Seattle’s Walking Papers, will be hitting the road this spring with Alice In Chains beginning, April 28 in Boston. They will also be playing select headline dates as well as the WNOR Lunatic Luau. The band features singer/songwriter Jefferson Angell, keyboardist/backing vocalist Benjamin Anderson (both from The Missionary Position), bassist Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), and drummer Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees, Mad Season) but because of previous commitments Duff McKagan and Barrett Martin will not be along for these dates. Instead Angell and Anderson will be joined by Nate Daley (guitar), Dan Spalding (bass, upright bass and baritone saxophone), Will Andrews (drums), and Gregor Lothian (saxophone).
‘I first came across Alice in Chains while I was still in middle school and well before they redefined alternative hard rock,” says Jefferson Angell. “Their influence on me as a musician is immeasurable. To have them invite us as the support act on their upcoming US tour is an honor that validates me as an artist in ways that are both hard to imagine or explain.’
Walking Papers recently released WP2, their second album with Loud & Proud Records, on January 19, 2018. Rock ‘N’ Load Magazine said of WP2 in their 10/10-star review, ‘It may only be January, but WP2 could be one of the albums of the year.’ Pure Grain Audio in their 8.5/10 Star review, ‘In 2013, a criminally overlooked debut album by Walking Papers saw its release…Walking Papers was indeed one of the best rock albums of that year…It felt like four multi-talented musicians coming together to craft some beautiful music, and the world was a better place because of that albums’ existence. So, listen up good people, because lightning has indeed struck twice…’ Loudwire calls WP2, ‘…a disc that raises the bar for the foursome with its expressive lyrical content and even more blistering sounds.’ All Music said it’s, ‘Packed with enough dirty guitar riffs to fill a smoky roadside bar…Frontman Jeff Angell’s voice carries the project, his gritty delivery reminiscent of Bono filtered through the murk of Mark Lanegan…those subtle hints of early U2 pop up multiple times.’
WP2 is the follow up to their 2013 critically acclaimed debut album that Rolling Stone called ‘…dark, alternately sensual and sinister.’ USA Today said, ‘Sometimes an album sounds nothing like you expect yet still blows you away… It’s powerful yet nuanced, a kind of rock confident enough in itself that it rarely needs force to make its point.” Consequence Of Sound said, ‘It’s a record that largely eschews typical hard rock fare, opting instead for a blues rock that slinks and wafts as much as it crunches and blusters. This unlikely dynamic makes Walking Papers a pink slip you’ll actually be happy to get.’
Tour Dates:
April 28 – Boston, MA – House of Blues – With Alice In Chains
April 29 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Loft @ The Chance – Walking Papers Headline Date
April 30 – Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theater – With Alice In Chains
May 1 – Toronto, CA – Massey Hall – With Alice In Chains
May 3 – Washington DC – Anthem – With Alice In Chains
May 4 – Philadelphia, PA – Ortlieb’s Lounge – Walking Papers Headline Date
May 5 – Virginia Beach, VA – United Home Loans Amphitheater (WNOR Lunatic Luau)
May 6 – Teaneck, NJ – Debonair Music Hall – Walking Papers Headline Date
May 7 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom – With Alice In Chains
May 8 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom – With Alice In Chains
May 10 – Atlanta, GA – The Roxy – With Alice In Chains
May 12 – Whitesburg, KY – Appalshop Theater – Walking Papers Headline Date
May 15 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theater – With Alice In Chains
May 16 – South Bend, IN – Morris Performing Arts Centric – With Alice In Chains
May 17 – Waterloo, IA – Spicoli’s Grill / Reverb Rock Garden – Walking Papers Headline Date
May 18 – Lincoln, NE – Rye Room – Walking Papers Headline Date