Issue One - The Weekend Riot

mj walker
14
Q and A : The Shift
When writing The Shift, were you writing for yourself or others?
When I write music, I just try to be true to the experience. When the magic really happens, it doesn’t feel like I
am writing the music at all, but the music is being written through me. So it’s hard to say that “I" am writing the
music for anyone, but it’s being written for everyone.
When it comes to the writing, were there any themes within the lyrics?
Lyrically, the songs were inspired by a spiritual shift that I’ve been stumbling through for the last 3 years. I've spent
a lot of time investigating my sense of self, and I saw that ultimately, our ’separate selves' are an illusion. Everything
takes place on one screen of life. Seeing that has been a bit disorientating though, and I’ve found myself zig
zagging between being a separate identity: Michael, and being at peace, one with everything. That transition of
identity is where all of these songs have come from and why I called it “The Shift.”
You've received a lot of great feedback on The Shift does it feel that the hard work is finally paying off?
It feels great! I was blown away by the support I received when I announced I was releasing a solo album... I was
afraid people might not understand, or they would think that Paradise Fears was breaking up. It definitely feels
like the hard work is paying off. The Shift EP is just the beginning though… I’ve already written a full album of new
songs, and before I release it, I’d also like to play a national tour as MJ Walker.
TWITTER: @MJWALKER0 (THAT'S A ZERO)