Tougher Than A Soldier's Boots

New single released 22/01/2016

Pre-order debut album on vinyl, CD and DL here:

https://songsforwalter.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-walter


Useless

Songs For Walter
Earwigging

Big Brother is watching, but he’s also listening. Turning Orwellian concepts of observation on their head with blissful folk-pop abandon, get ready for a generous helping of Earwigging – Songs For Walter’s sixth free download and a teaser of the forthcoming new album, reminding us all that no matter who or where we are, we’re not alone.

Inspired by Edward Snowden’s revelations of the global surveillance programs being carried out by the National Security Agency (NSA), a haunting reality lies beneath the track’s meandering melody as Laurie, Songs For Walter’s significant self, explains; “I was juxtaposing this idea of surveillance with that of people feeling isolated or lonely. It’s ironic - we’re often told a lot of people in Western societies are lonely but they’re actually being watched and listened to all the time. I find these revelations very troubling, the idea of being monitored all the time is the stuff of nightmares.”

Buffing the dark subject matter’s silver lining, Earwigging’s bittersweet sound resonates with dreamy, lo-fi tropes that wander like the traditional guitar sounds of John Fahey, the youthful exuberance of Johnny Flynn, and slacker outsider sounds of Daniel Johnston. Featuring the drumming expertise of Andrew Cheetham (Jane Weaver, Kiran Leonard) Earwigging was also mixed with the talent and precision of Working For A Nuclear Free City’s established film and advertising composer, Phil Kay. “It was great to have Phil on board,” exclaims Laurie. “He gave the song a chillwave quality with a kind of Panda Bear vibe I hadn’t expected but really enjoy.”

Following praise from BBC 6music’s Tom Ravenscroft and Lauren Laverne, Songs For Walter’s recently released self-titled debut album set the sonic wheels in motion. Embarking upon a full European tour for the very first time, the past 12 months have helped inspire a move from songs previously shaped by the influence of tales told by Laurie’s grandfather to his own views on the world. Living the life of the artist on the road, Songs for Walter remains staunchly DIY; harking back to the days of the nomadic musician when the likes of Hendrix wouldn’t stop for longer than a quick cig break, Songs For Walter’s travels have seen countless miles clocked up in a rental van, friends made, new places found, and many Italian escapades had, from dimly-lit backstreets to barn parties in ancient towns.

In today’s 100mph world, Songs For Walter is making music as it’s meant to be made. Songs that grow from experience, provoke thoughts and yet, through a ferocious work ethic, continue to evolve with their own timeless quality. Earwigging is just the next part of Songs For Walter’s ever-expanding world, and once again eyes and ears will be opened, pulling everyone along for the ride.

Songs For Walter - Earwigging

Squaring Circles (Explicit)

Songs For Walter - Traitors

They say youth is wasted on the young. It’s something Walter, the late grandfather of guitar-wielding and song-writing troubadour Laurie Hulme, would probably have agreed with. As nom-de-plume Songs For Walter, Laurie’s eponymous debut album is a record that’s as much a brutally honest tribute to the legacy of Walter, as it is a stirring portrayal of Songs For Walter himself.
“I was very close to Grandad but we did fall out briefly in 2006,” Laurie recalls, referring to album track ‘Competition, Diffidence and Glory.’ “I went to lots of protests at that time and Walter was not impressed. He called me an anarchist and accused me of damaging the fabric of society. He later wrote me a letter of apology saying he was wrong.”
The album is an astute melodic recounting of his grandfather’s wildly curious tales. Whether telling of Walter’s dabbling with communism in the 1930s (‘Useless’), his hatred of space travel (‘Moon/Two Out Of Ten’) or his love story from first date (‘Meet Me At The Empire’) to being painted head to toe in iodine on his wedding day (‘Purple Blue’), it’s only when those snapshots are brought together through Songs For Walter’s accomplished musicianship that the picture is completed.

Marked with all the scrapes, dents, and surface noise of real life, the record was written in Laurie’s car as he filled time between the school guitar lessons he continues to teach each week. And reinforcing the album’s DIY feel, it wasn’t recorded in a studio; it was laid down in bedrooms, living rooms, corridors, bathrooms and cellars. “That definitely adds some variety and scruffiness to it” he notes. “Looking back I wouldn’t have recorded it any other way.”
Inherent perfectionism and different locations aside, Songs For Walter is the fruit of five years’ labour. Laurie and co-producer cousin Ed Hulme (Working For A Nuclear Free City) had to squeeze the record’s completion in between their additional musical exploits Beat The Radar, Golden Glow, and cover acts of Laurie’s favourite bands Sonic Youth (Phonic Poop) and The Smashing Pumpkins (The Cash-in Pumpkins). It lends to the record’s vastly divergent take on alternative folk through placing dreamy lo-fi meanderings (the poetic nuance of Nick Drake inspired ‘Nicks Song’ and ‘Watch The Dogs’ Bill Callahan/Smog style thematic imagery) alongside indie rock punch (‘Dunkirk’s driven 90s rock sound recalling The Lemonheads or Dinosaur Jr). “I love folk, but I love indie rock more. I wanted it to be heavy,” he admits. 
Following the release of his debut EP on Red Deer Club, which won him praise from BBC 6music’s Tom Ravenscroft, Steve Lamacq, Jarvis Cocker and Lauren Laverne, and bolstered with a full live band, Laurie has spent the last twelve months bringing the songs to life with live performances around the country.
With the release of the album in January there are exciting times ahead, but with Laurie’s relentless work ethic (already he’s working on his next ‘heavier’ project), get your ears around this before the wind changes. “I spent a long time deciding what to call the record. I may not do another under the Songs For Walter moniker: I like the way it documents this period in time and the subject matter.” Clearly these are songs that emerge only once a generation. 

Songs For Walter will be available on LP, CD and Digital Download; each version with a slightly different tracklisting, but all lovingly created with artwork featuring photographs from Laurie’s family album.

For further details contact will@inhousepress.com  / 0161 236 4805


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