After the release of their 2016 effort Going By, Felix Walworth took a hiatus from live performances under the name Told Slant. Instead, much of the last four years have been spent writing and refining Told Slant’s third album Point The Flashlight And Walk. Clocking in at exactly 40 minutes, the LP delicately balances influences of experimental folk and indie-pop, channeling the lo-fi aesthetic of earlier Told Slant releases while still pushing forward into new uncharted territory, sonically.
To celebrate the new album, Walworth sat down to talk about resisting change, Bitcoin, and Lord Of The Rings in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Sophisticated Genius Prophetic Invincible
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I would like my music to be unanimously loved by all people and used as a reference point in college level courses across many disciplines as an example of the best possible art.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
New York.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Joanna Newsom because she is very good at writing songs.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
Clif Bar outside a gas station somewhere near Laramie, Wyoming.
What album do you know every word to?
Boxer by The National.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
I played a show in a basement in Flagstaff, Arizona, once. This guy put a bunch of reverb on his voice and read the description off the side of the can of a Monster Energy, then poured it into a plastic red bucket. He did the same thing for 4 other flavors of Monster, and then drank the whole bucket. I thought it was cool.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
It is important to wear expensive clothes while performing because it makes people like you more.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
I don’t really enjoy following anybody on social media. I used to follow an account that tweeted a different closeup of a Hieronymus Bosch painting every hour, and I liked that one.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
No music allowed in the van.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
“Hieronymus Bosch spelling”
What album makes for the perfect gift?
I don’t know. One album? For anyone? Maybe some field recordings of birds or waves or something.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
We crashed on i90 outside of Philadelphia once but I guess that’s not super weird.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
My first tattoo was a pine tree and it was about resistance to change.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Typically whoever is in the car with me.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
This question is taking me too long and frankly it is making me upset.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Invest heavily in Bitcoin.
What’s the last show you went to?
No idea, I haven’t been to a show in 7 months at least.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
The Fellowship Of The Ring
What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?
Human flesh.
Point The Flashlight And Walk is out now on Double Double Whammy. Listen on Spotify here.
