21/9: Jess Kerber & Will Orchard | James Walker

We are proud to announce the upcoming concerts by Jess Kerber & Will Orchard (US) and James Walker (UK), on Tuesday, September 21st, starting at 19:30. The indie-folk duo Jess and Will will start the night, followed at 20:30 by James Walker (who you might’ve seen on our terrace before!).

19:30 Jess Kerber & Will Orchard
20:30 James Walker

Will Orchard and Jess Kerber (US) are two songwriters and artists from different corners of the United States. The partnership was formed in Boston, MA upon meeting in Berklee College of Music’s Joni Mitchell Ensemble. Sharing influences from such artists as Adrianne Lenker, Courtney Marie Andrews, Neil Young, and more, the pair quickly developed a chemistry and became close collaborators throughout the corona crisis.

Will Orchard’s sophomore record, I Reached My Hand Out, was released in May 2021 through San Fermin’s label, Better Company Records. The record heavily featured Jess Kerber’s subtle and intricate guitar playing, which colored the sonic backdrop of Will Orchard’s songs, varying from gentle, dream-like folk confessionals to upbeat indie-rock soundscapes.

Similarly, Orchard produced Kerber’s sophomore record, expected to be released in autumn 2021. To expand upon Kerber’s idiosyncratic and deeply personal folk songwriting, the pair facilitated the introduction of a full band into her sound, including instrumentation which stretches from Americana to electronica.

Though they have already performed in cities ranging from Montreal to Chicago, to New Orleans, Will Orchard and Jess Kerber will be making their Europe debut in September 2021, performing at small venues in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

James Walker (UK) began his career as a session musician, performing across Europe with Adam Barnes, Matt Simons, and Chris Ayer. After overcoming a long battle with a chronic heart-lung condition, James decided to work on solo material and debuted English Bones in 2017, which went on to receive over ten million cross-platform streams, and glowing reviews in The Huffington Post, Ear to the Ground, and more. Last year he moved to Antwerp.

Three years after his debut record, James Walker returned in 2020 with an evocative, spacious, and ethereal alt-pop release entitled Great Deceiver. Citing Copeland’s Ixora, Sufjan Stevens’ The Ascension, and Porches’ The House as sonic inspiration, James describes Great Deceiver as a “reflection on what it is to be in a relationship with longing, on dealing with issues of attachment and entanglement, queerness and shame, coping with loss and grief, and on finding strength within our faults”.

“James Walker is one of the rarest types of songwriters. His music is intelligent, introspective, and yet melodious and infectious.” – Overblown Magazine

“Stunningly lovely” – The Huffington Post