Hamilton Leithauser on chance of new Walkmen music

The Walkmen‘s lead singer Hamilton Leithauser has discussed the band’s reunion for the first time.

Last month, the band announced they were coming back together for their first live performances since 2014 at New York’s Webster Hall on April 26 and 27.

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Now, Leithauser has gone into some more detail about the reunion in an interview with Vulture, including the question of whether or not there is new music to come from the post-punk revivalists.

“We haven’t discussed that. I’m working on so much stuff. I don’t see that happening right now,” he said. “I wouldn’t be against it in the future — I really love writing with those guys. Maybe after we play together we’ll be interested in that, but not right now.

“We’re not going to turn into the Pixies or something like that. Nobody wants to do that. We just wanted to do what was fun. We used to do this because we needed the money, and you have to get out and keep the engine running, so you say yes to things you maybe shouldn’t have. Now we just don’t need to. We’re doing only the stuff we want to do, and that’s a great feeling.

Leithauser also said that he’s not seen any of his bandmates in person since deciding to reunite, so evidently, rehearsals for their Webster Hall shows haven’t yet started. “The funny part is going to be when everybody refuses to rehearse, which I know is going to happen — it’s the most Walkmen thing in the world.”

He did, however, reveal he is working on a new solo album. “I thought I finished it and then I stepped away to work on a documentary and I realised I wasn’t done,” he said.

He also continued: “The thing I’m excited about is the big loud rock and roll I thought we did really well, which was the stuff I also got the most tired of doing. All electric guitars. I have songs like ‘A 1000 Times’, which takes as much energy as singing something like ‘The Rat’ but it’s intentionally acoustic.

“I don’t have that big power instrument. To play with Paul and Matt and Walt and Pete, it becomes this wall, this force. They’re great musicians. We did work for a very long time to come up with that sound. You may like it, you may not like it, but you really do know it’s us when it comes on.”

The Walkmen teased their reunion earlier this month, sharing a video on social media that featured archival footage of them performing their signature song, ‘The Rat’.

Bassist Peter Bauer announced The Walkmen’s hiatus in November of 2013, with the band playing a farewell show in Philadelphia the following month. “We have no future plans whatsoever,” he said at the time. They performed for the last time before their hiatus in February 2014, with a show in New Orleans.

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