Return of the Folk Punk Heroes: Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra Break Their 10-Year Silence
Remember that band you fell head over heels for back in your flannel-wearing, coffee shop-dwelling college days? The one whose lyrics you scribbled in the margins of your philosophy textbooks? Well, dust off your vinyl player because Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra just crawled out of their decade-long hibernation cave with a fresh track that’ll hit you right in the nostalgia feels.
After leaving us hanging since 2014’s Well Soon, these folk punk darlings have finally decided to grace our ears once more with “101 S” – and honestly, it was worth the wait. Frontman Dustin Hayes, who’s been keeping busy with his electric side project Walter Etc., is back at the helm of this scrappy, heart-on-sleeve revival that’s got the indie music world buzzing.
The Unexpected Comeback That’s Breaking The Internet
Let’s be real – in the music industry, a decade might as well be a century. Bands disappear for a few years and return to find their fans have moved on to whatever TikTok is pushing this week. But Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra aren’t just any band.
As music journalist Steven Hyden once noted, “The best comebacks aren’t just about nostalgia – they’re about proving the music still matters in the present tense.” And that’s exactly what Hayes and company have accomplished with “101 S” – a track that feels both comfortingly familiar and refreshingly current.
The new single captures everything that made us fall in love with them in the first place: raw authenticity, clever wordplay, and melodies that stick to your brain like that gum you accidentally sat on at a house show. It’s like they’ve been frozen in amber since 2014, preserving all their scrappy charm while the rest of us were busy growing up and getting boring jobs.
Where Have They Been All This Time?
While Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra took an extended vacation from our playlists, Dustin Hayes certainly didn’t spend the last decade binge-watching Netflix in his pajamas (or maybe he did – we’re not judging). Under the moniker Walter Etc., Hayes continued crafting tunes with a more electrified, polished sound that maintained the emotional core of his songwriting.
But there’s something special about the original configuration – that makeshift orchestra magic that can’t quite be replicated. As one industry insider put it, “Sometimes a band’s chemistry is like lightning in a bottle. You can try to recreate it, but there’s nothing like the original formula.”
The folk punk scene itself has evolved during their absence, with bands like AJJ, Days N’ Daze, and The Front Bottoms carrying the torch. Yet there remained a Walter Mitty-shaped hole in our hearts that no amount of banjo-driven anthems about existential crises could fill.
What “101 S” Tells Us About Their Evolution
If you were worried they might return with some overproduced, algorithm-friendly pop nonsense, you can breathe easy. “101 S” showcases a band that knows exactly who they are and what made fans connect with them in the first place.
The track strikes that perfect balance between nostalgia and growth. Hayes’ distinctive vocals still quiver with emotion over stripped-down instrumentation, but there’s a maturity to the songwriting that reflects the decade that’s passed. These aren’t the same kids who wrote about post-college angst and relationship woes – they’ve lived some life, and it shows.
Amanda Petrusich of The New Yorker once observed that “the best folk music doesn’t shy away from the passage of time – it embraces it, chronicles it, and makes peace with it.” Walter Mitty’s return embodies this principle, acknowledging the years gone by while refusing to be defined solely by their earlier work.
What This Means For Folk Punk Fans
For the dedicated fans who’ve been waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for this moment, “101 S” feels like a personal victory. You knew they’d be back. You kept their albums in your regular rotation. You refused to relegate them to the “bands I used to listen to” playlist. And now you get to be insufferably smug about it.
But even if you’re new to the Walter Mitty universe, this is the perfect entry point. Their sound – a delightful mash-up of folk intimacy and punk energy – feels particularly relevant in our current musical landscape, where authenticity is currency and genre boundaries are increasingly meaningless.
With streaming platforms making music discovery easier than ever, this comeback could introduce a whole new generation to the joys of scrappy, DIY folk punk. Imagine teenagers in their bedrooms discovering Walter Mitty for the first time and feeling that same connection that hooked you years ago. It’s enough to warm even the most cynical indie kid’s heart.
What’s Next for Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra?
While “101 S” is the only offering at the moment, rumors are swirling about more music on the horizon. Will we get a full album? A tour? A limited edition vinyl release that will sell out in three minutes flat and then appear on eBay at quadruple the price? The band is keeping their cards close to their chest for now.
What we do know is that this single isn’t just a one-off nostalgia trip. There’s intention behind this release, suggesting that Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra are truly back in the game, not just visiting.
So clear some space on your playlists and prepare your “I liked them before they came back” speech, because folk punk’s prodigal sons have returned, and they sound better than ever.
Conclusion: Worth The Wait
In a musical landscape where bands come and go faster than fashion trends, there’s something profoundly satisfying about a comeback that feels both authentic and necessary. Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra haven’t just returned; they’ve reminded us why we missed them in the first place.
“101 S” is available now on all major streaming platforms. If you’re new to the band, do yourself a favor and dive into their back catalog while you wait for whatever comes next. Your ears will thank you, and you’ll have plenty of time to become an “original fan” before they blow up all over again.
Have you heard “101 S” yet? Are you a long-time Walter Mitty fan or just discovering them now? Drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts on this folk punk revival!
0 Comments