TOPICS: THE TOOLS FOR NOMADS SHOW
- SETH WALKER
Nothing conjures up life on the road like that of a touring musician. From cafes to smokey barrooms in towns and cities around the world, they pour their hearts out in front of people like you and me, get their pay, then move on to the next gig.
Seth Walker knows what life on the road is all about. He’s a real-life troubadour: a poet, an American blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He’s released ten of his own albums. Gotta Get Back, from 2016, debuted at number 6 in the US on the Billboard Top Blues Album chart. His 2009 album, Leap of Faith, reached number 2 on the Billboard Top Blues Album chart. 2019’s Are You Open?, was selected as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by AllMusic.
Seth grew up the son of Quaker parents on a commune in North Carolina. He started learning classical cello at the age of three, using the Suzuki method. Students who learn by the Suzuki method begin at a very young age. They learn music by using the ear, much like a child learns to speak their native language. Suzuki himself believed that this style of learning helped foster good moral character. If true, Seth is the poster child.
When Seth was in college he became obsessed with the Blues. He devoted every waking hour to practicing guitar licks of T Bone Walker, Gatemouth Brown, BB King and many of the blues greats. Seth knew he wanted to be a professional musician. So, he moved to Austin, then New Orleans, then Nashville - all of them music cities, to learn as much as he could at the feet of the musicians that lived there.
The pandemic put a bittersweet end to a vicious tour schedule for Seth. With the spare time at home, he decided to write a book of short stories about what it was like to live the life of a touring musician. His book is called Your Van is On Fire: The Miscellaneous Meanderings of a Musician. He can thank the pandemic for that book coming to be.
I caught up with Seth on the road from his hotel in Chicago, where he was performing that night. I wanted to hear from the troubadour himself how things were going since he got back on the road, and ask how he keeps cranking out such soulful music at home and on the road.
His words and music will surely inspire you.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, PlayerFM, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Topdrawer where we combine the quality and craftsmanship of our grandparents’ generation with our drive for independence, function, and stylish sustainability. It all results in a collection of tools curated from around the world, that help you do your best work, wherever you are.
