Interviews

Interview: Walker Lukens

Walker Lukens is walking toward success. When he released his first album, Devoted, in 2013, the Texas singer and multi-instrumentalist got the attention of outlets like NPR. Then he met Spoon’s Jim Eno in a bar, leading to several exciting collaborations—such as the songs on his Ain’t Got A Reason EP, which he released in April. Since then, he’s been playing shows across the country, including sets at festivals like Firefly and Bonnaroo.

We recently had the opportunity to send Lukens a few questions about his music. Read on to learn about the inspiration behind some of his lyrics, his feelings about shampoo, his favorite hip-hop artists, and more.

TYF: You’re from Austin, and Austin’s slogan is “Keep Austin Weird.” With that said, to start off, what’s one weird fact about yourself that you’d like to share?

Walker Lukens: I’m a card-carrying member of the no ‘poo movement. 7 years strong. It works if you work it.

TYF: In April, you released the Ain’t Got a Reason EP. One of the songs on the EP is called “Where Is Thunder Road?” What’s the meaning behind that title?

Lukens: “Thunder Road” is a Bruce Springsteen song about a fictitious place where he and his not-so-good-looking lady friend can be free from adolescent worries and everyday struggle. For me, a hit song is a fictitious place. Many people I know want to go to there. After doing this music thing for a minute, you realize that the song is not the hard part but everything else. It’s easy to lose sight of where Thunder Road is.

TYF: Another song on the EP is “Love Me Tender.” The lyrics allude to multiple songs by Elvis Presley. How did you come up with the idea of weaving together Elvis references for this track?

Lukens: The images in the verses came first and felt so direct to me. I wanted the choruses to make the song a little more impressionistic. Quoting Elvis seemed like a more powerful way to ask for mercy than to say, “Sorry I’m a sloppy mess of a boyfriend. Forgive me!” So many of our expectations for romantic love are formed by listening to popular music—at least for me anyway. I love Elvis but the feelings described in my song are so far away from “I can’t help falling in love with you.”

TYF: You collaborated with Jim Eno on the EP, as well as on past music. What are some of the most memorable lessons you’ve taken away from working with him?

Lukens: With other engineers and producers that I’ve worked with, there was always some kind of shame around referencing other tracks in the studio. With Jim, we listened to tons of other songs to clarify and get ideas. He never had any fear that what we were doing might end up sounding close to the references. He was right. It was a powerful lesson; it’s okay to lean on other recordings and a great way to get clear on what you’re trying to accomplish.

TYF: You just released some cool karaoke videos for the songs from the EP. Which one was the most fun for you to film, and why?

Lukens: In that “Simple Man” video, I got to ride a scooter all around Austin on a beautiful day while my friend Jono followed me around. I wish making all videos was like that. Wouldn’t ever feel like work.

TYF: If you had to sing karaoke to any song by another artist, which song would you choose?

Lukens: First off, it’s not ‘if’ but ‘when’ I sing karaoke. Currently, I like to sing Tom Jones’ “What’s New Pussycat?”

TYF: You recently played at Firefly. What was that experience like?

Lukens: Delaware knows how to party. We had an absolute blast. When you show up, and you’re the little guy on the festival line up, you can’t expect much, but people were so friendly and excited to be at a festival. Unlike Austin, we’re a little jaded.

TYF: You’ve mentioned your appreciation for hip-hop. What are some of your favorite hip-hop songs?

Lukens: I just heard that Pusha T song, “Numbers On The Boards” that was produced by Kanye West, and remembered how amazing it is. My tastes in hip-hop aren’t all that sophisticated. I’m into producers mainly, RZA, Kanye, Q-Tip, J Dilla, etc. but also get drunk and dance to Nicki Minaj.

TYF: Finally, is there anything else you’d like to say to the readers and fans?

Lukens: I think about you all the time. I wish we could talk more. I wish I could come play music for ya more often. If you’ve got any ideas how to make that happen more quickly, I’m all ears.

Brittany Menjivar

Brittany Menjivar is a twenty-year-old music enthusiast who listens to everything from Britpop to '80s new wave to Warped Tour bands. She is passionate about many things in life, including (but not limited to) S. E. Hinton novels, the various projects of Damon Albarn, blue raspberry ICEEs, and thought-provoking films. Brittany loves spreading the word about interesting ideas, which is why she started writing for TYF. She also loves metaphors and similes, which explains why she enjoys reviewing music so much. In addition to being a member of the TYF staff, Brittany is a poet who has been published in The Noisy Island, Crashtest, YARN, and Canvas. On top of that, she's studying English and Film at Yale University, so her favorite song lyric is "Bulldog, bulldog, bow wow wow." If you're reading this, she hopes your day is full of good art and good vibes.