“[Martin’s albums] celebrate the best of humanity; love, innocence, joy, empathy and the wonder of existence itself. It’s the kind of music that can bring tears to your eyes from marveling at all the beauty in the world.”
Walter Martin is a multi-award-winning songwriter first known for his work with New York rock 'n' roll bands The Walkmen (lyricist, co-writer, multi-instrumentalist 2000-2013) and Jonathan Fire*Eater (co-writer, organist 1994-1998). In 2014 Martin launched a solo career and has subsequently released seven albums of original songs: four critically acclaimed studio albums (2016's Arts & Leisure, 2018's Reminisce Bar & Grill, 2020’s The World at Night and 2022’s The Bear) and two Parents’ Choice Award winning family albums (2014's We're All Young Together and 2017's My Kinda Music). We’re All Young Together features guest appearances by Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeah’s), Matt Berninger (The National) and Alec Ounsworth (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). In March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, Martin released two collections of unreleased songs (Common Prayers; Green Beans & Tangerines).
In December 2023, Martin released a surprise collection of songs, Concert at Coco’s — a “live” party album featuring new and old Martin compositions.
In addition to making his albums, Martin creates original music and songs for film and television. Notably, Martin wrote and performed the original song, “Do-Dilly-Do (A Friend Like You)” for Missing Link, The Golden Globes’ 2020 winner for Best Animated Feature. Martin’s songs written for the Cheerios’ “Right on Tracks” campaign earned him a 2020 Clio Award and a 2020 Cannes Lion Award. Additionally, Martin’s songs have been featured in numerous television advertising campaigns for Apple, Google, Facebook and other major companies including the first TV advertising campaign for TikTok in 2020.
Martin co-wrote songs with Matt Berninger (The National) for his 2020 solo album Serpentine Prison and Martin worked again with Berninger and Phoebe Bridgers on the song “Walking on a String” for the 2020 feature film, Between Two Ferns.
Martin has won multiple awards for original music and he has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR's All Things Considered, Vice, The Atlantic, Pitchfork, Vogue, NPR's Morning Edition, USA Today, The Guardian, SPIN, NPR Music, Billboard, WNYC and various other press outlets. He lives in upstate New York with his wife and two daughters.
SELECTED PRAISE FOR THE BEAR
NEW ALBUM RELEASED MARCH 25, 2022
Pitchfork —
Martin’s songwriting is bittersweet and reflective, full of musings on music and family and an uncertain future…A warmth radiates from The Bear…His friendly-raconteur approach to songwriting, his self-effacing humor, his weathered voice, his optimism and disinterest in fronting as cool—it’s all there.
NPR Music —
He makes just the sweetest most uplifting songs…He’s just such a great storyteller and lyricist—I love his music so much.
All Music —
The marvelous and mundane have always coexisted in Martin’s music, but on The Bear he also balances personal bliss and awareness of the world at large…Perhaps even more than his previous albums, The Bear feels like Martin made it for himself, but anyone who listens closely to it will be richly rewarded.