Butch Walker

Sycamore Meadows, the street where acclaimed musician Butch Walker lived and worked in Malibu, CA has drastically changed as a result of the massive wildfires that destroyed much of the area last November. And like many other Southern California residents, Walker lost his entire house and all his personal possessions in those fires, including his studio and every master recording he's ever made. But inspiration sometimes comes from tragedy and so it became that this event incited Butch Walker to create music unlike anything he had ever done before. The result is his fourth album entitled Sycamore Meadows, due out on November 11, 2008 (Power Ballad/Stay Platinum/Original Signal). His revered talent - which includes producing for and writing with Pink, Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne, The Automatic, Hot Hot Heat, Secondhand Serenade, The Academy Is..., etc. - shines through on this very personal album and will further prove the staying power of Walker as a solo artist.

Always known to change up his musical styles, Butch Walker trades in his smart-glam, David Bowie-Marc Bolan sound heard on the previous solo album - The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites (July 2006/Epic) - for a classic and introspective sound highlighting his poignant lyrics and unforgettable melodies on Sycamore Meadows. Walker wrote and produced the entire album resulting in a collection of 12 beautifully constructed songs, delivering the distinct vibe his rabid fans already love him for and which will undoubtedly attract new audiences.

First single "The Weight of Her" is an uptempo, anthemic jam that launches the album while ballad "Ships in a Bottle" slows the mood down. "Ships in a Bottle" will be accompanied by a moving homemade video that documents the remains of his house before it was cleared away. Another standout track, "Here Comes The..." features vocals from a soulful Pink. "ATL" is an ode to the city where he grew up featuring lyrics like "Oh Atlanta please need me like I needed you, let your sweaty embrace open wide" while on "Going Back/Going Home" he addresses the fire directly "I finally know the difference between going back and going home."

Butch Walker has seen nearly six years of success as a solo artist and as front man for Marvelous 3, Butch Walker and The Let's Go Out Tonites while also producing and writing GRAMMY-nominated and hit songs for countless other artists. But what really sets him apart from other writers and producers is his dedicated fan base as an artist, selling out venues across the country for several years now and even being considered one of the best live performers of his generation.

After gaining a brief taste of major-label success during the '80s and '90s -- particularly with Marvelous 3, whose single "Freak of the Weak" became a modern rock hit in 1999 -- singer/guitarist Butch Walker traded his bandmates for a solo career. Meanwhile, he also established himself as an in-demand producer by working with such marketable artists as Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, and Pink.

Raised in Cartersville, GA, Bradley Glenn Walker III launched his public career with the band SouthGang, which traveled to Los Angeles in 1988 and inked a contract with Virgin Records. The pop-metal group released two albums before splitting up, and Walker eventually resurfaced with Marvelous 3. The band enjoyed moderate popularity as the '90s wound to a close, but Walker grew frustrated with the band's label, Elektra Records, and Marvelous 3 splintered soon after. He then spent a year producing albums for such groups as Injected and SR-71 (whose most popular single, "Right Now," was co-written by Walker). This production work increased his reputation within the industry, and he quickly signed a solo contract with Arista. Left of Self Centered marked his solo debut in 2002; it also took a page from Marvelous 3's book by embodying the singer's nonconformist attitude and playful rock & roll swagger. Unfortunately, neither that album nor its excellent follow-up, 2004's Letters, caught on with the public.

Walker increasingly turned to production work, and he spent the following two years helming records for such big-name artists as Avril Lavigne (Under My Skin), Pink (I'm Not Dead), and Tommy Lee (Tommyland: The Ride), as well as emerging pop stars like Lindsay Lohan (A Little More Personal [Raw]). The experience further boosted his industry profile and helped shape the sound of his next solo album, 2006's The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites. The album spun stories of drugged-out starlets, struggling wannabes, late-night adventures, and wild parties in L.A.; it was also Walker's most fully realized album to date. Ever the multi-tasker, he returned to the production booth for several additional projects -- most notably Katy Perry's One of the Boys, which became a smash success during the summer of 2008 -- before returning to his solo career that fall with Sycamore Meadows. ~ Tim Sendra & Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide