Talking to Walls

Artist Information

Biography

• 2010 album “We Were Not So Tall” co-produced by Greg Giorgio (Interpol, The National, Mates of State) and features guest performances from members of The Stepkids, The Alternate Routes, Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, Rane and many more

• “We Were Not So Tall” debuted on CMJ’s Top 20 Most Added Chart across the US & Canada (April 2010)

• Had their song “We Were Not So Tall” featured in a national television ad (NBC) for the Michael Phelps Foundation/Boys and Girls Club of America

• Licensed music to MTV (at station’s request) for shows in development, and to a sports management company, including for a DVD release that had 20,000 presales

• Worked with photographer Nick Gamma (Art Director and Designer for multi-platinum artists & labels (NSYNC, A Tribe Called Quest, 311, Matthew Sweet, Jive, Merge) and publicist MuseBox (Death Cab for Cutie, Killers)

• Has played 300 shows from Boston to LA.

• Completed regional tours of Hot Topic store chain and Westfield Mall chain

• Provided local tour support for Soul Asylum and Zox

• Showcased at several regional festivals and large venues: CT Film Festival, MEANY (NYC) & Millennium Music Conference (PA), Six Flags (NJ), Rye Playland (NY), Toads Place & Danbury Green (CT), Westfield Malls across NY & CT

• 2006 album “Naked” launched with blanketed press coverage from every print media outlet in their native New Haven and beyond

• Special guests on commercial AOR station WRKI’s morning show - interview & performance

• Yes, drummer Matt Krupa is related to that “other” Krupa.

• Selected as “Band of the Week” by guitar accessories manufacturer Dunlop (6/29/09)

• Top Promo Artist on Artist Direct’s UBL.com, week of 5/2/06. UBL is one of the largest music destinations with over 12.8mm unique users per month. (Source: Media Metrixs, March 2006)

• Krupa and Brian like to drink gin at 3am while watching old Star Trek reruns. Matt Miklos throws excellent theme parties.

• Comfortable on camera, with multiple televised performances and four official music videos

• In an early TtW performance, Brian took third place in a live New York showcase – as a soloist playing against full bands.

• Sponsored by Godin Guitars, Spectraflex Cables, Aurora Strings and Turnpike Music Garage

Instrumentation

Brian Kelly - vocals, guitars
Matt Krupa - drums
Nathaniel Webb - guitars, vocals
Matt Miklos - bass, vocals

Discography

We Were Not So Tall - February 2010
A Long Stilt Walk - July 2009
The Megan EP - January 2009
Naked - March 2006

Links

• MySpace
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

Audio

• Pretty Little Thing
  Listen  
• Came to You
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• Song for Megan
  Listen  
• Crossed My Mind
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• Rollercoaster
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Video

Talking to Walls in 40 seconds

Photo Gallery

Press

• Reviews of 2010's "We Were Not So Tall" [+ Show ]
  

  "The radio-friendly sounds continue to flow, as song after hook-filled song confidently asserts itse..."The radio-friendly sounds continue to flow, as song after hook-filled song confidently asserts itself as worthy of a listen or placement on a TV show." -Mike Sembos, New Haven Advocate
  
  "A very good band that amazingly just keeps getting better" -Pat Ferrucci, New Haven Register
  
  "This is the sound of Rock and Roll when bands actually had to have talent to make a record." -Accidental Genius
  
  "12 rock and roll stories, filled to the brim with guitar soundscapes, tight harmonies, and atmospheric headphone treats." -Skope Magazine

• Review of The Megan EP [+ Show ]
  

  Talking to Walls has taken it to the next level with this five-song disc of warm, polished and diver...Talking to Walls has taken it to the next level with this five-song disc of warm, polished and diverse rock 'n' roll. The four-piece, which includes Brian Kelly, Matt Krupa, Nat Webb and Peter Shindler, has been around the block a couple of times now and is making a go at bigger and better things starting with this "record about friendship." The opener, "Song for Megan," is an Irish punk shuffle. It sounds like cleaned up Dropkick Murphys, complete with bagpipes and gang sing-a-long choruses. "Crossed My Mind" is more in modern rock territory, but of the melodic, hooky variety. "Animate Me" shows the strongest punk influences, a two-and-a-half minute chugger straight out of Buzzcocks territory. Co-producer Greg Giorgio makes this disc shine, and exemplifies what a good artist/producer pairing can do for a band willing to work hard.

• Reviews of 2006's "Naked" [+ Show ]
  

  Hartford Courant, 02/09/06 “Songs on 'Naked' are well-constructed rockers... Blaring guitars frame ...Hartford Courant, 02/09/06
  “Songs on 'Naked' are well-constructed rockers... Blaring guitars frame Kelly’s dark voice...”
  
  "The world's first coffeehouse arena punk band?,"
  Play, 03/22/06
  "Loose, quick-tempo chord progressions recall the sloppy splendor of The Replacements; quieter moments bring to mind a more mature Dashboard Confessional. The disc's opening and closing tracks especially stick – Cut Out's insistent beat crescendos under Kelly's pleading vocals and acoustic strumming, while Come Home With Me closes things out on an energetically crunchy, power-poppy note, with a simple but infectious call-and-response chorus."
  
  New Haven Advocate, 03/23/06
  “[Naked] charges out of the gates with 'Cut Out', a tune with a simple yet effective guitar part, propulsive drumming, a smooth dynamic build... bursts into a coda that actually feels like it belongs... The theatrical earnestness in [Kelly’s] voice is pretty endearing...”
  
  "Get Naked,"
  The Register, 03/24/06
  "'You walked across a field of dandelions'... goes through a complete transformation, replacing an engaging, yet solemn and stark tune with a keenly arranged, multidimensional epic.”
  
  "What could be more satisfying than Talking to Walls?"
  Standard Times, 4/26/07
  "Read: uptempo Cure with the sloppy splendor of The Replacements. It is upbeat music with an artistic undercurrent and depth - Talking to Walls will deliver a show that is a little punk, a little rock, upbeat but with a dark charm, it promises a fun night of live music where there will be something for everyone to relate to; after all, Naked is all about relationships, right?"
  
  "Replacing the Replacements"
  The Day, 4/26/07
  "The quartet's fine single “Cut Out” owes plenty to late-period Replacements and the New Wave anthems that Brits such as the Cure, Simple Minds and James were always better at...Talking to Walls singer Brian Kelly has a bit of Lloyd Cole in him, as evidenced on the lasciviously powerpopping 'Come Home With Me.'"

• Live Reviews [+ Show ]
  

  QuirkyNYChick.com 8/18/09 "The first thing, they're really good live...full of fun and charm...I e...QuirkyNYChick.com
  8/18/09
  "The first thing, they're really good live...full of fun and charm...I enjoy seeing musicians have a good time on stage and when they have genuine smiles, it's infectious. These guys smiled a lot and it was catching. The second thing, Kelly has an incredibly strong voice with a great tone."
  
  Southcoast 24/7, 4/27/07
  "By the way the band-members made their entrance, set up, and generally conducted themselves onstage, says a lot about the kind of band Talking to Walls is…the band played like it was a full house — fucken givin it."
  
  Talking to Walls Rocks Boston
  4/04 - Joe Feloni, Booking Agent, Boston, MA
  "I booked Brian Kelly of Talking To Walls as a solo act and had him place in the second set, slotted between two full bands. Brian came out and ROCKED with his acoustic guitar jangling and his vocals soaring with an energy no less powerful than the bands he was billed with. He has a way of pulling in the audience to be part of the show and to enjoy themselves."

• Making a Mix - Brian Kelly [+ Show ]
  

  "Talking to Walls makes Cure influenced pop songs laden with dark charm. Singer/songwriter/guitarist..."Talking to Walls makes Cure influenced pop songs laden with dark charm. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Kelly’s deep voice and penchant for throwing in an odd cover tune here and there make for an interesting live experience."

• "I believe everything he sings" [+ Show ]
  

  "The thing that stands out about his (Kelly's) music is its earnestness. I believe everything he sin..."The thing that stands out about his (Kelly's) music is its earnestness. I believe everything he sings, and one can't say that about too many singers ... His earnestness shows through and, to me, makes his songs more than the sum of their parts...[Kelly] has some of the most honest lyrics ever."

Setlist

Typical setlist runs approximately 40-60 minutes, though two hour-long sets can be booked as well.

Shows are based around original songs from the latest album, as well as the back catalog and more.

Cover songs are added sparingly, or teased in other songs, as a point of reference for audiences who have not heard the band before. Lots of songs that everyone knows but most bands won't touch. Think Tiffany, Fine Young Canibals, Ton Loc, Wicked Game, Vegas-era Elvis and Poison's "Every Rose Has its Thorn" (the latter played double-time as a rock-stomping anthem). Artistic integrity made fun.

BOTH BAND AND SOLO shows are booked, depending on routing and venue; solo shows feature Brian Kelly.

Basic Requirements

Calendar