New York's PT Walkley set to release "Shoulders" Feb 18!

New York's PT Walkley announces new LP, Shoulders,
for a February 18 release

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PT Walkley - "Sirens" via PopMatters

Photo: Victoria Jacob

"PT Walkley's songs emerge as fully-formed catchy pop nuggets with hooks galore. Power pop, ‘70s pop, and soul combine in the songs from Shoulders, releasing February 18th. Walkley has serious musical chops having worked with myriad styles over the years. He even has a deep love of the blues. Shoulders plays very much as a song cycle, one based around an emotional year in which Walkley’s son was born and his best friend passed away. This is classic stuff, easy to love from the first few notes… and honestly you had me the second those Stax-esque horns first appeared."
-PopMatters

Manhattan-based PT Walkley is a musical renaissance man walking the fine, seldom traveled line between mass entertainment and deeply personal songcraft. An accomplished composer for film and television, Walkley has also displayed a rich, melodic indie rock-cum-singer-songwriter repertoire through a string of critically acclaimed full-lengths and EPs.

“It may sound strange, but I fell in love with the blues the moment I saw ‘Better Off Dead’ as a kid.” says Walkley. “Thanks to that movie, I heard Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy” for the first time, and there was no turning back – I had to pick up a guitar.”

2008 marked Walkley’s first foray into the commercial world, with Dewar’s licensing his song “Up The Walls” for a promotional campaign. The jittery, propulsive track off Walkley’s first solo release, PT Walkley and the Adventures of Track Rabbit, captured the ears of advertising execs around the world, and Walkley has since composed original music for and lent his songs to national TV spots including MasterCard, McDonald’s, GE, Mercedes, Coca-Cola, New York Life and Starbucks.

Mr. Macy Wakes Alone, a dense, orchestral concept album released in 2009, featured collaborations with guitarist Larry Campbell, string arranger David Campbell and Sean Lennon. Walkley received high praise for the record, withNPR calling it “shining and triumphant” and Atlanta Music Guide describing it as “the art of storytelling brought back to life.”

DOWNLOAD / STREAM / EMBED:
PT Walkley - "Sirens" via PopMatters
 

In 2012, Walkley composed original music for two prominent Super Bowl commercials – the cinematic grandiosity of “Journey” for Bud Light and rollicking New Orleans jazz of “Parade” for Ritz. The two pieces were written and recorded within the same week, epitomizing the sonic versatility Walkley has come to be known for. The two EPs that followed (What’s What and The Ghost of Chivalry), marked a return to his ‘60s rock roots and led Wall Street Journal to call Walkley “a power-pop singer-songwriter in the tradition of David Bowie, Alex Chilton, Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney.”

Though Walkley’s full-time composer gig makes touring virtually impossible, his live bona fides include opening for Coldplay at Madison Square Garden and Weezer at Hammerstein Ballroom as well as playing at the last All Points West Music & Arts Festival.

Walkley’s forthcoming LP, Shoulders, marks his most personal work to date. Teaming up with Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winning producer Bill Sherman, Walkley channels the divergent emotions of a bittersweet year – from the birth of his son to the death of his best friend – and delivers an inspired song cycle rooted in indie rock with a heavy dose of classic R&B. The dichotomy of hope and mourning is explored through the warm texture of “Rose-Colored Glasses” and retro blues of “No Time to Sweat”. “Eat You Up” and “Lost My Way” find the mild-mannered Walkley flashing fangs at the subject of a major falling out while “Hello, Eyelids” occupies a gorgeously sparse folk realm like a distant cousin to Nick Drake. He muses on death, rebirth and the importance of family through the 13 tracks of Shoulders, a witty and meticulously structured power pop gem.

PT Walkley’s voluminous and diverse catalogue showcases an ability to span and blend different genres and a brilliant mind equally capable of mining the human condition and scoring a children’s program in the same afternoon.

“PT Walkley expertly matches the dark and satirical plot elements with equally romantic string arrangements, eerily jubilant choral vocals, and brass interludes.” - NPR Music

“The best part of PT Walkley’s new CD, Mr. Macy Wakes Alone...is that it’s a reminder of just how great an “album” of music still can be.” - New York Post

“Walkley...blends feel-good, upbeat pop with Brit rock.” - Billboard

“...an ambitious musician, Walkley is breaking the mold…” - Filter

“...a lush sprawling pop concept album in the vein of The Kinks’ Arthur…” - Under The Radar

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