The Josh Walker Band offers up toe-tapping, shit-kicking, tear-in-your-beer songs for happy hour. The band’s sound is centered on the singing and songwriting of their Southwest Virginia born and bred eponymous frontman. One moment you’ll find yourself in a smoky bar room; the next you’ll be sitting in the pew of a backwoods Baptist church. The songs are simple, straightforward, and salient. There is something for everyone to tune into.

The band formed in the western suburbs of Denver in late 2021, due much to the insistence of drummer Brad Ruptak. Before too long, lead guitarist Dave Potter and bassist George Simpson had joined the ranks. Potter, Ruptak, and Simpson are consummate professionals in the Colorado music scene; their skill and ear for composition set the outfit’s songs a cut above the rest.

Some call it alt-country. Some call it underground country. Those labels are fine and fair enough. The band, however, calls it saloon music. Sometimes a little wit, humor, and heartache are the perfect prescription for whatever ails the listeners’ soul. “You don’t have to be in a bar to like the songs,” laughs Walker. “A few drinks never hurt, though.”