and I gave one of our CDs to Brian’s wife. I’ll never forget that, even though I’m pretty certain that she did!
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I don’t/can’t make a living from music. It’s all a labour of love! So, I do what every person with a family and bills to pay does… I work!! I also play hockey and golf and read a lot, so I fill all my time easily. The only way I wouldn’t be a musician is if a catastrophe occurred! The job feeds the family and music feeds the soul!
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
What a great question! Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, Mikael Akerfeldt, Maynard James Keenan, Robert Fripp. My wife and son would also necessarily attend though not as guests, per se. These are all very interesting cats and at least 4 have a terrific sense of humour (I’m not entirely sure about Maynard). It would be quite a study to see them all interacting in a single space! I think I would probably have either a heart attack or stroke once they all arrived. What a group!!
What’s next for the band?
Marketing a new record is more stressful and onerous than creating that record. Through the release cycle, I do interviews and various other fun things along with trying to figure out budgets, algorithms, and social media (yuck). I must continue to write new music and continue my search for proximate musicians who might make up a band that could play live again someday.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Instagram
https://www.facebook.com/thewringband
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-NvVWBllUThjq0shyOxJCQ?view_as=subscriber
https://www.instagram.com/wringband
https://linktr.ee/thewringband
Sales Links: Bandcamp | iTunes | Amazon | Spotify | Other sales links
https://apps.apple.com/ca/artist/the-wring/id1211696322
https://thewring2.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B06XH424W9/the-wring
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
I was going to Google the answer to this, but I’ll profess ignorance instead. My wife and I visited London for the first time last fall, and I fell in love with the city. We stuck with fish & chips and a few other UK staples (beer!) so never had to procure any sort of bread construction, hence my ignorance. We plan to go back soon, so I’ll dig into this then; no pun intended.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
I really enjoyed your questions, I am very grateful that I get to do these things. Thanks so much for your support of The Wring and every other musician you feature. Your website is incredible.
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