Fans of the band River Whyless may be surprised to learn the group’s drummer, Alex McWalters, met fellow bandmate, Ryan O’Keefe, on the cross-country team at Appalachian State University.
“We started playing music together as a duo,” says McWalters. “Later we started a band. Fast-forward 20 years, long beyond our competitive running days, and we’re still in a band together.”
And McWalters continues to run. “It remains an integral part of my life and especially my creative practice,” he says. “Running is especially helpful on days when the creative work isn’t going well. On those days, running is a way of compensating for an otherwise utterly unproductive day. Or seemingly unproductive, because of course sitting there accomplishing nothing is sometimes part of the process.”
In addition to his music, McWalters is a fiction writer and the outreach director for Punch Bucket Lit, a local literary nonprofit. And more recently, he agreed to be Xpress‘ guinea pig for our new monthly feature — “The Playlist” — in which we ask a local musician to select and share a set of songs based on a specific theme.
For our debut, which coincides with our annual Wellness Issues, we asked McWalters to share an ideal playlist for running in Western North Carolina. The selection, and a brief conversation with McWalters, is included below.
Be on the lookout for next month’s playlist in our Feb. 26 edition.
Xpress: Ironically, you noted in your submission that you do not listen to music when you run. Is there a reason you choose not to?
McWalters: Running is a space I sort of enter into. Anybody who runs regularly knows what I mean. You get into a rhythm and your mind and your body become attuned to each other in ways that are pretty meditative. Sometimes this is enjoyable, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s painful. Truthfully, running is always at minimum a little uncomfortable. It’s work. Listening to music while you run is a way to take the edge off the discomfort. To make the process more enjoyable, to distract your mind from the body’s discomfort.
In the past I’ve been able to connect deeply with music while running. …. But these days I’m a purist because I value the ability to enter into that singular rhythm wherein there is no other noise but the noise in my head. I consume so much media elsewhere in my life — podcasts, music, news, etc. — that running has become a somewhat sacred space in which I’m alone with myself and with the pain and the pleasure of doing this particular sort of work. I don’t want to be distracted from the discomfort, I want to face it. I said I’m a purist, but maybe what I mean is I’m a masochist, I don’t know. I think maybe all runners (and artists) have a touch of that in them.
Do you have a go-to trail in WNC that you run?
I live in Swannanoa. Until Helene, my go-to trail was the River Trail at Warren Wilson. While I don’t run with music, I do love running with my dog, Ringo. He’s a good running buddy and he loves the River Trail as much as I do. Finding places to run safely after the storm has been challenging. The River Trail is, shall we say, under reconstruction. There is, however, another section of trails connected to the River Trail called Dam Pasture that is now, thanks to the work of the community, accessible. Ringo and I are both deeply grateful to the folks who did the work to clear the debris and repair the trails out there. Thank you.
Lastly, how would you describe your overall track selection and which of the 13 songs is the standout in your opinion?
This playlist is a sampling of some of the up-tempo stuff I’m listening to currently and/or keep coming back to. Vampire Weekend and Dr. Dog — these are bands that are just very important to me. I’m a fan for life. And both bands’ latest records are killer. Scott McMicken, who is part of Dr. Dog, lives here in Asheville and recorded his most recent record, When It’s Happening, with musicians in this community — musicians who I know for a fact are very talented and hard-working and humble sweet generous saints. The record is really good, a slow burner that gets better with every listen. Listen to it as you run in or around Asheville for a truly immersive experience of place.
And as you may have noticed, Naked Gods is the only band privileged with two slots on my playlist. Naked Gods was a band from Boone, a band that was active back when River Whyless was just cutting its teeth in the scene. Naked Gods was a force, an inspiration. Two of the members of Naked Gods have since started a new project. They’re called Real Companion. Check it out.
Songs for Running in WNC
Below are the tracks for Xpress’ inaugural “The Playlist,” courtesy of Alex McWalters.
“These Ghosts,” by Tyler Ramsey
“Classical” by Vampire Weekend
“This Is a Photograph,” by Kevin Morby
“A Little Honey,” by Nathaniel Ratecliff & The Night Sweats
“Let Me Roll It,” by Paul McCartney, Wings
“Wide Eyes,” by Local Natives
“Lost in the Light,” by Bahamas
“Pain,” by The War on Drugs
“Elephant,” by Tame Impala
“My Creation,” by Scott McMicken and The Ever-Expanding
“Talk Is Cheap,” by Dr. Dog
“Soft Drugs,” by Naked Gods
“Slow Dogs,” by Naked Gods
You can find the playlist on Spotify at avl.mx/eg5.
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