Richard Walters

British singer/songwriter Richard Walters has carved himself a career from his anthemic yet nuanced mix of guitar- and electronic-led indie pop, with albums such as 2016′s A.M. and 2020′s Golden Veins showcasing his haunting sound.
Born and raised in Oxford, Walters spent his youth fronting numerous bands before joining the short-lived indie outfit Theremin in 2001. Deciding to go solo, he delivered his debut EP, Umbrella Songs, in 2004, with the release picking up considerable praise on both sides of the Atlantic. After taking a year away from the industry due to health issues, Walters returned in 2007 with the single “Brittle Bones” and the Pilot Lights EP. At the same time, he’d also been working with the Cranberries’ Noel Hogan, and the duo released their first EP as Arkitekt that same year.
After signing to Kartel, Walters delivered his 2009 debut album, The Animal, which was produced by David Kosten (Everything Everything, Bat for Lashes). The following year, Walters started working with Suede’s Bernard Butler and Hogan on his sophomore LP. The release, Pacing, was issued by Kartel in 2011 and saw Walters move away from his signature ethereal mix of indie pop to a heavier guitar-led sound. Returning to London after a spell living in Paris, Walters began writing his third album, 2012′s Regret Less, embarking on extensive touring after its release.
A handful of self-released singles followed before Walters teamed up with singer/songwriter Patrick James Pearson for the project Liu Bei. The duo issued a number of singles over the next two years, and it wasn’t until 2016 that Walters returned to his own solo work, with the release of his fourth album, A.M. With the LP receiving support from U.K. radio and a number of tracks appearing on U.S. TV shows such as Magnum P.I. and Grey’s Anatomy, Walters’ songwriting soon became sought after, and he worked with the likes of Alison Moyet, 3LAU, and Declan J. Donovan as a result. In 2019, he teased the release of his fifth album with the singles “This Is Where It Ends” and “The Dawn Chorus on Tape.” More tracks followed before the full-length Golden Veins was issued by Cooking Vinyl in mid-2020. Walters also teamed up with Pearson and the U.K.’s Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, for the project LYR, with the trio releasing their debut album, Call in the Crash Team, around the same time. ~ Rich Wilson