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Following a breakup and a job loss, Walker Landgraf created ‘Phew,’ his vibey debut record

Crafted in the midst of a breakup and a job loss, Walker Landgraf’s debut record “Phew,” released last December, is the sort of musical introduction — strong, charismatic, utterly unique — that is increasingly rare. It is also one of the best local releases of the past year. But it took a long time for the 25-year-old musician to embrace his love for music.

Landgraf, who performs simply as Walker, said although his parents enrolled him in music lessons at a young age, he didn’t enjoy playing music as much as he enjoyed listening to it. It wasn’t until he turned 15 years old that his love of creation blossomed. After receiving encouragement from faculty both at his school and through guitar lessons (as well as some self-taught instruction through the power of the internet), Landgraf began to “fall in love with music.”

Still, it took him a while to see himself as a musician. “I thought about maybe being a music supervisor for TV or working for a record label or something,” Landgraf admitted. But the speed at which he eventually perfected his instruments opened up the possibility of becoming a full-fledged musician.

“I think my sense of my purpose as a musician has really changed,” Landgraf said. “There’s so much joy in just learning how to play. I was learning guitar and then I started making beats and doing music production and there was so much joy just in breaking that down and thinking about the nature of sound and the learning process.”

Landgraf’s songwriting process is rooted in free and improvisational techniques. He puts down whatever pops into his head at any given moment, taking time to play around, make mistakes and get messy. Rather than restrict his creativity, Landgraf leans into accepting whatever comes out of the process of creation. “I’m not a big editor, so I tend to just make a lot of different stuff and really try to enjoy the process of being creative and expressing myself,” he said. Later on, he decides what to share or not share.

That same process was used in developing his latest record, “Phew.” Although he was initially daunted by the idea of making an album, Landgraf soon embraced the process, using a home studio space (filled with drums, a tape machine and microphones) he crafted in his apartment in Edgewater.

Like most interesting pieces of work, the writing for “Phew” developed during a moment of transition for Landgraf. He had just gone through a rough breakup and was fired from his job. “So I had all this space and all of this free time, and I just made this song,” Landgraf recalled.

The song was “Maestro,” the second track on the record. Despite the challenges in his personal life, “Maestro” embodies the encouragement and happiness Landgraf felt making music and expressing himself. “I found that song so awesome to make and it helped me so much with how I was feeling at the time,” he said. “That kind of kick-started the process.”

Determined to make as much music as he could, Landgraf spent the next nine months waking up every morning and creating. “It can be something small, it can be something big, it can be something that I finish or it can be something that I never touch again,” he recalled. “But I’m going to turn on the mics and record and just kind of see what happens.”

This diary-esque album creation process produced 40 songs, which Landgraf then whittled down to the ones he felt told his story the best, the ones that created a feeling of “incredible excitement and happiness” within him. “If I have that feeling about something, then I take that seriously and I remember it,” he added.

Although “Phew” came out in December, the record will be a perfect soundtrack for the much-anticipated spring and summer. Bright and light, Landgraf’s off-kilter brand of R&B, funk and psych rock is reminiscent of artists like D’Angelo, Toro y Moi and UMO. It also makes for a confident and promising debut record. There are some surprises too, like “Alright, Okay,” a warped bluegrass breakup tune that’s equal parts biting and quirky. Catchy melodies and giddy guitar riffs make for a vibey and vibrant collection of songs.

“It’s kind of just about, for the first time in my life, post-grad, being an adult and being on my own and having this total sense of freedom and safety and security at home to express myself,” Landgraf said. “It’s this exhalation. Finally, I get to take a breather.”

Britt Julious is a freelance critic.