Walt Wilkins

In Nashville, he’s an established writer, whose songs are listened to by A&R folks in the know, and who other songwriters respect. He’s had songs recorded by Ricky Skaggs, on a Grammy-winning record, Ty Herndon, Perfect Stranger, Trini Triggs, and the same song recorded as a duet by Kenny Rogers & Pam Tillis, and Sammy Kershaw & Lorrie Morgan (the former was featured in the film Cowboy Up). He came to Nashville to visit at the invitation of a well-known producer Chip Young, who heard in Wilkins’ songwriting and performing the same passion and craft he’d heard in some other young mavericks he had produced over the years: Kris Kristoferson, Joe Ely, Delbert McClinton and Larry Gatlin.

In Texas, he’s a semi-cult figure, a compelling performer of the first order who wrote some of Texas idol Pat Green’s best-loved songs, including the anthem that pushed Green hard onto Texas Radio for the first time, “Songs About Texas,” the first song Wilkins ever wrote.

Born in San Antonio and raised mostly in Austin, with an early stint in Hawaii, Wilkins is a 5th generation Texan, whose knowledge of the state’s history and geography, fueled and sharpened by a few years as location scout for the Texas Film Commission, infuse his lyrics with detail and color Texans love. He’s also been a professor, a theology student, and he worked on a few hundred film and television productions, including writing music for a half-dozen films. But songwriting and performing were always the main passion: he joined his first band at fourteen and never looked back: always in bands, until he began performing his own material, when he began putting his own bands together; first in Austin, and then in Nashville.

Wilkins’ new record, Mustang Island, is the latest in a series of records that has won him comparisons to Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Van Morrison and Kevin Welch.

Mustang Island is his most personal work yet.” These songs are my favorites from the last two years of writing, and we recorded it in just a few days, much faster than my other records. It feels spontaneous and raw. This collection of songs is more about my life than my other projects. I guess I’m more comfortable writing about my own head and heart now, such as they are.” Produced with his long-time friend and fiddle player Tim Lorsch, the record is special for another reason: it is being released a label that he started with Lorsch and fellow songwriter Randy Wayne Sitzler. “These days, you might as well take control of as much of your art and business as you can. This whole process is much more exciting when you’re responsible for everything. We’re all hungry to prove ourselves to the world.”

Wilkins music has been compared to the great writers of his time (including John Steinbeck(!!)), and his performances have been described as “mesmerizing” and “moving.” The Nashville Scene recently wrote, “Wilkins continues the Texas troubadour tradition in all the best ways. His voice is equal parts sun-drenched Texas plains and sweet, soothing river water.”