The encore that The Walters never saw coming

In fact, they'd barely spoken since their breakup. But a simple, catchy song written nearly a decade ago changed everything, offering them a second chance they never expected.

"The band was together from 2014 to 2017. That was the first saga. We made two EPs and some singles, and I think we always had the idea that at some point we were going to make an album," explains guitarist Walter Kosner. "But it's always the kind of thing nowadays where you're just trying to get that initial audience. You're like, 'We'll know it when we're ready.' Then the band took some time off, a good four or five years."

For Luke Olson, the band's lead singer, there was always a lingering thought in the back of his mind. "We've never been stable enough, probably as a band, to make an album. We've always just been teetering on the edge of not being a band," Luke confesses. "But you need an album; you need a great album. We want to be considered a real band that has longevity, not just a flash. Albums are the way for us to do that."

Then came the unexpected. Their song "I Love You So," originally released in 2014, began exploding on TikTok, propelling the band back into the spotlight. The catch? None of the band members had tried to make it happen, or even noticed it was happening.

"I was living in California with our drummer, Charlie," Walter remembers, "and unbeknownst to us, Luke had also moved to California, living about 15 minutes away. Labels were calling me, making offers to sign us, maybe because my name is Walter. It was very confusing because we weren't an active band; we had no new music. It took us forever to figure out what was happening. Then we realised 'I Love You So,' our first song ever, was going viral."

For Luke, the moment was surreal and transformative. "I just remember waking up to a text message from Charlie: 'Hey, man, I don't know if you've seen, but "I Love You So" is going viral on TikTok.' My stomach just dropped," Luke recalls vividly. "I was with my girlfriend—my wife now—and I turned over and said, 'Yo, look at this message.' We both were just like, 'Whoa.' It was exciting and terrifying all at once."

Getting the band back together wasn't as simple as picking up instruments again. Time had passed, and relationships had changed. "I hadn't seen the guys in like four years," Luke admits. "They had all kind of been hanging out, and I was like a lone wolf doing my thing. But in the back of all our minds, we wanted the band to come back. We were kind of waiting for exactly this moment."

Walter echoes this sentiment: "There wasn't a time where I think any of us didn't think about wanting the band to happen. Whether or not we thought that we had the ability or the courage to do it that day, we still always believed the band would come back together. This forced us to do what we wanted to do."

And so, the five-year hiatus ended almost overnight. The Walters signed with Warner Records, diving immediately into the creation of their long-overdue debut album, navigating excitement and nerves equally.

"You always feel the pressure," Walter reflects, "but we've realised that the way we made those songs that took off—we didn't know they'd be hits. You can't just sit down and decide this song is going to be a hit. It's how people react to it. It's luck of the draw."

Luke adds candidly, "We're not intellectuals when it comes to this. I'm not gonna pretend we are, because we're not. We're just writing songs. There were some whiskey sessions where I was feeling emotionally driven. It's purely emotional."

This authentic approach permeates their new album. "For me, it's always been, 'Oh, I love this melody and this chord progression, and I want to marry it with lyrics,'" Walter shares. "This album, for a while, was just an amalgamation of singles. But by the end of it, when I listened in the order we decided, they all kind of fit."

The record wasn't just about creating new hits; it was about rebuilding the foundations for The Walters' future. "The goal now is just to be consistent, put out music," Luke says with determination. "We might not be at the Grammys, but if we can have a career for four or five years, all of us would be very happy."

The Walters' long-awaited debut album is an intricate tapestry of sound, woven carefully through years of fragmented collaboration, emotional reunions, and spontaneous creativity. Each track represents an honest reflection of their evolving musical journey, marked by sincerity and the freedom of artistic exploration.

"There was a bunch of songs to choose from, and I think it was just like we wanted everybody to be excited about pretty much all the songs," Luke explains. This democratic approach to song selection is evident in the album's balanced yet eclectic feel. Rather than being tied down by a singular theme or message, the band embraced variety, allowing the record to become a collection of powerful, standalone songs. "We constantly went through the songs every month or so. We'd be like, what do we think about these? Then one song would move to a secondary position, one would move above it," Walter elaborates, highlighting their collaborative refinement process.

"Life on the Line," a standout track, immediately captivates with its piano-driven melody reminiscent of classic songwriting. It's reflective and sincere, capturing the emotional depth that comes from life's inevitable uncertainties. "Broken Hearts and Memories," on the other hand, introduces a spacious, dream-like atmosphere, echoing the influence of The Beach Boys. Its lush, layered production represents the band's willingness to venture into sonically experimental territory.

One of the most poignant moments arrives with "Change," the album’s closing track. Walter recounts its creation: "Change happened so quickly. We were all together during one of our extended sessions, and it was just one day we all started jamming on this chord progression. An hour and a half later, we had almost the whole song." This spontaneity and rawness are palpable, making "Change" feel authentic and immediate. Luke describes the song warmly, "That one makes me feel good about our band. Because I'm like, man, that's not bullshit. That's a real song."

Throughout the record, Luke's approach to lyricism remains refreshingly spontaneous. "Every song we write is freestyle that turns into something," he reveals. "I'm never sitting there with a pen and paper; it's purely what’s going on in my brain at that moment. It's emotional." This method results in lyrics that resonate deeply, driven by honesty rather than calculated intention.

The Walters are openly uninterested in aligning themselves with any specific formula for hits, choosing authenticity over predictability. Walter emphasises this point: "There are people out there who are hitmakers who will make a song being like, 'this is going to be a hit.' But most of the time, you can't just sit down and decide that. It's luck of the draw." The band's philosophy favors inspiration and genuine connection over commercial success, something evident in the album's intimate feel.

Rather than feeling constrained by the pressure of following up on past viral successes, the band is comfortable taking a patient, long-term view. "We're just trying to honestly play the long game of building a quality music portfolio," Luke says, reflecting their ambition to cultivate a meaningful discography over quick wins. He continues, "We're flying under the radar. Nobody's expecting anything from us. Most people don't even know we're a band again, so we're just shooting for it."

Reflecting on the strange journey that led them here, Walter emphasises a message for aspiring artists: "Some very talented people make something and hold onto it because they're too worried they'll mess up. Then we never hear from them as artists. That's a bummer to me."

Luke, more bluntly, puts it: "We're literally just musicians that nobody gives a shit about, but that doesn't mean we can't put out songs and people will listen."

The Walters' reunion and debut album defy conventional expectations, embracing both uncertainty and authenticity. They didn't just get a second chance; they seized it fully, creating a future once unimaginable."This has changed our lives," Luke concludes warmly. "I've been able to fulfill a dream, getting my life together—I had a kid, bought a house. It's been amazing."

Their unexpected encore, it seems, was exactly the push they needed.