Benny Walker
Folk / Acoustic
When your 10 years old, whatever is big in the news doesn’t matter that much to you. For Benny Walker being 10 meant a few things- footy, cricket, fishing and most importantly learning to play the guitar. After watching his father (Rob – a talented guitarist) and both Grandfathers (Elwyn, a jazz saxophonist, and Archie a country guitar and pedal steel player) play in bands his whole life, it always seemed like the natural path for Benny to follow.
Learning old surf songs such ‘Wipeout’ and ‘Pipeline’ as well as 12 bar blues, set a good musical foundation to build on. Forming his first band at age 12 with the kid across the road was the first in quite a few over the following years. Early bands he had played in were hard rock cover bands with just a few originals.
By the age of 17 Benny had found a liking for the more laidback, raw, honesty that comes from the acoustic guitar. In doing so he also found that he had a voice, although a little raw at that stage too.
As his voice progressed, so did his natural ability in songwriting. Earlier influences on Benny’s songwriting were usually artists from his Father’s record collection, such as Eric Clapton, Crosby, Stills and Nash, as well as music of the time including, Pete Murray, Jack Johnson & Ben Harper. The latter of these influences still prevalent today.
After recording and launching his first 5 track EP ‘No Cares’ in 2007, Benny took 9 months to travel the East Coast and Central Australia. Upon returning and starting to gig again he received the pleasant surprise of the crowd singing the words of the songs he had written. This buzz further drove Benny to pursue a career in music. Once settled in Melbourne he decided that the songs he had written whilst traveling needed to come to life.
In February 2008 Benny and Producer Kalju Tonuma went to work on what was to become Benny’s self-titled debut album. A blend of soul, blues, reggae and acoustic soft rock driven by guitars and the rich voice of Benny Walker make for a listening experience that will take you through highs and lows, good and bad, all while making you want to either hum under your breath or sing at the top of your voice.
