The Walkabouts

The Walkabouts are an American folk rock band from Seattle. The band was founded in 1984. The name was borrowed from the film Walkabout.

The Group periodically publishes albums. Her most famous hit is The Light Will Stay On from the album Devil's Road ( 1996). The album Satisfied Mind (1993 ) with cover versions of songs mostly American songwriter is considered style icon for the genre Americana or alternative country. Since 1999, the plates of the band at the German Glitterhouse label appear. Since 2005, running in the television commercials from Jack Wolfskin, the song Devil in the details of the album acetylenes as background music.

  • 2.1 Chris & Carla
  • 2.2 Solo albums
  • 2.3 Side projects
  • 2.4 networking

Band History

The beginnings

Chris Eckman and Carla Torgerson met in 1983 when they both worked in a fish factory in Alaska. Both students were at Whitman College in Walla Walla in the U.S. state of Washington. Chris and his younger brothers Grant and Curt had already played in various punk and pop bands, Carla had occurred as a street musician with folk songs. 1984 both moved to Seattle, Washington and formed the band The Walkabouts.

The band's name refers to a film by Nicolas Roeg called Walkabout from the year 1971. Merely Carla had seen the film at all, but the title was reminiscent of the band The Go- Betweens, which was appreciated by all. While this name occasionally also brought minor difficulties, because one was, for example, announced as " band from Australia," he proved himself over the years, but as a very appropriate because " act so many of our songs from traveling distances and roads " ( Chris Eckman ). 1985 the first EP was released in Necessity Records, Disasters 22, 1987, the single Linda Evans also in Necessity. Both images are very hard to find, a fact that is more welcomed by the band members today. In 1988 at PopLlama the first LP, See Beautiful Rattlesnake Gardens, which received very good reviews.

SubPop Records

For a brief moment in music history Seattle was the center of the world: Grunge music was the new thing that shook the music industry, and Sub Pop Records with his acts Nirvana, Mudhoney and Soundgarden the epicenter of this earthquake.

The Walkabouts were taken at that time the only "non- grunge Act" of SubPop under contract and with flushed from the grunge hype up, although their music was rather received as a folk-rock. In SubPop published in 1989, the LP Cataract, 1990, the EP Rag & Bone and 1991, the LP scavenger.

Glitterhouse Records 1

1992, the Walkabouts parted by mutual consent of SubPop Records to immediately sign with SubPop Europe, which were virtually identical with Glitterhouse Records from Beverungen in Germany. There appeared 1993 New West Motel with rock songs, and in the same year Satisfied Mind, an album of mostly acoustic -rehearsed cover versions of songs Anglo-American songwriter, including Nick Cave, Robert Forster of the Go- Betweens or the Carter Family. The album is considered a milestone of the alternative country. In 1994 the rock again, but also dark Setting The Woods On Fire.

With these albums, the Walkabouts had established itself as one of the most important independent bands, even if the success was limited in radio and music television, to music festivals, in the years best lists of music magazines and in sales to Europe. Recordings of the 1994's successful tour was documented on the live album To Hell And Back, which was released in 1995. Death Valley Days, a compilation of rarities and B-sides, is considered as a farewell gift to Glitter House.

Virgin Records

The separation in Friendship Glitter House and the change to the major label Virgin Records in 1994 were consistent. There appeared in 1996 Devil 's Road that dropped a veritable radio hit with The Light Will Stay On. In 1997 Nighttown, which was recorded as its predecessor, among others, with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. With the tour of Nighttown, the Walkabouts were able to fulfill a long cherished dream. The budget of a major label made ​​it possible to go with an eleven-member "Orchestra " on tour. The appearance in Brussels in June 1997 has been published on an article published in 2000 Mailorder album ( Glitterhouse ).

For a former Independent -act these plates and tours were triumphant, for a new major act in an unsettled through mergers and plummeting sales figures music industry but probably not enough.

Glitterhouse Records 2

1999 returned the band to the old friends of Glitter House and published since their albums mostly here. Published in 1999 Trail Of Stars, 2000 Train Leaves At Eight, an album that one could legitimately be called " brother" Satisfied Mind. Now songs continental European songwriters have been covered, including Mikis Theodorakis, Françoiz Breut, Jacques Brel, Midnight Choir, Blum field and New!.

Drunken soundtracks released in 2001, again a compilation of rarities and B- sides. In the same year the album Ended Up A Stranger came out.

Published in 2002, Inner State Records Watermarks, a " best-of " compilation for the U.S. market. This label also sells the most albums in the United States. 2003 appears at Shingle Street Records Slow Days With Nina, an EP with five covers of Nina Simone songs. In the same year came at Glitterhouse Shimmers out, again a "best of " compilation, which overlaps only partially with water marks, this time for the European market.

In August 2005, a new album was released on Glitterhouse Records, acetylenes. In reviews of the sound and the lyrical content be described as " rock and angry ". The song " Devil In The Details" is the outdoor outfitter Jack Wolfskin as music to the commercials that are broadcast during prime time on German television since 2005 and also currently (2010). The album reached number 87 in the first week of the German album charts and rose to number 13 of the Greek charts.

The band released self-published regularly bootlegs. In addition, it also tolerates, snatching their concerts and the redistribution of the shot as long as these are combined with no commercial interests. Accordingly, many concert recordings circulating among fans of the Walkabouts.

For the 25th anniversary of the band in 2009 appeared on Glitterhouse Records under the title Got No Chains a tribute album with interpretations of 16 Walkabouts songs. It involved, among others, Chris Cacavas, Hugo Race, Willard Grant Conspiracy, The Bambi Molesters, Jon Langford, Chris Brokaw, The Minus 5, Steve Wynn & Linda Pitmon, Savoy Grand and Locas In Love. The second CD of the album contains the respective original song in a remastered version.

On 22 October 2011, the new album is titled Travels In The Dustland.

Collaborations and side projects

Chris & Carla

The singer and guitarist Chris Eckman and Carla Torgerson, which were also a couple earlier, also occur as a duo ( " Chris & Carla "). In 1993, the live recording Shelter For An Evening appeared, in 1995, the studio album Life Full Of Holes and the live album Nights Between Stations. In 1997 together with Pete Gerrald was recorded for the film Where The Air Is Cool And Dark soundtrack. Appeared in 1998, the studio album swinger 500

The latest album by Chris & Carla, Fly High Brave Dreamers, was released on 27 January 2007. A tour took the two in February and March 2007 to Europe, in Germany there were about ten concerts on the program.

Solo albums

Chris Eckman 2000 published the album A Janela, which was inspired by the Portuguese fado music. 2004 appeared The Black Field, 2005, the soundtrack Novi Svet for the Slovenian Television, 2008 The Last Side of the Mountain with poems set to music by the Slovenian poet Dane Zajc.

Carla Torgerson has also released a solo album, was released in 2004 Saint Stranger.

Side projects

Drummer Terri Moeller forms with her husband Paul Austin (formerly Willard Grant Conspiracy ) the core of The Six Transmissionary who publish albums since 2002. In 2009, the band broke up after a farewell concert in Seattle. Terri Moeller started in 2009 her solo project Terri Tarantula. 2012 was the band known as The Six Transmissionary take their work together again and announced concerts and other albums.

Glenn Slater also plays Well Water Conspiracy, Michael Wells at Pluto Dog.

Published in 2001, Chris Eckman, together with Al DeLoner of Midnight Choir under the project name " Höst " the electronica album " The Damage Suite". Under the name of "i" was released in 2002 an album in the Krautrock - style, played by Chris Eckman, Carla Torgerson and Glenn Slater, along with Chris' brothers Curt and Grant, both founding members of the Walkabouts.

Along with Hugo Race and Chris Brokaw, Chris Eckman founded in 2007, the band Dirt Music. The debut album of the same name was released in late 2007 on Glitterhouse. The second album " BKO " was recorded in Mali with resident musicians and published in April 2010.

Networking

Many famous musicians contributed as guests to the recordings of the Walkabouts, such as Peter Buck of REM, Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs, Mark Lanegan or Brian Eno.

Chris Eckman successfully works as a producer for bands like Shilf, Midnight Choir, Willard Grant Conspiracy, or the Croatian surf band Bambi Molesters, but has also played himself, at least for the latter three bands. The Bambi Molesters Eckman forms the indie band The Strange, the album Nights of Forgotten Films released in 2004.

Carla Torgerson sang the female voice in the radio hit Travelling Light of Tindersticks.

Opening acts

The Walkabouts regularly go on tour, especially in Europe. Again and again they take bands as the opening act, which it thus possible to expand their fan base considerably. Mention may be made: Hip Young Things, Midnight Choir, Willard Grant Conspiracy, The Transmissionary Six.

Discography

The Walkabouts albums

The Walkabouts tribute album

  • 2009 Got No Chains

The Walkabouts Singles

Chris & Carla

Chris Eckman solo

  • 2000 A Janela ( Mailorder Album)
  • 2004 Blackfield (Album)
  • 2005 Novi Svet (Soundtrack for the Slovenian Television )
  • 2008 Last Side of the Mountain (release date November 2008)
  • 2013 Harney County ( December 2013 )

Carla Torgerson solo

  • 2004 Saint Stranger (Album)
Singing Bass guitar Electronic keyboard Mandolin Walkabout (Film) Washington (state) Punk subculture Folk music 1971 in film Extended Play Coverversion Independent music Virgin Group Blumfeld Greece Bootleg recording The Mekons Steve Wynn (songwriter) Collaborationism Portugal R.E.M.
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