“It started out as jamming with friends. We played some of my songs and there was an instant click between Lachy and I,” enthuses Jess. I caught up with the super talented Jess Walters, Lachy Brown and Liam Brennan from local band ‘Stress Walters’.
After forming in 2019 with their unique sound, everything happened fast for these guys. “We set our goal for a gig and after some confidence building, organised a tour” states Jess.
“At that initial gig, as we were playing that first song, I felt like I could cry. I’ve played in a lot of bands but this moment was magic” adds Lachy.
While a couple of people have come and gone, Jess and Lachy remain the main drivers and the heart of the band. Jess continues, “now we can all catch up in person again we can get the ball rolling and record some more tracks.” Their songs ‘‘House Wine’ and ‘Tippy Toe’ (check out both music videos on the Humans in Geelong YouTube) are available across most music platforms. I swear, if you listen to ‘Tippy Toe’, you’ll be singing this catchy, fun tune continually for days.
“I’ve been writing lots and our challenge at the moment is to edit this list back for our upcoming recordings. We’re also so thrilled to have Liam onboard as he’s a wealth of knowledge in the local music industry. He’s in almost every band and he plays all instruments. Since lockdown, his room has been full of instruments.” says Jess. You may have seen Liam as part of ‘Rach Brennan and the Pines’, ‘Kite Machine’ and his own band baby, ‘The Grimwoods’.
“We can’t wait for live gigs to start again. While rowdy pub crowds get the adrenaline running, we think the changing restrictions may work in our favour in some ways. Our music is really suited to smaller, intimate, sit-down gigs, the sort that might draw the audience in further.
“We have lots of fun, don’t take things too seriously and are very human.” laughs Jess
Tell us your backgrounds? “I’ve been down here for almost 5 years from Bendigo and I truly feel like a local, especially in the arts community” adds Jess. Lachy, Liam and Tom (keyboard player and the one responsible for the bands recording) were all Joey’s boys and played together in a band called ‘Altitude’ some years back now.
How would you describe your sound? “Sliding into the realms of indie-folk with a sprinkle of pop/rock. Maybe a bit of a mixture of Middle Kids, Daughter & Lucy Dacus.”
“To stay connected with fans this year, we’ve done live gigs via Instagram.” Surprisingly Lachy and Liam were more nervous before these, than any live gigs. “It’s been great to do virtual live gigs”, continues Lachy “but I can see the numbers dropping off now that we can get out again, it’s exciting to explore the new landscape.”
Follow Stress Walters @stresswaltersband on Instagram or Facebook at www.facebook.com/stresswalters
Story: Jacqui Bennett. Photo: Self Timer on 3 Stacked Milk Crates
HuG 