[Cover photo credit to Melissa Martin]

Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founder of The Walkmen, Walter Martin, has surprise-released a new solo album in time for the holidays titled Concert at Coco’s. Available now exclusively on Bandcamp, Concert at Coco’s features a collection of new songs such as “The Great Zebra Migration (for Lyle)” and “North Of New York,” as well as live versions of previous favorite tracks such as “Sing To Me” and “The Everglades”.

Walter Martin explains:

Concert at Coco’s is a family party record inspired mostly by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Trini Lopez, and that 90’s garage band from California called The Mummies. It was recorded live at Coco’s Marina in July 2023 with a big band and a small audience. I have been working hard on the follow-up to my album The Bear (and it’s gonna be a while) but in the meantime I wanted to drop off a little holiday gift – something you can listen to while making fruitcake or playing monopoly or whatever. Some humor, some heart, and some horror.

Martin is joined by The Coco’s Marina House Band, featuring members Hiram Perkins (drums, backing vocals), Charlotte Eighmey (Farfisa organ, backing vocals), Asenath Vibbard (upright and electric bass), James D. King (guitar, backing vocals), Lovisa B. Stiles (guitar, saxophone, kazoo), Zeba Phillips (percussion, harmonica), and Jessie Hodges (piano, vibraphone, backing vocals).

Concert at Coco’s is Martin’s first new release since 2022’s The Bear. Since then, Martin reunited with his bandmates from The Walkmen for a sold-out 2023 worldwide tour, their first live shows since announcing their hiatus in 2013, which included several back-to-back dates in NYC, Chicago, DC, London, and Los Angeles among others.

You can catch their first public performance in over a decade on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.