The Walters are an American indie pop band formed in 2014, from Chicago, Illinois, composed of lead vocalist Luke Olson, lead guitarist Walter Kosner, bassist Danny Wells, and drummer Charlie Ekhaus. They have released three EPs, one album, and had their first national tour in 2017.
History The Walters formed in Chicago, Illinois in 2014 after the band's guitarist and namesake Walter Kosner moved from Connecticut to Chicago to attend DePaul University. After dropping out of the school, Kosner recruited the rest of the band members who eventually would form The Walters. That same year, the band released their first recorded effort, Songs for Dads. The release saw the band charting on Spotify's United States Viral Top 50 which caught the attention of Canvasback Records. As part of the label's ongoing monthly singles series, Canvasclub, The Walters released two songs, entitled "Hunk Beach" and "I Want to Be Good".
In 2015, the band also recorded and independently released their second EP, Young Men. This was followed in 2017 by the single "She's Gonna Leave You". In 2017, the band began their first national tour and also performed at the Lollapalooza music festival. On September 23, the band announced via their Facebook page that they "currently had no future plans to release new music as The Walters".The band's official statement on Facebook
Following the band's breakup, lead vocalist Luke Olson started a solo career under the moniker "L. Martin", while the remaining members formed a new band called Corduroy. In an April 2021 interview, Olson stated that "the band broke up with [him]" and that it was "a pretty tough pill to swallow." Olson later attributed the breakup to the band being burnt out and overwhelmed by their success at a young age, while rhythm guitarist MJ Tirabassi attributed the breakup to being unrecognized by the music industry.
In late 2021, their song "I Love You So" from the EP Songs for Dads went viral on TikTok, leading to the song earning nearly 4 million on-demand streams in the United States in the first week of November. On November 3, 2021, the band announced their reunion alongside a three-show tour running through December and subsequently signed with Warner Records. In an interview with Variety, Olson said that the band had been "flirting with the idea of reuniting" and that the success of "I Love You So" led to them officially reuniting. The sleeper hit went on to chart throughout 2021 and 2022 in 4 countries and other global charts, with the band also performing the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on January 28, 2022.
On April 14, 2022, the band released a new single, "Million Little Problems", their first original output since 2017. The single was accompanied by the announcement of their upcoming EP, Try Again, which was released May 6.
On June 2, 2023, the band announced a new single titled "Stuck In My Ways", with promotion featuring the band without rhythm guitarist MJ Tirabassi, signaling his departure.
In 2024, the band left Warner Records to go independent, in partnership with distributor and Artist Services company Amuse. On January 29, 2025, the band released a new single titled "Life On The Line", from their upcoming album Good Company, followed by Broken Hearts and Memories on February 26th. On March 28, 2025, the full album was released internationally.
Members Current members Luke Olson – lead vocals, guitar (2014–2017, 2021–present) Walter Kosner – lead guitar (2014–2017, 2021–present) Danny Wells – bass (2014–2017, 2021–present) Charlie Ekhaus – drums (2014–2017, 2021–present)
Former members MJ Tirabassi – rhythm guitar, vocals (2014–2017, 2021–2023)
Touring members Luke Otwell – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2021–2022) Kris Hansen – keyboards, trumpet, backing vocals (2021–2022) Liam Jones – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2023–present)
Discography
Albums + List of albums with title and details Title Album details Good CompanyReleased: March 28, 2025 Label: Self-released Formats: LP, CD, digital download, streaming Good Company (Deluxe)Released: October 24, 2025 Label: Self-released Formats: LP, digital download, streaming
Extended plays + List of extended plays with title and details Title EP details Songs for DadsReleased: November 28, 2014 Label: Self-released Formats: LP, CD, digital download, streaming Young Men Released: December 23, 2015 Label: Self-released Formats: LP, CD, digital download, streaming Try AgainReleased: May 6, 2022 Label: Warner Formats: Digital download, streaming
Singles Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album US USRock AUS CAN MLYPeak chart positions on RIM's Top 20 most streamed international & domestic songs in Malaysia: POR UK WW "I Love You So" 2014 71 8 98 58 13 77 87 55 RIAA: 3× Platinum AFP: Gold BPI: Platinum MC: 2× Platinum Songs for Dads "Hunk Beach" / "I Wanna Be Good" 2015 — — — — — — — — "Goodbye Baby" — — — — — — — — Young Men "She's Gonna Leave You" 2017 — — — — — — — — "Million Little Problems" 2022 — — — — — — — — Try Again "Another Christmas" — — — — — — — — rowspan="6" "Stuck In My Ways" 2023 — — — — — — — — "By The Water" — — — — — — — — "Running Around / All Of Our Days" 2024 — — — — — — — — "Wishing Well" — — — — — — — — "Better Off Alone" — — — — — — — — "Life On The Line"2025 — — — — — — — — Good Company "Broken Hearts and Memories" — — — — — — — — "Cheap Drugs" — — — — — — — — Good Company (Deluxe) "Silver Screens" — — — — — — — — "Bodega"2026 — — — — — — — — rowspan="2" "Good Life" — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.
References