The Walters

The Walters are an American indie pop band formed in 2014, from Chicago, Illinois, composed of lead vocalist Luke Olson, lead guitarist Walter Kosner, bassist Danny Wells, and drummer Charlie Ekhaus.[4] They have released three EPs and had their first national tour in 2017.[5][6]

For the museum in Baltimore, see Walters Art Museum.
The Walters
OriginChicago, Illinois, United States
Genres
Years active2014–2017, 2021–present
LabelsWarner
Members
  • Luke Olson
  • Walter Kosner
  • Danny Wells
  • Charlie Ekhaus
Past members
  • MJ Tirabassi
Websiteyourwalters.com

History

The Walters formed in Chicago, Illinois in 2014 after the band's guitarist and namesake Walter Kosner moved from Connecticut to Chicago to attend DePaul University. After dropping out of the school, Kosner recruited the rest of the band members who eventually would form The Walters.[7][8] That same year, the band released their first recorded effort, Songs for Dads. The release saw the band charting on Spotify's United States Viral Top 50 which caught the attention of Canvasback Records. As part of the label's ongoing monthly singles series, Canvasclub, The Walters released two songs, entitled "Hunk Beach" and "I Want to Be Good".[9]

In 2015, the band also recorded and independently released their second EP, Young Men. This was followed in 2017 by the single "She's Gonna Leave You".[10] In 2017, the band began their first national tour and also performed at the Lollapalooza music festival. On September 23, the band announced via their Facebook page that they "currently had no future plans to release new music as The Walters".[11]

Following the band's breakup, lead vocalist Luke Olson started a solo career under the moniker "L. Martin",[12] while the remaining members formed a new band called Corduroy.[13] In an April 2021 interview, Olson stated that "the band broke up with [him]" and that it was "a pretty tough pill to swallow."[12] Olson later attributed the breakup to the band being burnt out and overwhelmed by their success at a young age,[13][14] while rhythm guitarist MJ Tirabassi attributed the breakup to being unrecognized by the music industry.[15]

In late 2021, their song "I Love You So" from the EP Songs for Dads went viral on TikTok, leading to the song earning nearly 4 million on-demand streams in the United States in the first week of November.[16] On November 3, 2021, the band announced their reunion alongside a three-show tour running through December and subsequently signed with Warner Records.[16] In an interview with Variety, Olson said that the band had been "flirting with the idea of reuniting" and that the success of "I Love You So" led to them officially reuniting.[13] The sleeper hit went on to chart throughout 2021 and 2022 in 4 countries and other global charts, with the band also performing the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on January 28, 2022.[17][18]

On April 14, 2022, the band released a new single, "Million Little Problems", their first original output since 2017. The single was accompanied by the announcement of their upcoming EP, Try Again, which was released May 6.[19][20][21] On June 2, 2023, the band announced a new single titled "Stuck In My Ways", with promotion featuring the band without rhythm guitarist MJ Tirabassi, signaling his departure.[22]

Members

Current members

  • Luke Olson – lead vocals, guitar (2014–2017, 2021–present)
  • Walter Kosner – lead guitar (2014–2017, 2021–present)
  • Danny Wells – bass (2014–2017, 2021–present)
  • Charlie Ekhaus – drums (2014–2017, 2021–present)

Former members

  • MJ Tirabassi – rhythm guitar, vocals (2014–2017, 2021–2023)

Touring members

  • Luke Otwell – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2021–present)
  • Kris Hansen – keyboards, trumpet, backing vocals (2021–present)
  • Liam Jones – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2023–present)

Discography

Extended plays
List of extended plays with title and details
Title EP details
Songs for Dads
Young Men
  • Released: December 23, 2015[24]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital download, streaming
Try Again
  • Released: May 6, 2022
  • Label: Warner
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[25]		 US
Rock
[26]		 AUS
[27]		 CAN
[28]		 MLY
[29]		 POR
[30]		 UK
[31]		 WW
[32]
"I Love You So"[33] 2014 718985813778755 Songs for Dads
"Hunk Beach" / "I Wanna Be Good"[38] 2015 ———————— Non-album single
"Goodbye Baby"[39] ———————— Young Men
"She's Gonna Leave You"[40] 2017 ———————— Non-album single
"Million Little Problems" 2022 ———————— Try Again
"Stuck In My Ways" 2023 ———————— Non-album single
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.

References
  1. "The Walters – About". yourwalters.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  2. Kozlowski, Anthony. "Feature: 2022 Belongs to the Walters". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  3. Ingegneri, Kate (November 16, 2017). "'Blue Skies' Premiere: The Walters' Former Frontman Luke Olson Returns as L. martin". Medium. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  4. "The Walters on growing popularity, finding success without a label". FOX 32. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  5. Parrella-Aureli, Ariel (March 17, 2017). "REVIEW: The Orwells, The Walters shake it down at home show on US tour kickoff (PHOTOS)". The Columbia Chronicle. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  6. "Live from Studio 435: The Walters". WGN Radio. March 14, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  7. "The Walters". Lollapalooza. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  8. The Walters『I Love You So』ヒット記念スペシャルインタビュー, retrieved October 6, 2022
  9. NIESPODZIANY, BEN (September 25, 2015). "Hunky Dads: An Introductory Interview with The Walters". These Days. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  10. Domanick, Andrea (January 12, 2017). "Sweat Out Your Heartbreak to The Walters's Video for "She's Gonna Leave You"". Noisey. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  11. The band's official statement: https://www.facebook.com/TheWaltersband/
  12. "The Olson Brothers 'Reunite' As an Unlikely Musical Duo". kenosha.com. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  13. "How TikTok Hit 'I Love You So' Gave Life to Defunct Band the Walters Seven Years After Its Release". Variety. December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  14. Kozlowski, Anthony (January 25, 2022). "Feature: 2022 Belongs to The Walters". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  15. "Q&A: 'Try Again' Marks The Walters' Long-Awaited Return". THE LUNA COLLECTIVE. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  16. "The Walters Sign With Warner Records Following Reunion: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  17. "The Walters perform the song I Love You So on Jimmy Kimmel Live". YouTube. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  18. Major, Michael. "VIDEO: Watch The Walters Perform 'I Love You So' on KIMMEL". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  19. The Walters on Facebook, retrieved April 14, 2022
  20. "Out Now: Million Little Problems!". The Walters. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  21. The Walters - Million Little Problems [Official Music Video], retrieved April 14, 2022
  22. "The Walters". www.facebook.com. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  23. "Songs for Dads - EP by The Walters". November 28, 2014 – via Apple Music.
  24. "Young Men by The Walters". December 23, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  25. "The Hot 100: Week of February 12, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  26. "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs". Billboard. February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  27. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 21 February 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1668. Australian Recording Industry Association. February 21, 2022. p. 4.
  28. "Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  29. Peak chart positions on RIM's Top 20 most streamed international & domestic songs in Malaysia:
    • "Dandelions". January 7–13, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022 – via Facebook.
  30. "Discografy The Walters". portuguesecharts.com. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  31. "Walters - Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  32. "Billboard Global 200". Billboard. February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  33. "I Love You So - Single by The Walters". November 28, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  34. "American certifications – The Walters". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  35. "Portuguese single certifications – The Walters – I Love You So" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  36. "British certifications – Walters – I Love You So". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  37. "Canadian certifications – The Walters". Music Canada. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  38. "Hunk Beach / I Wanna Be Good - Single by The Walters". June 29, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  39. "Goodbye Baby - Single by The Walters". October 20, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  40. "She's Gonna Leave You - Single by The Walters". January 12, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2021 – via Apple Music.
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