Walter Etc. Drop New Single 'When The Band Breaks Up Again'

DIY heroes, Walter Etc., have announced their signing to SideOneDummy Records and details surrounding their upcoming album ‘When The Band Breaks Up Again’ out  September 8. Produced by Hop Along/Algernon Cadwallader’s Joe Reinhart, the album examines and searches for its own sense of purpose throughout.

Formed in 2009 by childhood friends Dustin Hayes, Kris Schobert and Jake Lee, the band was at first called Walter Mitty And His Makeshift Orchestra. Named after the fictional character created by James Thurber—who was portrayed by Danny Kaye in the 1947 film The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty and then popularized by Ben Stiller in the 2013 remake—Hayes has always channeled his thoughts and emotions through that character, rather than write about himself directly.

Walter Etc. released a number of EPs and albums before going on something of a hiatus in 2015. But the creative itch was something Hayes couldn’t stop scratching, and in 2016 he reformed the band as Walter Etc., the idea being to allow members to come and go as they please, weaving in and out of records as life and schedules allowed. Now, though, Walter Etc. have returned with ‘When the Band Breaks Up Again’, a new album made by the original three members with a very telling title.

Fun fact: A few weeks before hitting the studio to record this album with Joe Reinhart, drummer Kris Schobert broke his arm snowboarding. Not a fluke accident either. He purposefully went off a huge jump and ate s. The band was forced to decide between hiring a studio drummer or figuring it out with Kris. He recorded the whole album with one arm.

“When the band broke up again, all I could do was write a batch of comfort songs that paid homage to the pop punk we grew up on,” says Hayes on the new song. “I wanted this video to feel like MTV, this song to feel like skateboarding for the first time, and the album to be a light-hearted battle cry for keeping your dream alive. I think we got pretty close…”

Pre-order and pre-save the album here: https://walteretc.lnk.to/whentheband

While these ten frantic, hyperactive songs bristle with youthful energy, they’re also an expression of their current mindset about being in a band in 2023. After all, it feels like the world as we know it is racing towards its end, so why bother making music? This record is an attempt to reconcile those two opposing forces—the frivolous and joyful in the face of existential despair. Of course, it could be argued that everything is futile and pointless, which means everything is worthwhile and important. 

For someone just hearing about Walter Etc., a documentary on YouTube by Nate The Mate is a great place to start. In it, you learn about the band’s different “eras” and the “utopian cult” community they built where the songs and laughs are plentiful. (It doesn't hurt that the songs are awesomely catchy with introspective lyrics that make you content with drifting away...)

“My MO through the whole thing,” continues Hayes, “is that even though we don’t live in a world that recognizes our albums to bring value to the economy, f that. Because we all know deep down in our hearts that that’s not what our one life here on Earth is about.”

‘When The Band Breaks Up again’ is a stunningly executed commentary on finding the meaning in your life, even if it’s diametrically opposed to what the majority think that is. After almost 15 years of staunchly DIY existence, Hayes knows they’ll never going to top the Billboard charts. And that’s okay, because that’s not why they do this and never has been. It’s not that they’re without ambition, but most important is the joy and pleasure these three friends get from this.

Watch the new music video here:

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