Walter Martin, who has played both organ and bass during his time in indie rock band The Walkmen, has released a new song that is quirky in more ways than one. The track is titled “Jobs I Had Before I Got Rich & Famous,” which is self-explanatory, but Martin also decided to release the track in the most relevant way possible: on LinkedIn.
According to Spin, Martin served as “a lawn mower, delivery driver (both for pizza and roses), and an information services representative for the Cloisters Museum” before joining The Walkmen. In his newest track, which will appear on his forthcoming Arts & Leisure solo album, he outlines each and every one of his mundane former jobs.
The song is folksy, with Martin’s vocals taking center stage and guitar, cymbals and bells taking most of the instrumental weight. There are also breaks in the song where Martin whistles, adding to the folk song aura. It’s different from most songs because most of the lyrics don’t rhyme and Martin is quite literally listing his jobs and the circumstances surrounding them. For instance, he quit the pizza delivery job because college kids don’t tip. To listen to more of his work stories, click play below.
The Walkmen aren’t currently working on anything together; the band’s last album was 2012’s Heaven. Martin is not the only one working on his own, though. Bandmate Peter Matthew Bauer covered St. Vincent’s “Prince Johnny” earlier this year and had released a solo LP called Liberation! in 2014.
Arts & Leisure will be released on January 29, 2016. “Jobs I Had Before I Got Rich & Famous” is the album’s opening track.
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