The Walkabouts

The Walkabouts is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984. The core members since then are vocalist Carla Torgerson and vocalist and songwriter Chris Eckman. The rest of the line-up has changed several times.

The Walkabouts is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984. The core members since then are vocalist Carla Torgerson and vocalist and songwriter Chris Eckman. The rest of the line-up has changed several times.

The band draws inspiration from folk and country music (particullary Townes van Zandt, Neil Young and Johnny Cash), but also from other types of artists and musical styles such as Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, french chanson and Jacques Brel. Their sound is typically rich, with string arrangements and keyboards in addition to the standard rock instruments. In reviews the band's music is often described as melancholic or mellow, while Eckman's lyrics, concerning such themes as human relations, loneliness and restlessness, are often emphasized as poetic.