Damien Walec could be on his way to superstardom after all. The young acoustic singer has released a self titled album, which debuted at #36 on the UK charts. The result of such a strong showing from his album sadly means that he won't be participating in the Around the World tournament, but I'm sure he's just fine with taking a successful album over a spot in the competition. We were able to sit down with Walec and ask him some questions.
Q: So what is there to expect from your album?
A: Well, it's a lot of different shit. There are some songs that are more about the sound of the instruments, and others that are about the words, or the notes that I sing. I tried to make sure that I put a lot of variety onto the album. The strong points are the songs Resonate and Under My Skin. Resonate was more about the words, as it dealt with a true event in my life. It was about how one's words and actions can resonate and affect many other people, to be broad about it. As far as Under My Skin, that one was my favorite on the album. I'm able to play both piano and guitar, and I was able to play both in this one. Obviously there aren't any parts where both instruments are playing simultaneously, but both instruments get a nice little solo. It was just a lot of fun and it's great to sit at a piano which having a guitar strapped to me, as the peoples' reactions were hilarious.
Q: What's your status as far as your record label is concerned?
A: I started out under a small, independent label, and signed a deal for three records. But, there was a clause that I could opt out if any of my records debuted in the top 40 on the charts and, well, this one obviously did. It's apparent that I have a great chance at being famous, so I'm likely going to terminate my contract with them and join a bigger label. You hear that, big labels? You've got your next superstar right here!
Q: How does it feel to go from playing in coffee shops to being a top 40 artist in the UK?
A: Oh man, it's terrific. I remember six years ago, I was too afraid to even sing in front of people. I put on a couple of shows in local shops and bars and, well, the scale started getting bigger. I kept getting better at writing songs, and people wanted to hear me. My confidence grew, so I performed better, and soon enough, I was filling out stadiums of people wanting to hear my music. It's really crazy to think about how I went from such humble beginnings to being so popular so fast.
Q: Now that the album has debuted and has done well, what are your plans?
A: I'm going to take it easy for a while, and turn most of my attention to finding a label. I'm still writing songs, though, I always am. If I ever write songs that I really love, I will make sure that they get put into a single or even the next album. But as of right now, I'm in no rush whatsoever to move forward and release more music. I'll probably take a nice little vacation, too, and go back to my hometown for a little bit.
You heard it here folks, Damien Walec is confident that he can wind up being the next big star. Only time will tell if he is correct or not.
