Public Servant Lifestyle

Doug Walker – the man whose debut single came to light courtesy of Chris Moyles’ Radio One show while unsigned officially releases his debut.

Widely tipped as one of the emerging talents of the year, Manchester-based singer-songwriter Doug Walker releases his debut single and album: The Mystery on Warner Bros. Records.

Click here to stream the promo clip for The Mystery.

The Mystery has already proved to be Doug Walker’s breakthrough moment. Walker hit upon a plan to head down to Radio 1 early in the morning to hand out copies of his self-released single The Mystery to staff arriving for the day. In amongst the runners, cleaners and security staff who would inevitably find a copy of the single thrust into their hands, Walker hoped a few copies would find themselves in the ownership of some more influential figures. And as DJ Chris Moyles arrived to prepare for his breakfast show, another copy of The Mystery was gone. Moyles subsequently played The Mystery that very morning and received such an overwhelmingly positive public reaction that he played it twice more, eventually giving Doug Walker thirty minutes coverage before a primetime audience.

What followed was the biggest whirlwind of Walker’s life and, just six week later, he had inked a deal with Warner Bros. Records. Two months later, his debut album Fear Together (out since 7 April) was finalised.

Recorded in London and New York with producer Danton Supple (Coldplay) and Michael Brauer (Jeff Buckley, KT Tunstall, The Kooks) on mixing duties, Fear Together showcases songs that Walker has lived with and others that are newly written. Aside from what has quickly become his signature number: The Mystery, Walker unveils the likes of Shine, Shed A Little Light and Obstacles, tunes that he describes simply as being about love, faith and just making it through.

For a man whose influences are supposed to include Jeff Lynne's The Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Buckley, U2, Sting, Radiohead, Sergei Rachmaninov, Matt Hayles from Aqualung, The Divine Comedy, Coldplay and Regina Spektor, very little of these can be heard on the tunes – certainly live, where - on this showing at least - bombast and easy choruses give way to anything like genuine musical invention.

Somewhat inexplicably paired up on tour with Sarabeth Tucek in the Britain (the two acts audiences could scarcely be more different), before heading off to the States and then back to a short run in. Walker and co have recently been found performing at UK Universities- including Strathclyde University Glasgow, De Montford University in Leicester and Royal Holloway College, Egham.

Walker plays Bristol University on Saturday 17 May.

For more information visit Doug Walkers’ home on Myspace – where you can listen to four songs as well as join the emailing list - at: www.myspace.com/dougwalkermusic

The Mystery is available now on CD and as a digital download. Doug Walkers’ debut album – Fear Together – is also out now on the Warner Bros. Records label.

PSP Ltd is not responsible for the contents of external websites.

More information available in Music