Toronto-based, alt-indie trio The Man Who make their major label debut with the new single, “Natural Villain,” released today by Virgin Records. Bristling with a sense of foreboding, the track showcases the hypnotic contrast at the heart of their music – an infinite tension between bright and dark, raw vulnerability and quiet mystique. Listen to “Natural Villain” HERE.
The Man Who – comprising David Walsh (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chad Walsh (bass/electric guitar, keyboards, background vocals) and Frank Goerz (drums) recorded the original song with Juno-nominated producer Tawgs Salter (Trevor Guthrie, Lights) at Salter’s cabin studio near Niagara Falls. The track was mixed by Mark “Spike” Stent (Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Chvrches).
“The band have been hard at work creating new music and are so excited to share it with the world. ‘Natural Villain’ just felt like the perfect song to kick that off given its animated energy,” says David Walsh.
When a 2015 tour with a Toronto band took Chad Walsh to Newfoundland, he decided to look up his cousin, David Walsh, who was also a musician. Although they lived 2,000 miles apart, the two began collaborating – sending demos back and forth and sharing song ideas by phone. Their sound jelled when David came to Toronto for an extended writing session and the pair began experimenting with vintage synthesizers and throwback hip-hop drum loops. With drummer Frank Goerz – a Toronto native who had been working in Nashville studios – brought into the fold, the band soon made its breakthrough with “Bet On You.” Clash premiered the moody yet anthemic track, praising The Man Who’s “crisp songwriting with a blackened edge.”
The Man Who take their name from a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, “The world makes way for the man who knows where he’s going.” And, as Chad points out, the band’s thoughtful self-assurance has much to do with their unbreakable bond as co-creators. “Even though David and I are cousins, I feel like we’re meant to be brothers – and that connection is the same between us and Frank,” he says. “Our three personalities are so different but in the best way possible, and we all balance each other extremely well. We can spend countless hours in some tiny rehearsal space or bedroom, just running ideas and trying things out and seeing what’s possible with the music.”“Natural Villain” is a track from The Man Who’s forthcoming EP.