If you don’t necessarily recognize Butch Walker by name, you certainly recognize his work.
Pink, Katy Perry, Weezer, Avril Lavigne, and Fall Out Boy have all benefited from Walker’s songwriting and production skills, and Walker picked up major viral traffic last year on his own when he put his impromptu cover of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” up on YouTube (a version that Swift liked so much that she invited Walker to play with her at the Grammys). And if you’re old enough to remember Dawson’s Creek, you’ll recall “Freak of the Week,” his alt-rock radio hit with his band Marvelous 3.
The Spade, his latest with backing band the Black Widows, is scheduled to drop on August 30 (you can pre-order it here). Like the bulk of his work, it’s full of big hooks, smart lyrics, and an overall sense of clever, stomping fun.
Give a listen to first single “Synthesizers”—exclusive to EW.com—after the jump:
In addition to the new album, Walker also has a book coming out this fall, Drinking With Strangers: Music Lessons From a Teenage Bullet Belt, which is equal parts a how-to guide on becoming a rock star and autobiographical tome about his own adventures in the biz.
Read more on EW.com:
Review: Butch Walker, I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart
Find out what's on the next 'True Blood' soundtrack, and hear Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's cover of theme song 'Bad Things' here -- EXCLUSIVE
'Boardwalk Empire' soundtrack full listing, including Regina Spektor's take on 'My Man': Hear it here -- EXCLUSIVE
come on Eileen!
That’s not very nice.
Oh, come on… it wasn’t a dig. Butch wears his influences on his sleeve!
LOL!
Where’s the synth, Eileen???
Love the sound! Patiently waiting for tour dates!
Love it! Butch is my favorite artist!
Another great song from Butch! And a Duran Duran mention in the lyrics…I am in heaven.
butch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love him!!!! am waiting IMPATIENTLY for tour dates. i’m going thru MAJOR butch withdrawal!! been following him for a long, long, LONG time.
I like Butch, but not digging this song. It’s the first I heard about his book, though! I’ll have to have him sign it!
Every album different from the last.
‘The Spade’ suggesting another slice of wonderful eclectic.
Double excited! ^-^
yet another amazing preview from my most anticipated album release of the year…he keeps re-inventing himself, and it’s always amazing. tour, now, please!!!
Butch is incredible and more people need to discover his amazing music.
I will buy the cd. I will buy the concert ticket(whenever he announces a proper tour).
Kind of ironic that he says he didn’t name his band after an animal… Yet… The Black Widows…
Lol those are insects…..
management.. whatever you want to call it
They’re *arachnids*, and animals lol
I prefer to call them dic_heads.
Saw him in Buffalo this week and he kind of corrected himself when he sang that lyric…lol…
Butch Walker is bar-none the best in the business and has been since the M3 era. Every record is a masterpiece and he’s mastered the failing record industry by writing hits for others, getting paid and saving his best work for himself. Dude can tour and put out what he wants without having to bow down to anyone or depend on the money, as the other radio hacks make him rich. Butch. Is. The. S**t.
Can’t wait for the tour info. Love the new album!
I love you, Butch! Still love synths, too, though… ;P
echo snaps, pseudo piano, and rhyming “staying out all night” with “ghetto fights”.