INTRO BY MADDEN LEVIN
INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY
PHOTO COURTESY OF SETH WALKER
With his ninth record, Gotta Get Back, Seth Walker knows a thing or two about what he is doing, and it definitely shows in his music and personality. We got to speak with him about the process of making Gotta Get Back and more! Read along to find out what he said and make sure to catch him LIVE in a city near you!
How would you describe your music in your own words?
SETH: "Americana, blues and southern roots music. It's definitely a culmination of many musical styles, cities and experiences."
Can you tell us the process on creating your most recent album Gotta Get Back?
SETH: "It started on a longgg drive through Florida with my producer Jano Rix. We brainstormed, collaborated and inspired each other to join forces for this album. It was a great balance of styles and ideas that seemed effortless, in sync and sympatico. Thematically it is an ode to getting back to why I started playing music in the first place. Sometimes when you do something long enough, that can get murky. I had to literally get back to the source, which included collaborating with my family on this album. My father is a cellist and composer along with my mom and sister who are violinists. My father arranged all of the strings for this album and my mom and sister performed the music along with him for these sessions- a first for us! I wrote many of the songs while living in New Orleans, so it has much of that spirit and push-pull feel. It also has a gospel soul thread that ended up weaving throughout."
PHOTO COURTESY OF SETH WALKER
What song are you most proud of off the album?
SETH: "That's a tough one. I would say "Blow Wind Blow" because it is just myself and my family, stripped to the bone. It's also the first time we had performed together in over 20 years. Pretty special for me."
How did it feel for the album to debut at number six on Billboard’s Blues Album Chart?
SETH: "A very humbling and flattering feeling. We put all of ourselves into this, and it's always nice when people resonate with what you are putting down."
What would you say has been your biggest milestone so far in your career?
SETH: "Putting out Gotta Get Back, my 9th album and continuing to find a way (knock on wood) to keep reinventing myself and dancing with all of this."
What do you love most about performing?
PHOTO COURTESY OF SETH WALKER
SETH: "Connecting with people, myself and the mysterious muse. Plain and simple."
Is there anything we can expect from you in the future?
SETH: "A live record (my first), and I am also planning on trying some new things musically. Can't make the same record over and over again!"