The Wayo
The
‘smooth-ass R’n’B’ of local vibesters The Wayo gets its groove-on at the
Marquee Ballroom tonight as part of the Halifax Jazz Festival. Recently we caught up
with the quartet’s Charlotte Day Wilson.
What inspired you to take up
music?
Based on
the conversations we’ve had about this, I think I can confidently say that
we’ve all been obsessed with music for as long as we can remember. So pursuing
it as a profession has kind of been a natural progression. As we started
forming The WAYO, though, I think we were all kind of struck by the happiness
that it brought us. We could be going through a rough relationship, failing
school or whatever other hardships life brings but we could get together and
create something that was untouchable.
Are they the same reasons you do it today?
Definitely.
One of my favourite parts about being in a band is actually going on the road
and listening to music in the car together. I mean the performance aspect is
incredible as well but there is something special about sharing music with each
other for 13 hours in a car. We show up in Montreal or Toronto or wherever
we’re going with this communal understanding of where we’re at musically. And
what ends up coming out on stage or in writing/ recording sessions has a context
that we, and only we, share as a group. And again, it is an untouchable and
somewhat unspeakable experience.
What are the challenges of the vocation?
It is
admittedly hard making a band schedule work around four individuals with day
jobs, school, relationships, families and different hometowns. But we make it
work. Personally, one of my biggest challenges is being a woman in a
male-dominated field. It’s easy to feel alienated when you’re the only woman at
a sound check with three other bands and not one of them has a girl in the
group. There are certain stereotypes and expectations that some people
associate with women in the music industry and I feel personally responsible to
put an end to that kind of an environment. Sometimes the weight of that responsibility
can be tiring.
What are the rewards?
Making
people dance, making people slow dance. Making people feel something they
weren’t expecting to feel at a live concert.
What have been some career highlights?
Opening
for BADBADNOTGOOD at Halifax Pop Explosion was awesome. Opening for Robert
Glasper at the TD Halifax Jazz Festival is going to be awesome. Also one time,
Gray (bassist), said that there was someone standing at the front of the stage that
would move their hips in perfect timing with his bass lines. That’s got to be a
highlight.
Why are festivals like this one so important for artists?
It’s an
incredible opportunity to play in front of a whole new audience who might not
have found your music otherwise. It’s also really important as an artist to see
as many shows as possible and the festival this year has an insane lineup. We
just can’t wait to get out and see all the great music.
What can audiences expect at your show?
Audiences
can expect to feel an unshakable need to groove, sway, move and feel. We call
it Smooth Ass R&B for a reason.
What are your thoughts on the state of music in Canada today?
The
Canadian music scene is huge. There are tons of great groups across this
massive country and we’ve been lucky enough to see a handful of them so we know
they’re out there.
What's next on your musical agenda?
We are in
the recording process. We are also releasing a live session video of a cover of
Spooky Black’s “Without U” in the next couple of weeks. After Halifax Jazz
Festival and Evolve we’ll be reconvening in Toronto to spend a good chunk of
time writing, recording and gigging.
The Wayo
(w/
The Robert Glasper Experiment and JR Smith)
Friday,
July 4, 10pm
Marquee
Ballroom, Halifax
