Biography
Although rooted in punk, based in Seattle, and signed to Sub Pop, the Walkabouts never aligned with grunge. Their sound instead drew from the narrative depth of American roots traditions and the raw drive of rock & roll, yielding music that was dark, haunting, and elegiac. Chris Eckman, his brothers Curt and Grant, and vocalist Carla Torgerson formed the band in 1984; the Eckman siblings had previously collaborated in several punk-pop groups, while Torgerson brought experience from folk and street performance. The roster shifted frequently, yet Eckman and Torgerson stayed central; bassist Michael Wells, multi-instrumentalist Glenn Slater, and drummer Terri Moeller later stabilized the lineup for several years.
Following a self-titled cassette in 1984, the Walkabouts issued the EP 22 Disasters the next year. Plans for the 1987 full-length Weights and Rivers collapsed before release, foreshadowing later label troubles. The 1988 album See Beautiful Rattlesnake Garden, however, showcased further growth in Eckman and Torgerson’s songwriting and secured a deal with the new Sub Pop imprint. That association brought improved production, first heard on 1989’s Cataract and then on the 1990 six-track EP Rag & Bone, which introduced Slater’s keyboard contributions.
Scavenger, released in 1991, marked the Walkabouts’ final domestic release for several years; while relations with Sub Pop’s U.S. branch deteriorated, the label’s European arm Glitterhouse retained the group as its audience there expanded. Between 1993 and 1995 the band delivered seven full-length projects across Europe—three studio albums by the full group, one limited live set, and three duo recordings under the Chris & Carla name. In 1995 those three band albums finally reached American listeners: the double-LP New West Motel, the all-covers collection Satisfied Mind, and the more rock-focused Setting the Woods on Fire. The following year saw two further releases, Devil’s Road—recorded with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra—and the archival odds-and-ends set Death Valley Days: Lost Songs and Rarities, 1985–1995. Bassist Wells departed in November 1996 to concentrate on his Pluto Boy project and was succeeded by Baker Saunders. Trail of Stars appeared in 2000.
Following a self-titled cassette in 1984, the Walkabouts issued the EP 22 Disasters the next year. Plans for the 1987 full-length Weights and Rivers collapsed before release, foreshadowing later label troubles. The 1988 album See Beautiful Rattlesnake Garden, however, showcased further growth in Eckman and Torgerson’s songwriting and secured a deal with the new Sub Pop imprint. That association brought improved production, first heard on 1989’s Cataract and then on the 1990 six-track EP Rag & Bone, which introduced Slater’s keyboard contributions.
Scavenger, released in 1991, marked the Walkabouts’ final domestic release for several years; while relations with Sub Pop’s U.S. branch deteriorated, the label’s European arm Glitterhouse retained the group as its audience there expanded. Between 1993 and 1995 the band delivered seven full-length projects across Europe—three studio albums by the full group, one limited live set, and three duo recordings under the Chris & Carla name. In 1995 those three band albums finally reached American listeners: the double-LP New West Motel, the all-covers collection Satisfied Mind, and the more rock-focused Setting the Woods on Fire. The following year saw two further releases, Devil’s Road—recorded with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra—and the archival odds-and-ends set Death Valley Days: Lost Songs and Rarities, 1985–1995. Bassist Wells departed in November 1996 to concentrate on his Pluto Boy project and was succeeded by Baker Saunders. Trail of Stars appeared in 2000.
Albums
Live
