Colter Wall
{{short description|Canadian singer-songwriter}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Colter Wall
| image = 20171006 Colter Wall.jpg
| caption = Wall in October 2017
| landscape = yes
| alt =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|6|27}}
| birth_place = Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada
| origin = Canada
| genre = {{hlist|Western|country|folk}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|musician}}
| instruments = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar}}
| years_active = 2014–present
| label = {{hlist|RCA|La Honda|Black Hole|Thirty Tigers|Young Mary's}}
| website = {{URL|colterwall.com/}}
}}
Colter Wall (born June 27, 1995) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician. Known for his deep, gruff baritone voice and narrative songwriting, Wall's music encompasses country, folk, and western styles. In June 2015 he released an EP "Imaginary Appalachia". His self-titled debut album was released in May 2017, and his second album Songs of the Plains in October 2018. His third album, Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs, was released in August 2020. His fourth album Little Songs was released on July 14, 2023.{{Cite web |title=Colter Wall Announces New Album Little Songs With The Release Of New Single "Evangelina" |url=https://rcarecordscom-usrca.paas-p.smehost.net/news/colter-wall-announces-new-album-little-songs-with-the-release-of-new-single-evangelina/ |access-date=2023-06-11 |website=RCA Records |language=en-US}}
Early life
Colter Wall was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, on June 27, 1995, the son of Tami and politician Brad Wall. His father served as the 14th premier of Saskatchewan.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/colter-wall-debuts-first-songs-including-the-devil-wears-a-suit-and-tie-1.2995076 |title=Colter Wall debuts first songs, including The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie |work=CBC News |date= March 13, 2015}} He has an older sister named Megan and a younger sister named Faith.{{cite journal|url=http://edwardwillett.com/2009/11/an-interview-with-saskatchewan-premier-brad-wall/ |title=Premier Brad Wall: "The luckiest guy in the country in terms of a job!|journal=Fine Lifestyles Regina|date= 2009 |first=Edward|last=Willett}} He attended Swift Current Comprehensive High School and graduated in 2013. He then studied at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. He made demos of his songs while he was a student, and in 2015, he decided to take a break from his studies at the university to focus on his music career when his first EP was released.{{cite news|url=http://www.prairiepost.com/entertainment/music/item/7964-swift-current-s-colter-wall-celebrates-debut-album.html|title=Swift Current's Colter Wall celebrates debut album|first=Matthew|last=Liebenberg|work=Prairie Post|date=May 25, 2015|access-date=May 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909112701/http://www.prairiepost.com/entertainment/music/item/7964-swift-current-s-colter-wall-celebrates-debut-album.html|archive-date=September 9, 2018|url-status=dead}}
Career
Wall recorded a seven-song EP, Imaginary Appalachia, with Jason Plumb as producer in 2015 at Studio One in Regina, Saskatchewan. He collaborated on the EP with other artists from Regina such as Belle Plaine and The Dead South. He described his music as a blend of blues, folk and Americana. The EP was released on March 9, 2015,{{cite news |url=https://leaderpost.com/entertainment/local-arts/colter-wall-can-scratch-an-appearance-at-the-ryman-off-his-bucket-list |title=Colter Wall can scratch an appearance at the Ryman off his bucket list |first=Jeff |last=DeDekker|work= Regina Leader-Post |date= May 7, 2016 }} and "The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie" was released as his first single. His music gained more attention in late 2015 when professional wrestler Brock Lesnar mentioned him as a favorite artist during an interview with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/country/features/how-folk-singer-colter-wall-got-a-boost-from-brock-lesnar-w484131 |title=How Country Troubadour Colter Wall Got a Boost From Brock Lesnar |first=Joseph |last=Hudak |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 25, 2017 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-date=May 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528214732/https://www.rollingstone.com/country/features/how-folk-singer-colter-wall-got-a-boost-from-brock-lesnar-w484131 |url-status=dead }} Songs from the album were featured in the television show Dog the Bounty Hunter,{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-musician-colter-wall-finds-new-audience-with-wrestlers-and-bounty-hunters-1.3273762 |title=Sask. musician Colter Wall finds new audience with wrestlers and bounty hunters |date= October 15, 2015|work=CBC News }} and the films Hell or High Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.{{cite web |url=http://ckom.com/article/1343283/sasks-colter-wall-heard-soundtrack-oscar-nominated-film |title=Sask.'s Colter Wall heard in soundtrack of Oscar-nominated film |date=February 24, 2017 |work=650 CKOM |access-date=May 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621005344/http://ckom.com/article/1343283/sasks-colter-wall-heard-soundtrack-oscar-nominated-film |archive-date=June 21, 2017 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/colter-wall-contributes-to-another-movie-soundtrack |title=Colter Wall contributes to another movie soundtrack |first=Cam |last=Fuller|work= Saskatoon StarPhoenix|date= March 31, 2017 }} The track used in the films, "Sleeping on the Blacktop", gained more than a million streams on Spotify. The song was also used in episode 3, season 1 of the Netflix series "The Peripheral".
In 2016, Wall opened for Lucinda Williams at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/country/lists/10-new-country-artists-you-need-to-know-november-2016-w448819/colter-wall-w448829 |title=10 New Country Artists You Need to Know: November 2016 |first=Andrew |last=Leahey |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=November 7, 2016 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-date=November 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122032229/http://www.rollingstone.com/country/lists/10-new-country-artists-you-need-to-know-november-2016-w448819/colter-wall-w448829 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/colter-wall-ryman-auditorium-1.3567390 |title=Colter Wall performing Sunday at former Grand Ole Opry |date=May 4, 2016 }} He was signed to Rick Rubin's American Songs publishing company.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/grammys/6874904/rick-rubin-grammy-event |title=Lana Del Rey, Rivers Cuomo, Josh Groban Gather to Fete Rick Rubin at Grammys Event |date=February 12, 2016 |first= Melinda|last= Newman |magazine=Billboard}}
His first full-length album, self-titled Colter Wall, was produced by Dave Cobb at the RCA Studio A in Nashville. Wall was accompanied by Cobb on acoustic guitar, Chris Powell on drums, Mike Webb on piano, and Robby Turner on pedal steel.{{cite web |url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Colter-Wall-Debuts-at-No-2-on-Billboards-Heatseekers-Albums-Chart-20170523 |title=Colter Wall Debuts at No. 2 on Billboard's 'Heatseekers Albums' Chart |date= May 23, 2017 |work=Broadway World }} The album was released on May 12, 2017{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/hear-colter-walls-thirteen-silver-dollars-with-dave-cobb-w471180 |title=Hear Canadian Troubadour Colter Wall's New Dave Cobb Produced Song |first=Robert |last=Crawford |date=March 9, 2017 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207192553/http://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/hear-colter-walls-thirteen-silver-dollars-with-dave-cobb-w471180 |url-status=dead }} and according to Wall, most of the songs on the album are autobiographical.{{cite web |url= http://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/18548/colter-wall-new-album-steve-earle-rick-rubin |title= Meet Colter Wall, the Steve Earle- and Rick Rubin-endorsed Saskatchewan country singer |work=CBC Music |date=May 24, 2017 }}
His second album, Songs of the Plains, was announced in July 2018 and was released on October 12, 2018.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/colter-wall-details-new-album-songs-of-the-plains-703651/ |title=Colter Wall Details New Album 'Songs of the Plains'|first=Jeff|last=Gage |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=July 25, 2018}}
In June 2020, Wall announced his third album, Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs which was released on August 28 with independent label, [https://lahondarecords.com La Honda Records].{{cite web | url=https://www.jambase.com/article/colter-wall-new-album-western-swing-waltzes-and-other-punchy-songs-single | title=Colter Wall Announces New Album 'Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs' & Shares Single }}
Three of Wall's songs are featured in the fourth season of the Paramount series Yellowstone, including a rendition of Rex Allen's 1951 classic "Cowpoke", plus Wall's own "Plain to See Plainsman" and "Sleeping on the Blacktop".
In 2023, Wall released two singles, entitled "Evangelina" and "Coralling the Blues" ahead of his third album Little Songs, which released on July 14, 2023.
In 2024, "Sleeping on the Blacktop" is featured in the Netflix series Kaos.
Influences
Wall was familiar with country music growing up, as country artists such as Johnny Cash were played at home.{{cite web |url=http://weldbham.com/blog/2017/06/06/colter-wall-birmingham-interview/# |title=Young Musician, Old Influences: A Conversation with Colter Wall |date=June 6, 2017 |first=Blake |last=Ells |work=Weld }} He started learning guitar at the age of 13, playing music of rock bands such as AC/DC and Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Later he became interested in old blues artists, and then started to listen to folk music.{{cite web |url= http://theboot.com/colter-wall-album-interview-2017 |work=The Boot |title=Interview: Colter Wall Talks Vinyl, Personal History and His Debut Album|first= Chuck |last=Armstrong |date=June 4, 2017 }} According to Wall, he first heard Bob Dylan's song "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" around grade 10 or 11 (aged 15 or 16), and he was inspired to start writing and singing songs instead of only playing guitar.{{cite web |url=http://theboot.com/colter-wall-road-to-made-in-america-festival-video/ |title=Follow Singer-Songwriter Colter Wall's 'Road to Made in America' |first= Amy |last=McCarthy |date=August 31, 2016 |work=The Boot }} Other early musical influences he cited include Woody Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and he had also expressed interest in country singers such as Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Hank Williams. He also covered Marty Robbins's hit Big Iron on his album Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs.
Discography
=Studio albums=
=Extended plays=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of extended plays, with selected details and chart positions ! rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| EP details ! Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2" |Certifications |
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="45"| US |
| scope="row"|Imaginary Appalachia
|
| 22 | |
|---|
=Singles=
- "The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie" (2015) (RIAA: Gold)
- "Bob Fudge" / "Happy Reunion" (2019)
- "Western Swing & Waltzes" (2020)
- "Cypress Hills and the Big Country" / "Let's All Help the Cowboys (Sing the Blues)" (2022)
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="1" style="width:15em;" |Title ! rowspan="1" |Year ! rowspan="1" style="width:15em;" |Album |
| scope="row" |"Sleeping on the Blacktop"
| rowspan="2" |2015 | | rowspan="2" |Imaginary Appalachia |
|---|
| scope="row" |"Caroline" (Colter Wall featuring Belle Planne) | |
| scope="row" |"Kate McCannon"
| rowspan="2" |2017 | | rowspan="2" |Colter Wall |
| scope="row" |"Fraulein" (Colter Wall featuring Tyler Childers) | |
| scope="row" |"Cowpoke"
| rowspan="1" |2020 | |Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs |
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wall, Colter}}
Category:Canadian folk guitarists
Category:Canadian male guitarists
Category:Canadian country guitarists
Category:Canadian folk singer-songwriters
Category:Canadian country singer-songwriters
Category:Singers from Saskatchewan
Category:People from Swift Current
Category:21st-century Canadian guitarists
Category:21st-century Canadian male singers
Category:Canadian male singer-songwriters