Henry David Thoreau spent two years on Walden Pond living a life that he truly wanted to pursue and disregarded society’s standard of conformity.
He once said, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.“
For four Athens’ musicians that meant hiking up their pants, recording a music video in a lake, and ultimately, centering their lives around their passion.
The band started in Atlanta four years ago when best friends Eric Hangartner and Andrew Mendel messed around with the idea of a band. Lead singer, Richard Becker, joined the duo to give Walden a voice, while Jamie de Lange completed the quartet on the base.
Just a year ago, this indie-rock band was playing for small crowds at fraternity house porches and basement bars. Now, Walden is sharing the stage with the likes of Widespread Panic, Perpetual Groove, Third Eye Blind– and yet its band members are still too young to rent a hotel room.
Channeling a Henry David Thoreau, the band wants to be known for its’ raw passion for creating music, tenacity to their art, and the determination to succeed. The men of Walden hope to strip the stigma attached to the rock industry by refocusing on the message, the music, and the overall experience of consuming music in Athens.
While the initial dream happened in Atlanta, the band calls Athens home because it’s where their most formative transformation has occurred.
The Classic City is known for crafting accomplished musicians like R.E.M, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The B-52’s, to name a few and Walden hopes to headline that list one day.
Up next for musicians is the release their self-titled EP “Walden”, which includes a preview party at The Foundry on April 21st.
By Natalie Roe
