Seth Walker
Soulful, bluesy Americana
Among the most prolific artists on the
Americana scene today, Seth Walker is a multi-dimensional talent who combines a
gift for melody and lyric alongside a rich, Gospel-drenched, Southern-inflected
voice with a true blue knack for getting around on the guitar. With his 12th
studio album Why The Worry, Walker further builds upon this reputation.
Set straight by the title's mantra, Why
The Worry finds the veteran singer-songwriter letting go of the worry about
perception, the worry of over-preparation, and the worry that seeps in
constantly from the news and noise of everyday life. Taking a page from Willie
Nelson, Walker embraced the country music legend's sage wisdom, "I've never
seen worry accomplish anything, so I decided not to do it." Indeed, the album
was just about finished when Hurricane Helene hit Walker where he lives in the
mountains around Asheville, and as a result, the record almost didn't see
light. As catastrophe took shape, the
album's importance wavered in his mind until the central theme came back into
view. The worry wouldn't undo any damage, and there was still service in song.
Growing up on a commune in rural North
Carolina, the son of classically trained musicians, Walker played cello long
before discovering the guitar in his 20s. When his introduction to the blues
came via his Uncle Landon Walker, who was both a musician and disc jockey, his
fate was forever sealed. Instantaneously, Seth was looking to artists like
T-Bone Walker, Snooks Eaglin, and B.B. King as a wellspring of endless
inspiration. The rest is history. He's released twelve albums, broken into the
Top 20 of the Americana Radio Charts, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Blues
Album Chart and received praise from NPR, American Songwriter, No Depression
and Relix, among others.
Alongside his extensive songwriting
and recording pursuits, Walker is consistently touring and performing at venues
and festivals around the world. Along with headline shows, he's been invited to
open for The Mavericks, Marc Broussard, The Wood Brothers, Raul Malo, Paul
Thorn and Ruthie Foster, among others.
Prior to relocating to Asheville in
2020, Walker did stints residing in Austin, New Orleans and Nashville. He's
used those experiences wisely, soaking up the sounds and absorbing the musical
lineage of these varied places. With a bluesman's respect for roots and
tradition, coupled with an appreciation for-and successful melding of-contemporary
songwriting, Walker sublimely incorporates a range of styles with warmth and
grace. Perhaps Country Standard Time said it best: "If you subscribe to
the Big Tent theory of Americana, then Seth Walker-with his blend of blues,
gospel, pop, R&B, rock, and a dash country-just might be your poster boy."