Q&A: Westerman on Genre-bending, Making “Your Hero Is Not Dead” & More

☆ By Astrid Ortega ☆

UPLIFTING HONESTY THROUGH SOUND — West London singer-songwriter Westerman creates comfort through his soft soundscapes and airy vocals. Initially, as Westerman spent his early twenties performing at open mic nights, Westerman’s sound had a more folk/country influence, leading him to win Best Country/Folk Act at London’s Unsigned Music Awards in 2016. His style shifted when he began working with music producer Bullion. As the two began working together, Westerman’s sound shifted into more artful soft rock and electronic indie. Westerman then released multiple small EPs and singles leading up to his first full album.

In 2020, Westerman released Your Hero Is Not Dead, a 12-track mesmerizing, yet delicate album. With songs like, “Blue Comanche” and “Think I’ll Stay,” there is polarity and similarity in both sound and feeling. Throughout this album, the vulnerability can often be noted through his voice that contrasts beautifully with sounds that vary between bittersweet and energetic. Your Hero Is Not Dead takes on many elements such as synths, powerful but sweet guitars, and little beats that tie his sound together seamlessly. Each individual song on this album is unique as it stands on its own, but listening to the album as a whole perfectly ties together Westerman’s goal of portraying empathy and compassion, as well as struggle and release, illustrating how they can easily contradict each other.

Read down below to get to know more about Westerman as he talks about Your Hero Is Not Dead, genre-bending, and more.

LUNA: Since it’s been a weird time for artists lately, how has quarantine influenced you? In either a personal way or in your music style.

WESTERMAN: It's been a difficult period creatively. Artists feed off the environment they are in and this anxiety, isolation, and claustrophobia that we have shared over the past year has meant it takes more effort to process things in the way of which I would like to. I think the inevitable result is that the music takes on some of those qualities.

I have used a lot of the time to work on less ephemeral things than the making of music. I've been teaching myself how to play the piano, which has been quietly revelatory and has influenced how I'm approaching the next body of work.

LUNA: You put out a new album, Your Hero Is Not Dead, last summer — how have you seen your sound evolve since that release?

WESTERMAN: I'm not really sure yet. I've never played that record to an audience, and I've found that the actualisation of music and observing how it affects people in a physical environment gives me pointers for what I'd like to add going forward and put onto [a] record. I am enjoying working with some more classical sounds at the moment, though.

LUNA: Before releasing Your Hero is Not Dead, you had only smaller EPs and singles/remixes. What do you like about smaller projects versus more full-length projects?

WESTERMAN: I prefer long records. It gives you more space to breathe and explore different forms of music with the aid of guiding parameters. That's from a purely selfish perspective, though. Eventually what you are trying to do is to communicate and hold. That is the same for any length release. I like singles — when they're proper, they are a great thing. They have to be so direct.

LUNA: Your music has so many elements to it like electronic and indie pop — how do you define genre-bending? Are there any other artists you support that incorporate multiple elements from different genres?

WESTERMAN: I think the idea of genre in relation to contemporary pop music is largely a marketing tool. It's a way of grouping people together for the purpose of reaching a prospective audience.

As much as this is important — every artist wants an audience of some sort or another — I think the bending of genre in popular music is probably a reaction to this phenomenon and how it dumbs down both the audience and the artist to an extent. It's important to remember that people were making music long before anyone had worked out how to sell it, and it's good that musicians continue to communicate without regard for the categorization of others.

It has been helped by the Internet allowing people to find any music they like outside of the traditional channels of media. People are combinations of juxtaposing tastes and interests and musical tribalism doesn't cater for that — it's freedom. There are loads of artists I admire who incorporate multiple elements from different genres, and loads who don't. Particularly older artists who do one thing very well. I think that's another part of it. A lot of the craftsmanship has moved away from the traditional instrument and onto the computer. That's a big change.

LUNA: Sonically, are there any elements from other genres you hope to implement into your music soon?

WESTERMAN: I'm interested in pentatonicism at the moment, I think because of how basic my piano playing is :)

LUNA: What has been inspiring you lately?

WESTERMAN: I've been listening to William Onyeabor a lot, and Can. My favourite record at the moment is The Sacrificial Code by an artist called Kali Malone. It's an organ album which she made very methodically and formally but it manages to sound very alive and expressive.

LUNA: Moving forward, do you find yourself drawn to any common themes/narratives?

WESTERMAN: A friend of mine was telling me about a theory that all anyone is ever doing as a storyteller is telling one story in different ways. Questions are a recurring theme.

LUNA: Do you have any advice for anyone that wants to make music?

WESTERMAN: I think I'd say to not be afraid of the music which comes naturally. And to keep making it. There is no downside to continuing to make more music.

LUNA: What should we expect from Westerman this year?

WESTERMAN: There's a couple of things which are finished which might come out. It's hard to know anything at the moment — I really hope there can be some real live music before the end of the year. I think we'd all like to be able to share in that again. We need it. Let's see.

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“I want to set the mood for younger emerging artists in Toronto, to be like, ‘Hey, you could, like, fucking work with literally anyone who has a kind soul.’ I do want to uplift the artist community. I do think collaboration is important, because if you wanna be in the community, you're gonna have to collaborate one way or another." - Cruz ⭐️ 🎞Allowing themself to take a more vulnerable & meaningful approach with their work, photographer Cruz is combining her creative talent with her passion for mental health advocacy. Read more about this incredible artist & how quarantine shifted her work + about the work they are doing for the community in our feature on the site now 💞