Walk the Whale is the brainchild of Logan and Parker, two long-time friends from music school who reconnected over a kindling desire to make good on their passions and get their music out in the world. Trained as cellists but comfortable on various instruments, what follows is a unique twist on the genres of alt-rock, folk, or any other style the pair find themselves in.
Logan and Parker met at Florida State University in 2010, bonding over a love of King Crimson, the Beatles, and Pink Floyd and collaborating on student-film scores. After college, the two went their separate ways to pursue careers in music education. But something about that decision nagged at them. Not until a post-pandemic excursion brought Parker out to visit Logan and his husband on the central coast did it finally click: “We should be making music, not just teaching it.” The will was there, though the task seemed impossible. The two had never been in a band before and had only started writing songs in earnest after that fateful first visit Parker made. In the face of the unknown depths ahead of them, the two dove right in. Feeling like, for the first time, they were hearing songs they always wanted to hear, but never gave themselves license to make.
“It’s a cathartic experience, taking this training and applying it to whatever new idea comes to mind. We’re connecting with people through music in a way we never have before. It feels like coming home”
Their first EP, “Let Me Land” chronicles this homecoming. Taking as its subject the rollercoaster of emotions experienced when you finally realize you have to make a change in your life. You can read more about their EP here.
Natural collaborators, the duo excels at songwriting, creating over 40 songs since starting the band in 2022. The burst of creativity established a workflow that allows Logan and Parker to move from song idea to demo in a few days. In this, the multi-instrumentalism of Walk the Whale shines, as every part is written and recorded by them. Outside of their collaboration, Walk the Whale has established itself as a ready-made band for other artists along the central coast. Their musical training gives them an edge in providing fresh arrangements for songs ranging from folk to hip-hop.
“Our favorite thing to do is connect with musicians and music lovers. Whether it’s putting our arrangement with an artist's original song, or connecting with an audience through our stories of shared experience, it’s all walking the whale for us.”
The band’s vision is to create more than a great touring act but to use their training and penchant for collaborating to involve themselves with all parts of the recording industry. From session work and on-stage collaboration to professional songwriting, Walk the Whale fills a unique niche in the music world. That of professional players, easy to work with, that can deliver powerful original music, or arrangements for any song that comes their way. To quote Peter Lewis, a founding member of the band “Moby Grape” (and one of the first Walk the Whale fans):
“Walk the Whale is the synthesis of great studio players and the artists they support. With songs that make you say ‘Hey, that’s me they’re singing about!’”
Connect with Walk the Whale on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook to stay up-to-date on their latest antics. And drop them a line if you want to collaborate!
