OK, so I recently fell head over heels in love with a little tune called Runways. Courtesy of New Jersey-based singer/songwriter Anthony Walker, it's the second single from the artist's forthcoming album The Wind & The Witness, and leans heavily into folk rock and alt-country traditions.
Sensing that Anthony is a musician with an interesting story to tell, I reached out to him to see whether he'd be down for a chat. Turns out, he was!
Here to let us in on the earliest days of his musical journey, the influence of Neil Young and Gram Parsons on his songwriting, and why sticking to your guns and making honest music matters more than ever with hundreds of thousands of new tracks dropping every day, please welcome our new friend Anthony Walker!
Hey Anthony, I can't wait to get to know you better and introduce you to our ever-growing audience!
To kick things off, please tell us a little about your musical journey.
What first sparked your passion for it, and what twists and turns have brought you to where you are today?
I have a very vivid memory: somewhere around junior high, I was in the backseat of the car, and the soundtrack to The Song Remains the Same came on in kind of a light switch moment. Something about Jimmy’s guitar particularly resonated at a really profound level for me, and I always say that I think that’s the moment I became a musician.
I asked for a guitar for Christmas and really dove into it. I was playing at least a few hours a day after school - kind of approaching it through the lens of the usual suspects at first: Page, Gilmour, Hendrix. Playing the riffs along to the records.
I found some other musicians at school and started a band. We couldn’t really find a singer, so I ended up doing it kind of by default. After playing together for a bit, we must have had some conversation about writing our own music. I wrote the first few songs, and that really changed everything for me. Up until that point, I was really focused on improving on the instrument, but writing instantly became more gratifying, and the guitar quickly became more of a vehicle. I started doing shows on my own, which meant I could really get out and play a lot. I met a lot of great people around that time that I learned a lot from.
For the most part, I think that's where I found my footing as a musician. A few twists and turns from there. The occasional total derailment. But my approach hasn't fundamentally changed all that much, and I've always managed to find my way back to it.
OK, I want to jump straight into Runways, your utterly beautiful new single.
A gentle blend of folk rock with a touch of dusty, alt-country warmth, it's a tune I've fallen completely in love with!
Where did the inspiration for this one come from?
Thanks so much!
This is one of the older songs on the record that kind of grew out of the height of the pandemic. That was a time when there was really no live music to speak of – everyone was bottled up.
I was part of a small group of mainly New Jersey-based songwriters who were trying to stay connected. We were each writing a new song every week and then sharing them virtually while everything was shut down. I think a lot of that context probably found its way into the song, which comes from this very detached, isolated place. There's an anxiety to the song about time and opportunity passing, and the character is impulsive, sort of rushing towards everything and nothing all at once.
Speaking of inspirations, could you tell us who you've been listening to these days? And who would you say are the core influences that have shaped your overall sound?
I’ve been listening to the new White Fence and Aldous Harding records. Also, a friend recently turned me on to a band from Virginia called Dogwood Tales, who have a gorgeous new record out called Every Star in Rockingham County.
As far as the core influences, Neil Young and Gram Parsons are the first that come to mind. They have probably been my most enduring influences since I first started writing songs, so they're kind of in the DNA of just about anything I do, one way or another. That said, I’m always hearing new things that inspire me as well.
I’ve also always been really inspired by nature.
You've shared the stage with legends like Arlo Guthrie, Ingrid Michaelson, and Mikael Jorgensen (Wilco).
What were some of the lessons you walked away with after those experiences?
That people should show up early for the opener!
I’ve been really fortunate to play with the folks you mention and others. Sharing a bill with someone who’s been in your own record collection is a remarkable feeling. There really are some masters out there doing this stuff, and the best ones aren’t just playing at an audience; they’re in a conversation with the audience.
If you walked on stage one night and everyone in the crowd was wearing a T-shirt with one of your lyrics on it, which line or lines would you love to see?
I’m picturing myself looking out at an audience full of people wearing shirts that say “Leave me be.”
When you’re not creating music, what keeps you busy and happy? Walk us through a non-music day (if such a thing exists) in the life of Anthony Walker.
I try to travel as much as I can. I realized that pretty much straight through my 20s, the only travel I did was for gigs, which is great, but not really the best way to get to know new places. I really like experiencing different cultures and food.
Outside of that, I moved out to a pretty rural area a few years ago, which was a huge change of pace from where I was living. So when I’m home and not busy working on something, I’ve just been enjoying that.
How do you navigate the balance between staying true to your artistic vision and adapting to changing trends in the music industry?
I think you just have to realize what is and what is not in your control. There’s just a mind-boggling amount of music coming out. I read a statistic recently that over 50 million songs have been released in 2026. So there’s this wonderful thing happening where there’s so much less gatekeeping, and everyone has access to being able to put their music out, but at the same time it’s gotten pretty wild because, on any given day, you’re just one of hundreds of thousands of people releasing music.
I think as an artist you just have to make the music you’re feeling compelled to make and realize that at the end of the day that’s what’s going to last forever and the trends are going to come and go.
Anthony, thank you so much for taking the time!
Before I let you go, I'm wondering when fans can expect to hear all of The Wind & The Witness?
Lastly, if you could tell your younger self one thing before starting this whole journey, what would it be?
The album’s out January 8 everywhere. We’re in the process of planning what I think is going to be a really special event that night where people can come see the band, grab a copy of the record, and celebrate the release with us.
I think a lot of musicians, especially younger musicians, get stuck measuring themselves by how much they’re doing – always having a bunch of gigs on the calendar, always having projects lined up. Being busy isn’t always the same thing as making progress or being creatively fulfilled. Sometimes the best thing you can do as an artist is step back from the public-facing stuff, experiment, and reconnect. I didn’t really do that for many years, but I’ve found it’s one of the best ways to stay creatively charged.
Follow Anthony Walker on Instagram
