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'A second chance': The Walters hit 1 billion streams with 'I Love You So,' have new single 'By the Water'
The Walters are on a fall tour which will make a stop at Launchpad on Friday, Nov. 3. The band also marked the milestone of its single, 鈥淚 Love You So,鈥� reaching a billion streams.
In making the video for 鈥淏y the Water,鈥� The Walters vocalist Luke Olson had to endure some harsh filming conditions.
The band鈥檚 most recent music video has Olson plunge himself into a pool, signifying a new beginning.
鈥淚t was quite cold,鈥� he says with a laugh. 鈥淭hankfully, we did the scene at the end of the shoot. At the end of the day, I was able to get warm. It鈥檚 the suffering for the art.鈥�
Olson and The Walters have been on a journey for the last two years. The band found success in 2014 when it formed.
By 2017, the band 鈥� which includes Walter Kosner, Danny Wells and Charlie Ekhaus 鈥� had called it quits due to infighting.
鈥淭hat break really helped all of us grow,鈥� Olson says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e come back together stronger and wiser than we were the first time around.鈥�
The Walters are on a small tour, which will make a stop on Friday, Nov. 3, at Launchpad.
The band recently released the single, 鈥淏y the Water,鈥� which is a glimpse of forthcoming music.
Inspiration for the song came from Olson purchasing a home on Lake Michigan.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of just me buying a dream house by the water,鈥� Olson says. 鈥淭he move to my new home inspired the song because I realized that the more we try to control things, we really can鈥檛. Water is a fluid and constantly changing. It鈥檚 a reminder that we have to let go and follow the path and navigate it as well as we can.鈥�
After a five-year hiatus, Olson says his and the band鈥檚 perspective have changed.
鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten older and we鈥檙e all a little wiser,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a little more centered than we were when the band first started.鈥�
The Walters released the EP, 鈥淭ry Again,鈥� in 2022, which reintroduced the music world to the band鈥檚 music.
The band released a new version of its hit song, 鈥淚 Love You So,鈥� which has catapulted the band鈥檚 profile on TikTok.
The single crossed the billion mark in streams.
鈥淭his is an elite club we鈥檙e in,鈥� Olson says. 鈥淗aving that on our r茅sum茅, it鈥檚 very helpful for us. We鈥檙e seeing what we can do with that.鈥�
The Walters are in the mixing stage for a new album and Olson says 2024 will bring an international tour taking them to Thailand, Taiwan and China.
鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to be able to see the world through making music,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he next album will be a real full-length album, and this will be another milestone.鈥�
Coming back to the music industry was a huge win for The Walters.
Olson says when the band originally released 鈥淚 Love You So,鈥� it has a lot of momentum and the future was bright.
鈥淲e were this hot new thing and our last show was playing Lollapalooza,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 never took any of it for granted. During the break, that was really hard for me to be off from playing to these bigger crowds. Every show that we play now, we give it everything. We played a sold-out show at The Troubadour and it was one of the best shows of my life. Every opportunity to get up on stage and perform, it鈥檚 special for us. I鈥檓 very grateful we have a second chance.鈥�
