Ohio-born singer, songwriter and producer Brad Walsh made a name for himself in the late 2000s and early 2010s remixing the songs of pop’s titans, namely, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and a Billboard Hot Dance number 1 remix for Adam Lambert. However, in 2017, he shared Antiglot, an experimental record made purely with vocal layers and body sounds, with no instruments featured or lyrics. Thankfully, on Antiglot II he continues his venture through such unfamiliar territories with the album’s follow-up.

Where the original Antiglot instalment ruminated and exploded at different corners in an effort of mirroring the volatile political landscape in the US at the time, Antiglot II offers personal snapshots of emotion driven by Walsh’s international travels. One track is inspired by a street in Marrakech, another by a city in Colombia, and another, by small-town Texas. The changing settings behind the inspirations are a unique inconsistency with the album’s predecessor, however, as musically, Antiglot II sees Walsh’s mere voice and body return to helm yet another utterly evocative listen.

Head below to read our chat with Walsh on everything from his hopes for Antiglot II, approaching the process of creation, and escaping New York for a life in the countryside…

Hey Brad! How are you? What does a typical day look like for you at the moment?
Well, at the end of 2020 I bought a big old house in the country, and I decorated it like a crazy person. There couldn’t be more colour or art in this house! I actually gained a big TikTok following [@bradwalshislate] purely from posting videos around my house! It stimulates me and inspires a lot of my music. I spend lots of time at home and in the garden and in my woods, and I record at home too. I have an art room, guest rooms, a music room, and a gym, and even built myself a club in my basement, so I really like having friends from all over fly in and stay with me for a couple of weeks and just have a fun time together. Living a slow life with people I love is what I needed after 16 years in New York. I also work with a few local charities and spend a lot of time helping to resettle refugees in my area from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Tanzania. My favourite one to plug is USCRI (the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants). They’re very much worth the donation!

Congratulations on your big release! We adored Antiglot II — so incredibly inventive. What can you tell us about the record and what does it mean to you?
Thank you! When I recorded Antiglot in 2017, it was after the first Women’s March and a lot of those energies on that album had political sources. Anxiety, anger, fear, hope, etc. Since that album was born out of societal turmoil, I wanted it to be meditative and intriguing, energetic at times, but something to help both myself and the listener get through some tough times. This time around, five years later, Antiglot II is a sequel in the sense that both albums are lyricless and without instruments – all comprised just of vocal layers and body sounds – but this album was more inspired by world travel, abstract art, and quiet moments in my garden and with friends.

Please take us through your songwriting/creative process for Antiglot II. What did you enjoy the most and what did you find the most challenging?
Well, I coined the term “antiglot” as an opposite to “polyglot,” which is a person who speaks multiple languages. Since there is no spoken language on this album, just tones and body sounds composed as you would do with more classical instruments, I felt that “antiglot” would be an appropriate title. No language involved, just emotions conveyed through composition and production of my body’s sounds.

How do you feel this record differs from your last?
My last release was a dance EP called “House Party,” straight-up club music for when we were all stuck at home trying to find fun wherever we could. That was typically-produced dance and pop. And before that was Artbreak, my pop album that came about after I split from an 11-year relationship. Those were standard pop, things you might hear on the radio. The Antiglot albums are far more experimental, and I really like having my own record label, OMGBTW Records, and being able to release whatever I’m feeling, rather than have my work direction dictated to me.

What do you hope fans/listeners take away from it?
What I get from listening to these songs is a range of emotions from calm to intrigue to trepidation to abstract wonder, and I hope that comes through to listeners as well. I sort of think of these as sonic paintings. Different people will react differently to them. But they are meant to bring you somewhere else, even if just for a few minutes.

Finally, what else is next for you? Any other projects/goals for the near future?
I am already working on my next pop album! Who knows when that will be ready, though. Sometimes I have a 5-year stint where I release one to two projects a year, and then sometimes it takes a full five years for an album to come to fruition. I started making music around 2005 and I’ve learned in that time that when it happens, it happens. I can’t force myself to produce art. Some people can, they train it like a muscle, and they work it out every day, on a schedule. Sia once told me she spends a few hours every afternoon sitting down and writing, but I just can’t. I make total garbage if I try and make it happen when it’s not ready. In the meantime, I’ll be sitting by the water with my dogs and some frogs.