Bio
In the midst of recording his 12th album, wavering in his resolve to finish what he’d started, Seth Walker came to a realization. “This work does not define me. This is not who I am forever. This is just a moment.” No album is trapped in amber, no song is set in stone. Distance colors compositions over the years and each album is left as a reflection of its own period in time. This idea played a big part in shaping Why The Worry. Now, the other half of knowing is letting go; letting go of the worry about perception, the worry of over-preparation, and the worry that seeps in constantly from the news and noise of everyday life. Taking a page from Willie Nelson, Walker embraced the songwriter’s sage wisdom, “I’ve never seen worry accomplish anything… so I decided not to do it.” Truth be told, there aren’t many better oracles to hang an ethos on than brother Willie.
The new album finds Walker reunited with old friends and familiar names. Once again Jano Rix steps behind the boards, co-producing the album with Seth and engineer Brook Sutton.
In the producer’s fifth outing he’s become an invaluable sounding board, the kind who knows what’s missing and, just as importantly, what needs to be taken away. Oliver Wood (The Wood Brothers) lends a pen to the title track, and Seth’s classically trained father Scott adds strings to “I’m Getting Ready,” a song penned by Walker’s contemporary Michael Kiwanuka.
Mostly, though, the record was shepherded into shape by Walker’s trio, rounded out by longtime confidants Rhees Williams (Guitar, Piano) and Mark Raudabaugh (Drums). The three let the studio guide them, entering without agenda, set straight by the title’s mantra to stop worrying where they’d end up.
But worry always tries to creep in. It’s inevitable, isn’t it? The album was just about finished when Hurricane Helene hit Walker’s region in the mountains around Asheville, and as a result, the record almost didn’t see light. As catastrophe took shape and literal bridges were broken, the album’s importance wavered in Seth’s mind until the central theme came back into view. The worry wouldn’t undo any damage, and there was still service in song. There’s a telling nod in the album closing with Bobby Charles’ seminal ode “I Must Be In a Good Place Now.” Why The Worry is a spiritual reset, watching the sunrise over the mountains. It soaks in like warmth on the skin after a night of shivering in the dark.
Charles isn’t the only notable scribe among the track list, an even mix of Walker’s originals and a carefully curated crop of covers that rifle through the past and present. Setting the course are two gems from JJ Cale, whose sanguine saunter leans well into the album’s themes of amble and ease. Walker opens the album with the smoke ring sway of Bill Withers, turning the lights low for a gently funked rendition of “The Same Love That Made Me Laugh.” The groove grows deeper on Al Green’s “Take Me To The River,” putting a distinctly reclined feel on the soul classic. The breezy feeling extends to the originals as well, injecting a bit of Cale’s country funk into “Up On The Mountain,” soaking spring air and hope into “Supernatural Thing,” and melting nostalgia into meditation on “Midway Girl.”
Why The Worry follows a string of critically acclaimed albums from Walker, garnering praise from NPR to The Washington Post. He’s been found on the road with The Mavericks, The Wood Brothers, Raul Malo, Paul Thorn and Ruthie Foster among others. He recently penned “Moon and Stars” – the title track to The Mavericks new album, sung as a duet with Sierra Ferrell. Walker’s latest album Why The Worry is out on April 4, 2025 on Royal Potato Family.