Seth Walker (born 1972) is an American electric blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He has released 10 albums to date, the most recent entitled Are You Open? (2019). Walker's musical genres include Americana, blues and jazz.
Gotta Get Back was released on September 2, 2016, and debuted at number 6 in the US on the Billboard Top Blues Album. His 2009 album, Leap of Faith, also charted on the Billboard Top Blues Album chart, peaking at number 2.
Delbert McClinton remarked "the first time I heard Seth Walker at a small club in Nashville I was impressed like I haven't been impressed in 30 years, with performance, presence, and great songs."
Life and career Walker was born and grew up in Altamahaw Ossippee, North Carolina, United States, with classically trained musical parents. He learned to play the cello at the age of three, and gravitated towards the blues in his teenage years, finding inspiration in the work of B.B. King, Snooks Eaglin, Ray Charles and T-Bone Walker. Walker attended East Carolina University where he studied art. His first public performance occurred in Greenville, North Carolina.
In his early twenties Walker moved to Austin, Texas, and began to develop his skills as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. His first album, When It Pours It Rains was released in 1998. Meet Me in the Middle (2000) was similarly credited to the Seth Walker Band. His 2002 album release was entitled Restless. On the Outside (2005) followed with a credit to Seth Walker and the Differentials. Walker's self-titled release, Seth Walker, appeared in 2006 and received critical acclaim from periodicals including No Depression, Blues Revue and Maverick UK.
It was after that release that Walker met the Grammy Award-winning Gary Nicholson, with whom he developed a songwriting partnership. This alliance led to his most successful release to date, Leap of Faith (2009), which was produced by Nicholson. Walker stated "this album was made during a time in my life when I was caught up in some shadows. The idea of a leap of faith actually does reflect where I was at personally and making this record was the light for me." The album contained tracks written by Walker alone, Walker and Nicholson, plus work by other songwriters including Nick Lowe and Percy Mayfield.
Walker performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in September 2011, and has toured supporting both Raul Malo and The Wood Brothers. The song "Back in Your Arms Again", jointly penned by Malo, Nicholson, and Walker, was recorded for The Mavericks' 2013 album, In Time, and released by them as a single.
Walker lived for fifteen years in Austin, before he relocated again in 2009 to Nashville, Tennessee, where he recorded Time Can Change (2012). After touring, Walker moved to New Orleans to record his 2014 album Sky Still Blue which was produced by Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers. His album released September 2016 entitled Gotta Get Back was produced by Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers. Of Gotta Get Back AllMusic noted that "Walker explains in the liner notes that he looked back to his early childhood for what got him excited about music in the first place for the album, and that family played an important part".
His 2019 recording, Are You Open?, was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by AllMusic.
Discography Albums Year Album details Peak chart positions Credit(s) US Billboard 200 USBlues US Top Heatseekers US Top Independent Albums 1998 When It Rains It Pours Released: May 1, 1998 Label: N/K — — — — The Seth Walker Band 2000 Meet Me in the Middle Released: May 1, 2000 Label: N/K — — — — The Seth Walker Band 2002 Restless Released: June 26, 2002 Label: N/K — — — — Seth Walker 2005 On the Outside Released: January 11, 2005 Label: Seth — — — — Seth Walker and the Differentials 2006 Seth Walker Released: 2006 Label: Pacific Blues — — — — Seth Walker 2009 Leap of Faith Released: March 3, 2009 Label: Hyena Records 198 2 8 33 Seth Walker 2012 Time Can Change Released: June 19, 2012 Label: Roe Records / Royal Potato Family — — — — Seth Walker 2014 Sky Still Blue Released: June 10, 2014 Label: Royal Potato Family — — — — Seth Walker 2016 Gotta Get Back Released: September 2, 2016 Label: Royal Potato Family — 6 — — Seth Walker 2019 Are You Open? Released: February 15, 2019 Label: Royal Potato Family — — — — Seth Walker
References
External links Official website Seth Walker interview – April 2009