KUTX Artist of the Month

 

Every month we turn the spotlight on a new release from a Texas artist with a series of weekly features that give you a sneak peek at the new music and some insight into the artist behind it.

 

Our January Artist of the Month here at KUTX is Austin rocker Walker Lukens. Lukens had real success with his 2013 release Devoted, which got noticed by audiences, both local and otherwise, and by organizations like NPR Music.

But despite what you might think, Walker is not a confessional singer/songwriter. “My name is Walker. I live in Texas.  I’ve got a beard. I get it. I’ve got a song called The Night I Was Kissed By Patti Smith and people would ask me if I actually kissed a very famous woman who is 40+ years older than me or if this was my fantasy. (It’s neither, by the way.) I’m trying to do something with blues that won’t sound like listening to an SRV Pandora station. I’m trying to do something with R&B that won’t sound like a lost Stax track. I’ve never wanted to help people have a good time so much in my life.”

After a couple of years playing the material from Devoted, Walker knows which songs click. “I know what kind of songs are cigarette breaks and which make people lunge forward on the two and four.” And based on the song he’s sent us, Every Night (produced by local producer and Spoon drummer Jim Eno), from his new album-in-progress, Baked Goods, he’s definitely going for the latter.

-Jeff McCord, Music Director

 

Here’s a snippet of Lukens’ performance last year from Studio 1A:

 

You can check out Walker Lukens’ next show on Friday, January 16th at Cheer Up Charlie’s.

Check back here throughout the month of January for new features on Walker Lukens. 

Jan. 22 – Studio 1A Performance