Phoenix, Arizona based 5-piece Herbert Walker return with the vibrant new single ‘Up Down’ taken from their upcoming album How To Enjoy. Blending elements of jazz, pop, and freak folk into reflective indie rock, the band has been covering a lot of ground with a sprawling, undefined and limitless sound since their formation in 2016. Evolving their music through varying releases and pushing the boundaries of genre, the band have captured a unique sense of creative freedom. LISTEN HERE
Following the fuzzy, indie-rock single ‘Chinese Elevator’, the new release ‘Up Down’ sees the band lean on their alternative soul-come-jazz influences in an colourful, abstract soundscape of choppy yet buoyant rhythms and layers of piano, saxophone and wind instruments creating a Black Country New Road-esque, multifaceted and engrossing soundscape. Moving between long, engrossing instrumental sections and splashes of poetic lyricism, the single is breezy and beautiful whilst also being unapologetically unique, experimental and intriguing.
‘Up Down’ is a striking example of Herbert Walker’s ability to create the music that they feel passionate about at the time of writing and yet always deliver interesting and beautiful results. Always built around the central pin of singer Francis Kelly’s understated yet affecting and effortlessly cool vocal delivery and honest, reflective lyricism, the band manage to retain a cohesive sound from track to track despite the varying musical tones.Speaking about the single, the band explain: “Up Down is about horror and banality and American life. To us, it is about childhood and escape and acceptance.”
The bands musical flexibility and freedom with genre has placed them on a diverse list of bills, such as with pop-punk band Joyce Manor and anti-folk cult hero Jeffrey Lewis. With songs that touch on subjects like codependency, mental illness, materialism, or all of the above, the band’s modern, self-aware songwriting is at the centre of what they do. With coverage across a whole host of tastemaker music magazines, the band are once again showcasing their unique talents, aiming to take their music to the next level.