Biography

Alan Walker writes melodies that stick in the head and heart. With his second solo album, the former front man of NYC’s The Brilliant Mistakes introduces nine new songs to his fans that have come to expect “restlessly catchy hooks, a clever turn of phrase and frothy, piano-driven pop with heart, soul and smarts” (The Boston Globe).

Walker, who composes on the piano, says he is driven by the songs themselves. “Once they are in my head I can’t get them out. The best moments for me with music are the original inspiration of a song, when a melody and chords and lyrics first come together, and then bringing that idea to a band or fellow musicians to see how it evolves.

Led by the indomitable production and genius chart writing of producer Lincoln Schleifer (Donald Fagen, Levon Helm, Buddy Miller), a cast of incredible musicians gathered in Schleifer’s basement recording studio in the Bronx, Lincoln’s Log Cabin. The core band on A Little Too Late is made up of John Morgan Kimock on drums, Jon Herington (of Steely Dan) on electric guitars, and Rob Schwimmer on Hammond B3 and synthesizers, with Schleifer on bass and percussion, and Walker singing lead and on piano.

They sought to make a record that had the feel of a classic 70s album, a la early Jackson Browne, where the songs determined the arrangements, instruments and players, and overall mood. His music creates tell-tale impressions, planting the seeds of stories for listeners.

Songs include The Beatle-y, harmony-laced album opener “The Morning After,” a subtle nod to one of Alan’s favorite bands, Squeeze; the ballad “Mama Kat,” which is propelled by Larry Campbell’s exquisite pedal steel and acoustic guitar playing; the rootsy-pop Americana tune “Twist Of Fate” with a tragi-comic tale of first attraction; and “Town Called Misery” which follows in the vein of early Joe Jackson—with Schwimmer adding to the whimsical mood playing claviola, taisho harp, and some sounds from the kitchen sink.

The next few songs—the spare, and melancholy “Only Son” (featuring cellists Myron Lutzke and Jake Charkey), the upbeat “Wait” (with Alan on wurlitzer), and the wry title track, “A Little Too Late”—all add a dose of R&B harmonies to the mix with the soulful renderings of guest vocalists, Teresa Wiliams and Lucy Kaplansky. Bill Holloman and Larry Etkin step in on horns on “Wait,” “Somewhere Down The Line,” (with Andy Burton on Fender Rhodes), and the closing track, “Better Man.”

A Little Too Late evokes a rich tapestry of moods, both light and dark, and feels simultaneously both fresh and familiar. “I’ll leave it to the listeners to decide exactly what they want to hear,” says Alan, “interpreting the songs on their own, adding their own thoughts, dreams, biases, etc.”