Interview with THE WATERDSTRIDERS

Jarod Smith

Dec 9, 2022

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Hello! Well, it depends on who you are asking. If you are asking me, Manos (Immanic) I would say that if I had not gotten into music I would be a professor of Literature. Wait! I AM a professor of English Literature.. If I must speak on behalf of the rest of the band, I think they would have been surfers, or something.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

We like to read, we like to take long strolls, watch movies and stuff. All that influences our creativity, I guess

How long has your band been around?

In its latest form, it has been around for a couple of years.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We are based in Athens, Greece, we sing in English, so I think that that has insulated us from the society around us, giving us the strength to focus on our music

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

We have a thing for insects, so a water strider is a unique organism, alternatively called “Jesus Bug”. I guess it symbolizes the surreal, the impossible that we want to accomplish.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Our most memorable shows are still ahead of us!

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

We like to play small venues. Yet, on 22 December we will play Temple which is quite big, so it will be challenging. Temple is a great place for doing a gig.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

We would put on the bill acts such as System of a Down, Fontaines D.C., the Cure, Nirvana, perhaps.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Our advice would be play as frequently as you can! Rehearse like hell! We would say to our younger selves that patience is seminal for accomplishing something in music.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

We answered that, didn’t we?

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

I think “Can I Settle for a night?” and “My name is expectation” are the songs we can definitely relate to mostly, because they talk explicitly about love, deception, power and expectation.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Our favourite songs are “Punisher”, “Love is a Friend”, “Turning in your Grave” and “House of God”. And, of course, “I never die, my name is expectation.”

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

We try to not put any explicit messages across, we do not want to moralize or patronize. We talk a lot about different approaches to love, hatred, affection, hypocrisy and moralism.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Of course we do! We are four personalities that are different from each other. Well, we try to talk a lot, to communicate!

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We just released our record, we are playing Temple, Athens, on 22 December 2022, and we will make a presentation of the album on 5 February 2023 at sixdogs, Athens, Greece.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9hWOLjEpmG-q7Bh3wPlzbA

https://www.instagram.com/the.water.striders_2020

https://www.facebook.com/thewaterstriders

https://www.tiktok.com/@thewaterstriders

https://soundcloud.com/the-water-striders

https://thewaterstriders.bandcamp.com

The WaterStriders – I never die, my name is EXPECTATION - (OFFICIAL VIDEO)