‘The Walters’ are an indie rock band originally from Chicago, consisting of Luke Olson, Walter Kosner, MJ Tirabassi, Danny Wells and Charlie Ekhaus. They formed in 2014 and later that same year they released their first EP, Songs for Dads. With only one album under their belt, they landed on Spotify’s United States Viral Top 50. Being on this Top 50 caught the attention of a record label, and the band got signed onto Canvasback Records. 

Most notably, The Walters are known for their breakout hit “Love You So”. It currently has over 32 million views on YouTube and has recently been revived in popularity on TikTok as an audio. As someone who has been listening to The Walters for a while, I can say that “Love You So” is among the band’s best work. The song features Olson’s melancholic vocals of an unrequited love while having a misleadingly upbeat tempo, and the two perfectly balance each other out. 

I believe the main reason for the popularity of “Love You So”’ is its heart wrenching lyrics, such as “You’re everything I want / But I can’t deal with all your lovers / You’re saying I’m the one / But it’s your actions that speak louder”. They perfectly capture the longing that so many people feel, even if they know the object of their affections doesn’t feel the same way. The boy in this song desperately wants to believe that this girl is truly committed to him, but he knows that isn’t the way their relationship is. He has to fight the “other lovers” for the girl’s attention, and he’s tired of having to prove himself. “Love You So” showcases the band’s full potential when it comes to lyricism and musicality.

To the band’s credit, it truly was not a one-hit wonder. Songs for Dads features other ballads of heartbreak and longing, such as “Fancy Shoes” and “Sweet Marie”. While together, they also released Young Men, their only other full-length project, and a handful of singles. Because all good things must come to an end, the band sadly broke apart in 2017. Lead singer Luke Olson has released music on his own under the pseudonym L.Martin. Meanwhile, the rest of the band has also been releasing music under the name Corduroy. The Walters might have been a flash in the pan for the indie rock scene; nevertheless, their lyrics and melodies will forever resonate within the depths of music history.