What is the current lineup of the Walkabouts?
Chris Eckman - vocals, guitars, piano
Carla Torgerson - vocals, guitars, noises
Glenn Slater - keyboards
Michael Wells - bass
Terri Moeller - drums
For more information on previous lineups of the Walkabouts, as well as which incarnation of the band played on which song, please see Jørgen Rasmussen's excellent chart showing Walkabouts personnel and producers for every Walkabouts album.
How can I order Walkabouts/Chris & Carla music and other merchandise?
Walkabouts recordings can be difficult to track down (unless you live in a major city in Europe). U.S. fans have the option of ordering CD's (and sometimes other items) from The Walkabouts Official Thrift Store. The Glitterhouse web page offers excellent service throughout the world, too.
When were the Walkabouts formed?
The Walkabouts were formed in the Seattle in 1984, by Chris Eckman, Carla Torgerson and Chris' two younger brothers, Grant and Curt. The Eckman brothers had been playing in various punk/pop groups during their college years and Carla alternately came from a folk and street singing background.
Chris and Carla first met while they were both working a summer job at an Alaskan fish cannery, although they were both also attending Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington at the time. A year later they moved to Seattle and the band was born. Please see the brief Walkabouts biography for more details on the band's history.
When will the next Walkabouts album come out?
The latest Walkabouts album is titled Acetylene and it was released in early August 2005.
Is there an easy way to look up Walkabouts/Chris & Carla songs to find out which albums they are on?
Yes, thanks again to Jørgen Rasmussen. He created a comprehensive song index listing the source of every song.
How did the Walkabouts choose their name?
As Chris Eckman once responded to this question, "We named the band after the Nicholas Roeg film 'Walkabout.' Only Carla had ever seen it, but my brother Curt (who was the bass player at the time), saw it on a movie poster and suggested it. We basically chose the name because it reminded us of (Australian band) the Go-Betweens, of whom we were enormous fans. The name has caused us a few problems over the years (marquees that read: "from Australia" and the like) but the name has served us well. Also, thematically it has even functioned well, since so many of our songs have dealt with travel, distances and the road."
When did the Walkabouts really start to become successful in Europe?
After releasing their debut album on PopLlama Records, and two albums and one EP with Sub Pop, in 1993 the band signed directly with Sub Pop Europe (later to become Glitterhouse), and proceeded to release three albums ('New West Motel,' 'Satisfied Mind' and 'Setting the Woods on Fire') in quick succession. These albums established the Walkabouts as a major independent band, both critically and commercially, throughout Europe. The band received widespread radio play, video play on MTV's "120 Minutes," bookings at major festivals, top ten positions in year-end critics polls, and sales figures which made them Sub Pop's top-selling act throughout Europe.
In 1995 the band signed with Virgin Records in Germany, leading to new levels of success. Their first album for Virgin was 1996's 'Devil's Road,' followed by 1997's 'Nighttown.'
Then the band returned to Glitterhouse for 1999's Trail of Stars and they have remained there since.
Who does the great stage backdrops that the Walkabouts use in concerts?
Longtime Walkabouts associate Tony Kroes does those. He sent us some scans of the backdrops, and we have them displayed on a special page.
Why do Chris and Carla perform as a separate act?
Chris Eckman and Carla Torgerson began performing as a duo during downtimes between Walkabouts projects. They released a live album, 'Shelter for an Evening,' (currently out of print) on Sub Pop Germany (now Glitterhouse) in 1993, and their first studio album, 'Life Full of Holes,' in 1995. (For complete information on C&C recordings, please see the Discography.)
How can I write to the Walkabouts?
If you would like to send e-mail to the Walkabouts or Chris & Carla, write to:
Walka777@aol.com
If you would like to write a letter, send it to:
4739 University Way NE, Suite # 1100, Seattle, WA 98105, USA