It has been a year and a half since we previously interviewed Alan Walker. A whopping 1.1 billion plays later on hit track “Faded” and the rising Englishman has grown an unimaginable international fan base. I had the opportunity to catch up with the DJ this past weekend at Spring Awakening Music Festival in downtown Chicago before Walker’s set.
Growing up in Norway, Walker always loved music and checking out various producers on YouTube. He began messaging some of them to learn more about how to produce and create his own music. He decided to pursue and went by the artist name “DJ Walkzz” early on. “Right before I decided to release ‘Fade’, the single before ‘Faded’, I decided to change my name from DJ Walkzz. I read blogs and forums online and realized DJ Walkzz was really childish. I changed it to Alan Walker as it’s just a lot more professional,” Alan laughed.
Walker worked hard at perfecting a unique EDM sound, which can be seen in his transition as an amateur artist to releasing “Fade” and “Faded”. After “Faded” had reached new levels, Walker determined it was best to quit high school and focus on music. The decision seemed easy. Today, the track has over 1.1 billion YouTube plays and has gone platinum in over 10 different countries. “2016 was a big year with a lot of traveling and touring,” Walker said. “It’s crazy to look back at it and have been on tour with Rihanna for three shows in addition to doing a Europe, Asia and U.S. tour.” Walker has had the opportunity to perform all over the world, an opportunity that every DJ dreams about. “Each country and continent is just so different. In Asia people are really really supportive and each region varies based on what genre is big.”
It was Walker’s first time in Chicago, though he has done tours in the U.S. prior to his current stint in America. “It’s awesome to be in Chicago with a lot of cool artists here this weekend. It’s fun to see my fans and perform in front of the American audience,” Walker said. Alan had an early evening set on Saturday in the blistering Chicago heat and fans couldn’t wait for his first appearance in the windy city. While Walker typically is seen on stage with his black hoodie, the heat forced the Norwegian DJ to perform in a black t-shirt instead. The set was amazing featuring his hit tracks “Faded”, “Sing Me To Sleep” and “Alone”, with plenty of drops, confetti and fire throughout the performance.
2017 has been a busy one for Alan after releasing a couple of new tracks and joining Justin Bieber on his Purpose World Tour in India. The 19 year old is already thinking about what is next. “It’s possible I may release an EP next with a couple of songs, but it isn’t 100% decided yet. I am considering it and think it could be really cool to release more for my fans and followers,” Walker said. When asked about potential future collaborations, a couple of names immediately came to Alan’s mind. “If I wanted to collaborate on a track I would like to make it with Kygo. With a female vocalist it would be Ellie Goulding and with a male vocalist it would be Bruno Mars.” Walker loved Kygo and Ellie Goulding’s recent collaboration and just the thought of Walker joining either in a song had us excited.
Alan’s YouTube Channel became the most subscribed channel registered in Norway after passing 7.5 million subscribers and currently has the most views among Norwegian YouTubers at around 1.4 billion views. We already can’t wait to see what Walker releases next. Whether it’s a fresh EP or creative collaboration, the young DJ is making the most of his opportunity and the EDM industry is in for a treat.
Growing up in Norway, Walker always loved music and checking out various producers on YouTube. He began messaging some of them to learn more about how to produce and create his own music. He decided to pursue and went by the artist name “DJ Walkzz” early on. “Right before I decided to release ‘Fade’, the single before ‘Faded’, I decided to change my name from DJ Walkzz. I read blogs and forums online and realized DJ Walkzz was really childish. I changed it to Alan Walker as it’s just a lot more professional,” Alan laughed.
Walker worked hard at perfecting a unique EDM sound, which can be seen in his transition as an amateur artist to releasing “Fade” and “Faded”. After “Faded” had reached new levels, Walker determined it was best to quit high school and focus on music. The decision seemed easy. Today, the track has over 1.1 billion YouTube plays and has gone platinum in over 10 different countries. “2016 was a big year with a lot of traveling and touring,” Walker said. “It’s crazy to look back at it and have been on tour with Rihanna for three shows in addition to doing a Europe, Asia and U.S. tour.” Walker has had the opportunity to perform all over the world, an opportunity that every DJ dreams about. “Each country and continent is just so different. In Asia people are really really supportive and each region varies based on what genre is big.”
It was Walker’s first time in Chicago, though he has done tours in the U.S. prior to his current stint in America. “It’s awesome to be in Chicago with a lot of cool artists here this weekend. It’s fun to see my fans and perform in front of the American audience,” Walker said. Alan had an early evening set on Saturday in the blistering Chicago heat and fans couldn’t wait for his first appearance in the windy city. While Walker typically is seen on stage with his black hoodie, the heat forced the Norwegian DJ to perform in a black t-shirt instead. The set was amazing featuring his hit tracks “Faded”, “Sing Me To Sleep” and “Alone”, with plenty of drops, confetti and fire throughout the performance.
2017 has been a busy one for Alan after releasing a couple of new tracks and joining Justin Bieber on his Purpose World Tour in India. The 19 year old is already thinking about what is next. “It’s possible I may release an EP next with a couple of songs, but it isn’t 100% decided yet. I am considering it and think it could be really cool to release more for my fans and followers,” Walker said. When asked about potential future collaborations, a couple of names immediately came to Alan’s mind. “If I wanted to collaborate on a track I would like to make it with Kygo. With a female vocalist it would be Ellie Goulding and with a male vocalist it would be Bruno Mars.” Walker loved Kygo and Ellie Goulding’s recent collaboration and just the thought of Walker joining either in a song had us excited.
Alan’s YouTube Channel became the most subscribed channel registered in Norway after passing 7.5 million subscribers and currently has the most views among Norwegian YouTubers at around 1.4 billion views. We already can’t wait to see what Walker releases next. Whether it’s a fresh EP or creative collaboration, the young DJ is making the most of his opportunity and the EDM industry is in for a treat.
