The Walk (band)

Last updated
The Walk
Origin Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Genres alternative rock
Years active1987 - 1996
Labels Universal Music Group
Past membersDave Allan, Jason Frederick, Eric Forget, James Prudhomme, James Cahill, Bill Bruhmuller

The Walk were a Canadian alternative rock band. Originally from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, the band was formed in 1987 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Allan, guitarist/keyboardist Jason Frederick, bass guitarist Eric Forget and drummer James Prudhomme. [1] They disbanded in 1996.

Contents

History

The band was originally known as "Painted Black" (which featured fifth member, guitarist James Cahill [1] ) before changing its name to The Walk in 1989.

In 1990, with producer John Newlands, they released their debut album, Hollow, [2] independently. The same year they also contributed a track to the compilation "From Under The Slag Heap", produced by campus radio station CFLR (now CKLU-FM). Sporadic touring followed, with the band opening for acts such as The Tragically Hip and Sarah McLachlan. [1]

In 1991, the band relocated to Hamilton, Ontario, [1] where they released their second album (with guitarist Billy Bruhmuller replacing Cahill), Insomuch. The album received national radio airplay and charted on college radio across Canada.

In 1993, The Walk became a four piece, and made what were arguably their strongest recordings with producer Colin Cripps at Hamilton's Grant Avenue Studios. Initial tracks were released as the Wellington Street EP. [3] [4] A full-length album followed, Turbine , produced by Cripps and mixed by Mark S. Berry. [5] The band signed to MCA (now Universal Music Group) Canada. [1] A promotional single and video, "Given It All Away" was released, receiving airplay on MuchMusic, and the band toured extensively, supporting acts such as Crash Vegas, Junkhouse, The Headstones, 13 Engines, Trooper, Waltons, and The Watchmen.

In 1996, after nearly a decade of being well-received critically but only middling commercial success, The Walk disbanded. [6] Most of the members left the music industry entirely, although Frederick continues to write and release music, mostly for film and television. [7]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teenage Head (band)</span> Canadian punk rock band

Teenage Head is a Canadian punk rock group from Hamilton, Ontario, that was popular in Canada during the early 1980s.

King Cobb Steelie is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1991 from Guelph, Ontario, and later based in Toronto. The band's most successful single was 1997's "Rational", from the album Junior Relaxer. Their music fuses elements of punk, grunge, funk, jazz and dance. The core of the band is singer/songwriter Kevan Byrne and bassist Kevin Lynn. A variety of other collaborators, including Sam Cino, Al Okada, Gary Dutch, Geoff Walton, Steve Clarkson, Mike Armstrong, Nathan Lawr, Don Pyle and Michelle McAdorey, have contributed to individual albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Wilson (musician)</span> Musical artist

Thomas Lazare Wilson is a Canadian rock musician from Hamilton, Ontario. A veteran of the Canadian music scene, Wilson has been a writer and performer for many years. Wilson's eclectic musical style has ranged from the psychobilly / R&B sounds of the Florida Razors, to the western/roots style of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and the funk/blues-inspired rock of Junkhouse.

National Velvet are a Canadian goth rock band, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. They took their name from the 1944 movie starring Elizabeth Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junkhouse</span> Canadian rock band

Junkhouse are a Canadian rock band, formed during 1989 in Hamilton, Ontario. They released three albums during the 1990s, which spawned numerous charting singles in Canada. They initially disbanded in 1998, and have performed occasional one-off shows afterwards.

Warsawpack was a Canadian experimental rap rock group based in Hamilton, Ontario. The band's music fuses hip hop, jazz, dub, groove and rock. The band's songs contained mostly politically charged lyrics that critiqued Western consumerism and neo-colonialism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Mays</span> Canadian musician

Matt Mays is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter and was the lead singer of Matt Mays & El Torpedo, a rock music group based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and New York City. Previously, Mays was a member of a Canadian indie band The Guthries. Mays was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up in Nova Scotia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Marble Index (band)</span>

The Marble Index is a Canadian rock band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The group formed in 2001, and comprised Brad Germain, Ryan Tweedle (bass), and Adam Knickle (drums). The band is named after the album The Marble Index by Nico. Not be to be confused with the American rock band The Marble Index from Austin, Texas, which formed in 1993 and disbanded in 1995.

Jason Frederick is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer of music for films and television, based in Colchester, UK.

King Apparatus was a Canadian third wave ska band, active in the early 1990s. Formed in 1987 in London, Ontario and later based in Toronto, the band's lineup varied over its lifetime, including vocalist Chris Murray, guitarists Sam Tallo, Paul Ruston, J. C. Orr and Paul McCulloch, bassist Mitch Girio, organists Mark LeBourdais and Aleks Dmitrovic, conga player Greg Clancy, saxophonist Bruno Hedman, and drummers Brian Christopher, Dave Kennedy and Mike Southern. Their style was strongly influenced by late 1970s 2-Tone ska, although it introduced a heavier guitar attack than traditional ska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkells</span> Canadian rock band

Arkells is a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records, and have since signed with Universal Records Canada and Last Gang Records. They have released eight albums: Jackson Square (2008), Michigan Left (2011), High Noon (2014), Morning Report (2016), Rally Cry (2018), Blink Once (2021), Blink Twice (2022) and Laundry Pile (2023). The band has been nominated for over 15 Juno Awards; winning Rock Album of the Year for High Noon and Rally Cry, and six times for Group of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitchens & Bathrooms</span> Canadian indie math punk rock band

Kitchens & Bathrooms were a Canadian indie math punk rock band based in Hamilton, Ontario. Ongoing members of the band were Phil Williams, Lee Penrose, Adrian Murchison (bass).

Huron is a Canadian rock band from Hamilton, Ontario. Members include pedal-steel player/guitarist Aaron Goldstein, known for his session work with Cowboy Junkies, and Cam Malcolm, who was previously in the band Sweet Homewreckers, bassist Adam Melnick, and drummer Pete Hall who was also a founding member of A Northern Chorus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian hardcore punk</span>

Canadian hardcore punk originated in the early 1980s. It was harder, faster, and heavier than the Canadian punk rock that preceded it. Hardcore punk is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A. may have helped to popularize the term with the title of their 1981 album, Hardcore '81. Hardcore historian Steven Blush said that the term "hardcore" is also a reference to the sense of being "fed up" with the existing punk and new wave music. Blush also states that the term refers to "an extreme: the absolute most Punk." An article in Drowned in Sound argues that 1980s-era "hardcore is the true spirit of punk", because "after all the poseurs and fashionistas fucked off to the next trend of skinny pink ties with New Romantic haircuts, singing wimpy lyrics", the punk scene consisted only of people "completely dedicated to the DIY ethics". One definition of the genre is "a form of exceptionally harsh punk rock."

Turbine was the third full-length album by The Walk, released in 1994. Initially released independently on Gritty City Records, the album received a national release later the same year on MCA Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The City Harmonic</span> Canadian Christian rock band

The City Harmonic was a Canadian Christian rock band based in Hamilton, Ontario. Elias Dummer, Eric Fusilier (bass), Aaron Powell (guitar), and Josh Vanderlaan (drums) collectively made up The City Harmonic. Their music has been described as "nostalgic Brit-pop meets campfire sing-along mix that features raucous gang vocals along with agile, soaring anthems crafted to include the listener". Musically, their sound is often compared to artists like Coldplay, Keane, Aqualung, the Fray, or Arcade Fire. In 2011 they won three Covenant Awards from GMA Canada for New Artist of the Year, Recorded Song of the Year and Modern Worship Song of the Year. In 2013 they won Covenant Awards for Group of the Year and Praise and Worship Song of the Year. They also won a Juno Award for the 2013 Christian/Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year. After announcing that they would retire, the band recorded their final show, which was released as a live album, Benediction (Live), on June 23, 2017.

Janet Panic is a Métis singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She has released a number of albums of original music as a member of the band Phew (1994–1995), 10 Ft. Henry (1996–1997) and under her own name. Panic is best known for the 10 Ft. Henry songs, "I Can't Get Enough", "Shove It" and "Fish" which received considerable Canadian college radio airplay and the song "Blink" from 2001's The Girl Who Passed for Normal, which has also received regular Canadian airplay. She has also been active in First Nations media, both as a producer and as a broadcast journalist.

Monster Truck is a Canadian rock band from Hamilton, Ontario. Members include bassist and vocalist Jon Harvey, guitarist Jeremy Widerman and keyboardist Brandon Bliss.

Elias Elton Dummer is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and writer based in Tennessee. Elias was the principal songwriter, founding member, lead singer, and pianist in the contemporary Christian band the City Harmonic, from 2009 until 2017, and released his first solo music a decade since the creation of the band in 2019.

Zoon is a Canadian shoegaze band from Hamilton, Ontario, whose core member is Anishinaabe musician Daniel Monkman. They are most noted for their 2020 album Bleached Wavves, which was a shortlisted finalist for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Taylor, Ric (June 2003). "Hamilton Music Notes : View Magazine, June 19–25, 2003".
  2. (2006). "The Walk: Biography [usurped] ", Jam! Canadian Pop Encyclopedia.
  3. Krewen, Nick (May 26, 1994). "Well past the crawling stage, The Walk is due for a run", The Hamilton Spectator , p. 4.
  4. Mowat, Bruce (March 31, 1994). "The Walk House Rules: These musicians love their house so much, they've made it a member of the band", The Hamilton Spectator , p. 16.
  5. Mowat, Bruce (February 2, 1995). "The Walk talk rock", The Hamilton Spectator , p. 5.
  6. Taylor, Ric (February 2005). "Hamilton Music Notes : View Magazine, Feb 17-23, 2005".
  7. Tennent, James (February 2009). "California Dreaming : Hamilton Magazine".