Erin Walter (Parker Woodland)

Wow, what a dynamic human being! 

I'm so happy to offer you my official first interview of 2026 with Erin Walter of Austin's indie punk-pop activist power trio Parker Woodland. (We spoke during our recent TX ice storm & it was such a much-needed hour of joy for me!) 

Erin is not only a bandleader, bassist, songwriter & vocalist but she is a true leader in the Austin community & beyond serving as an award-winning Unitarian Universalist justice leader for Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry and yes, she is also a mom to two teens!

The fact that Erin started this interview off by leading us in some deep breaths says a lot about her personality & how she operates...holistically & humanly! We dig into her justice work, her two new singles out this week (also see: justice work), how she came to be a musician, the loss of her dad & how that grief has informed a lot of how she moves through life, and her secret self-care pro tip! 

Erin serves on the advisory council for The SIMS Foundation, which provides mental health and substance use recovery services, and was the board president for Girls Rock Austin. Due to their commitment to the betterment of their hometown, the Austin City Council made a proclamation at City Hall to create an annual Parker Woodland Day on September 12th in honor of their album There's No Such Thing as Time. Two-time recent Sonic Guild grant winners, Parker Woodland plans to release their sophomore full-length later this year.

Official Parker Woodland site

Listen to Parker Woodland here

Follow Parker Woodland here

Erin's justice ministry

Transcript

Erin Walter - Parker Woodland - Another Mother

00:01:35 Suzanna Choffel: Erin Welcome to another mother.

00:01:39 Erin Walter: Hi. How are you?

00:01:42 Suzanna Choffel: I'm great. We are both weathering an ice storm as mothers right in Texas. Uh.

00:01:48 Erin Walter: Uh.

00:01:48 Suzanna Choffel: So. Yeah. How's that going for you in your neck of the woods?

00:01:51 Erin Walter: Well, I was just going to ask you if we could just, like, take a deep breath before we start

00:01:55 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:01:56 Erin Walter: one

00:01:56 Suzanna Choffel: I think that's

00:01:57 Erin Walter: of

00:01:57 Suzanna Choffel: a

00:01:57 Erin Walter: the.

00:01:57 Suzanna Choffel: great idea.

00:01:58 Erin Walter: Thank you. Let's just take a breath, man. Um.

00:02:00 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah, let's do

00:02:01 Erin Walter: All

00:02:01 Suzanna Choffel: it.

00:02:01 Erin Walter: right.

00:02:01 Suzanna Choffel: Let's

00:02:01 Erin Walter: I'm

00:02:01 Suzanna Choffel: do

00:02:02 Erin Walter: going

00:02:02 Suzanna Choffel: it.

00:02:02 Erin Walter: now. Ooh.

00:02:05 Suzanna Choffel: Ah, yes.

00:02:07 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:02:08 Suzanna Choffel: That's better,

00:02:08 Erin Walter: And if anybody

00:02:09 Suzanna Choffel: that's

00:02:09 Erin Walter: wants

00:02:09 Suzanna Choffel: better.

00:02:09 Erin Walter: to join us, I'm just gonna do it one more time. Yeah. I think, you know,

00:02:17 Suzanna Choffel: Needed

00:02:17 Erin Walter: one of the

00:02:17 Suzanna Choffel: that.

00:02:17 Erin Walter: benefits of getting to this stage in our life, and you and I are in kind of a similar place, is like you, at least for me. Like I've come to learn to listen to my body and what it's asking for. I've come to learn to care very little about. Like what? What is supposed to be happening.

00:02:34 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:02:34 Erin Walter: You know, it's just like,

00:02:35 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:02:35 Erin Walter: uh. So I got myself a cup of tea and

00:02:38 Suzanna Choffel: Nice.

00:02:39 Erin Walter: I'm sitting here in a cozy spot. But but yeah, to your point, like we are in a snow day, so there's been some fun. My daughter and I did some sledding with our neighbor buds, including,

00:02:48 Suzanna Choffel: Awesome.

00:02:49 Erin Walter: yeah, including

00:02:50 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:02:51 Erin Walter: the original guitar player for Parker Woodland. Um, Dan Mcmonagle,

00:02:54 Suzanna Choffel: Oh perfect.

00:02:55 Erin Walter: who brought

00:02:55 Suzanna Choffel: Oh that's

00:02:56 Erin Walter: a.

00:02:56 Suzanna Choffel: great.

00:02:56 Erin Walter: Yeah, he brought a kayak to the hill. Where? Where the band actually, like, first started practicing and all that stuff. It's this church on a hill on woodland and near

00:03:05 Suzanna Choffel: Oh

00:03:05 Erin Walter: Parker

00:03:05 Suzanna Choffel: my

00:03:05 Erin Walter: Lane.

00:03:05 Suzanna Choffel: God.

00:03:06 Erin Walter: So we've had some fun today, but I've also been on, like, what? Feel like endless calls, um, you know, organizing um, uh, abolition and

00:03:16 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:03:16 Erin Walter: support for our incarcerated and immigrant communities. So it's it's been a day and it's only

00:03:21 Suzanna Choffel: Girl.

00:03:21 Erin Walter: three fifteen.

00:03:23 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah. As you as you may have noticed in Parker Woodlands bio that I read at the beginning, not only is Aaron an incredible musician and just a powerhouse force of a of a musical being and mother. She is also an amazing activist. And you are. Let me. I don't know if I'm getting this right. You're the reverend of which church?

00:03:46 Erin Walter: yeah, I'm ordained in the Unitarian Universalist denomination, and that's

00:03:50 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:03:50 Erin Walter: what I went to seminary. I'm actually in my doctoral program right now. I as

00:03:54 Suzanna Choffel: Wow.

00:03:54 Erin Walter: long as I make it through, I'll be the reverend doctor Erin Walter.

00:03:56 Suzanna Choffel: Yes. The

00:03:57 Erin Walter: I

00:03:58 Suzanna Choffel: reverend

00:03:58 Erin Walter: know,

00:03:58 Suzanna Choffel: That's amazing.

00:03:59 Erin Walter: I'm I'm trying, I'm trying. I'm pacing myself. It's like one class, one week every six months. That's

00:04:04 Suzanna Choffel: Wow.

00:04:05 Erin Walter: like working mom style, but,

00:04:07 Suzanna Choffel: Oh.

00:04:07 Erin Walter: I yeah, I am not a minister in a congregation, per se. I am the minister of the statewide justice network for our denomination. So I

00:04:18 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:04:18 Erin Walter: help mobilize the forty Unitarian Universalist congregations around Texas to show up for justice work. And what's related musically is just that all justice work needs music, as you know.

00:04:31 Suzanna Choffel: Yep. Yep.

00:04:32 Erin Walter: Um, so we bring to everything we do, and then I bring the justice and the abolition lens to everything Parker Woodland does. And so it's kind of like a tapestry that I've woven at this stage of my life for those things. And I'm very grateful, um, because I don't want to live a fractured life. I want

00:04:48 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:04:49 Erin Walter: those things woven together. And so that's that's where I'm at right now. Yeah.

00:04:52 Suzanna Choffel: That's amazing. Yes. You. I don't know how you do all that. You do. I watch you in your world, and I'm just like, wow, she's she's doing a lot out there. And so I thought you would be the perfect person, especially at this moment, to, uh, to interview. You're actually officially the first my first interview of twenty twenty six. Even though I launched a couple weeks ago, those interviews were from way back yonder. So I'm really stoked that that I have you in this particular moment with what's going on in our country. Um, and we will will definitely talk about that. I want to get to that a little bit. But right now I want to start just kind of by asking you about motherhood and what? Okay, my first

00:05:32 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:05:32 Suzanna Choffel: question always to to every artist I interview is did you always know you wanted to be a mom? What was your journey to motherhood like? And and then maybe tell us, you know, how many kids you

00:05:43 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:05:43 Suzanna Choffel: have, what are their ages? What stage of motherhood are you in at this moment?

00:05:46 Erin Walter: Absolutely. So I definitely always wanted to be a mom. Um, I don't remember. Not, um, I wasn't I don't think I was like a play with baby dolls person or anything, but I definitely remember having, like, He-Man Shira type

00:06:00 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:06:00 Erin Walter: dolls,

00:06:01 Suzanna Choffel: Me too. Yeah.

00:06:02 Erin Walter: um,

00:06:02 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:06:03 Erin Walter: some Barbie and the rockers. Some Jem and the holograms.

00:06:05 Suzanna Choffel: Hell, yeah. Oh,

00:06:06 Erin Walter: Yeah,

00:06:06 Suzanna Choffel: yeah.

00:06:06 Erin Walter: yeah.

00:06:07 Suzanna Choffel: For sure.

00:06:07 Erin Walter: But my my husband and I, uh, have been together a long time, and we always knew that we wanted to have kids. And so, um, we have a sixteen year old daughter and a fourteen year old son, and they

00:06:21 Suzanna Choffel: Nice.

00:06:21 Erin Walter: are. I just love them so much. They're just light of my life. Light of my life. My fourteen year old is like six one. So we've

00:06:29 Suzanna Choffel: Oh my

00:06:30 Erin Walter: been

00:06:30 Suzanna Choffel: God.

00:06:30 Erin Walter: just like, he gives the best hugs right now. Um, and my, I don't know. So I guess what I would say about my journey with motherhood is, um, I love it so much. And we in particular right now, as you've seen online, are grieving the loss of our first and only family pet,

00:06:48 Suzanna Choffel: I know.

00:06:48 Erin Walter: our thanks, our dog spur. And so I've especially been thinking about, you know, just like trying to be present for my kids in the midst of a lot that's going on with my band, a lot that's going on in the justice landscape.

00:07:03 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:07:03 Erin Walter: But like today in the my daughter had spent the night at her best friend's house, and their parents are also musicians and good friends, and they live like a little over a mile away on the other side of thirty five from us in Travis Heights. And my daughter. I thought she understood that she was not going to be able to drive home today, like I thought she wanted to be stranded at her friend's house, but she woke up sad this morning.

00:07:25 Suzanna Choffel: Oh!

00:07:25 Erin Walter: And so I was like, you know what? I will walk to meet you. So I like it was like a three hour

00:07:31 Suzanna Choffel: Oh my gosh.

00:07:32 Erin Walter: Walking round trip, but it was so worth it because

00:07:35 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:07:36 Erin Walter: I got to like, we had pancakes with the friends when I got there. Um, she got to understand that I would do anything for her. Uh, not that

00:07:43 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:07:44 Erin Walter: that's. I mean, there's worse things than walking a mile and a half in the snow, but I really felt like those people back

00:07:48 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:07:48 Erin Walter: in the day. I walked, I walked, and it was uphill both ways. Susanna.

00:07:52 Suzanna Choffel: You're

00:07:53 Erin Walter: Anyway.

00:07:53 Suzanna Choffel: like. You're like. It was legit. It was legit.

00:07:55 Erin Walter: Anybody who's been in Travis Heights knows that it's somehow uphill both ways. Every time.

00:07:59 Suzanna Choffel: It is,

00:08:00 Erin Walter: Uh,

00:08:00 Suzanna Choffel: it is.

00:08:00 Erin Walter: and that's that's the neighborhood I grew up in. I went to Travis High School and,

00:08:04 Suzanna Choffel: Oh right on.

00:08:04 Erin Walter: um. Yeah. So, like, I'm raising my kids in the neighborhood and the community that my husband and I grew up in,

00:08:09 Suzanna Choffel: That's

00:08:09 Erin Walter: and so

00:08:09 Suzanna Choffel: great.

00:08:09 Erin Walter: that's really cool. And then I'm. This is such a long answer. I know, but I'll just

00:08:13 Suzanna Choffel: No,

00:08:13 Erin Walter: say, like,

00:08:14 Suzanna Choffel: no,

00:08:14 Erin Walter: you

00:08:14 Suzanna Choffel: that's

00:08:14 Erin Walter: know.

00:08:14 Suzanna Choffel: what it's supposed to be. It is. This is a very rambling podcast. Go

00:08:18 Erin Walter: I

00:08:18 Suzanna Choffel: on.

00:08:18 Erin Walter: love it,

00:08:18 Suzanna Choffel: Because

00:08:18 Erin Walter: I love

00:08:19 Suzanna Choffel: motherhood

00:08:19 Erin Walter: it.

00:08:19 Suzanna Choffel: is messy.

00:08:20 Erin Walter: Yes. Amen to that. So we are raising our kids in community. Um, and so like on the walk home, a good number of our friends, you know, we're on a text group and everything with the neighborhood. And we're sledding on the hill. You know, so we got to sled on the hill on the way home. It's just I love the way that I mean. Grief and joy and, like, justice seeking and trying to make the world a better place and being present to what is. Like all of that is woven together in motherhood and in community. And

00:08:53 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:08:53 Erin Walter: that's kind of what's on my heart right now.

00:08:55 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah. That's beautiful, I love it. I love that you're living that way. It's, um. It's. You know what? Did you. Okay. Hold on. I just stumbled upon something on your bandcamp that I had never

00:09:04 Erin Walter: Okay.

00:09:05 Suzanna Choffel: seen. Your kind of your motto or your. Okay. Hold on.

00:09:08 Erin Walter: Oh.

00:09:08 Suzanna Choffel: Parker. Woodlands music asks one question. What if you lived life like you truly mean it? I love that, and I feel like that's

00:09:16 Erin Walter: Thank

00:09:16 Suzanna Choffel: kind

00:09:16 Erin Walter: you.

00:09:16 Suzanna Choffel: of what you're doing with, with with motherhood and

00:09:19 Erin Walter: Thank

00:09:19 Suzanna Choffel: and all

00:09:20 Erin Walter: you.

00:09:20 Suzanna Choffel: the things. Um. Well that's amazing. So. Okay, so you've got two teenagers. So,

00:09:24 Erin Walter: Yes.

00:09:25 Suzanna Choffel: um. Wow. That's. Yeah, that must be really intense right now, because they are they are at ages where they're a little bit more aware and involved in the world. You know,

00:09:36 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:09:36 Suzanna Choffel: my children are kind of still living in the bubble of childhood

00:09:40 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:09:40 Suzanna Choffel: innocence. You know, we I do talk to them. I'm very, um, proactive about talking to them, about what's going on in the world and kind

00:09:46 Erin Walter: Mhm.

00:09:46 Suzanna Choffel: of a presentable way, but I'm, I'm. How do they see you and your work and your music have have you gotten

00:09:54 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:09:54 Suzanna Choffel: any feedback from them about like. Yeah. Are they are they into

00:09:58 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:09:58 Suzanna Choffel: it. Do they think it's cringe? Do they you know, all the things

00:10:00 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:10:01 Suzanna Choffel: you get with teenagers. What's it like being

00:10:03 Erin Walter: Totally.

00:10:03 Suzanna Choffel: the rock star mom of teens?

00:10:05 Erin Walter: Oh my gosh. Totally. Well I will say you know I've been playing music since before I had kids, I grew up playing upright bass in uh Orchestra at Fillmore which is now lively

00:10:15 Suzanna Choffel: Oh,

00:10:15 Erin Walter: on

00:10:15 Suzanna Choffel: yeah.

00:10:15 Erin Walter: South Congress.

00:10:16 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:10:16 Erin Walter: Yeah. And then Travis High School and I, um, I've, you know, I've been playing in bands since my early twenties, and so they've never known me not to be

00:10:26 Suzanna Choffel: Right?

00:10:26 Erin Walter: playing playing in rock bands.

00:10:28 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:10:28 Erin Walter: Um, and my daughter and I have been involved with girls Rock Austin together in different ways for a long time. Um,

00:10:36 Suzanna Choffel: That's awesome,

00:10:37 Erin Walter: yeah.

00:10:37 Suzanna Choffel: I love that.

00:10:38 Erin Walter: Yeah, both of my kids have different, like, musical and creative things going on in their life. Um, so. But what was I oh, I, I have a friend who I love so much who's a fellow musician, and she doesn't have kids and never wanted kids. And she told me one time when she saw us Parker Woodland playing at chess club, and my kids were up front, just like thrashing

00:10:57 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:10:57 Erin Walter: out and doing all the words and everything. She was like, I looked at your kids and I thought, for the first time in my life, maybe I could have wanted to have kids, you know? Um,

00:11:06 Suzanna Choffel: She's like, if it looks like that, that's

00:11:08 Erin Walter: yeah,

00:11:08 Suzanna Choffel: cool, I want

00:11:08 Erin Walter: right.

00:11:09 Suzanna Choffel: it.

00:11:09 Erin Walter: I definitely, definitely hit the jackpot on that stuff. Like, like a lot. There's pictures of Parker Woodland, like, where we have people jump up on stage and dance with us. And when my daughter's there, that's her. And, you know, my son's, uh, more reserved, but he's always,

00:11:23 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:11:24 Erin Walter: you know, cheering me on. They're both walking around in these, like, abolish ice Parker woodland hoodies right

00:11:29 Suzanna Choffel: Yes,

00:11:29 Erin Walter: now. And,

00:11:29 Suzanna Choffel: yes,

00:11:30 Erin Walter: um. Yeah.

00:11:31 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:11:31 Erin Walter: And,

00:11:31 Suzanna Choffel: love it.

00:11:32 Erin Walter: um, my daughter, uh, is publicly out as a lesbian and so and has been for a few years.

00:11:40 Suzanna Choffel: Right

00:11:40 Erin Walter: And

00:11:40 Suzanna Choffel: on.

00:11:40 Erin Walter: so like she shows up in the ways that she chooses to show up. And, you know, we kind of consult about, about that and then, you know, it's just like meeting the kids where they are. Like, there was a time when my son, who was when he was much younger, loved to come to the Capitol with me and wear like a rainbow fur coat and a,

00:11:55 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:11:55 Erin Walter: you know, a flag trailing behind him. And and now he's in a season where he's a little more, um, you know, behind the scenes. And that's okay, too. Like, I think like the fact that kids can can make those we can have consent and conversation with them about about what they want to do is

00:12:10 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:12:10 Erin Walter: important. Yeah.

00:12:11 Suzanna Choffel: Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, and you seem like. Yeah, you're you're just an open person, So you're never gonna, like, shoot your kids down for, you know, whether or not they want to be, you know, involved in your musical world or your, you know,

00:12:24 Erin Walter: Oh, yeah.

00:12:24 Suzanna Choffel: activist world, even though undoubtedly they are because they see you leading the way. And how could they not? Because you're, you know, your music is so infectious. Your your whole

00:12:33 Erin Walter: Thank

00:12:33 Suzanna Choffel: vibe

00:12:34 Erin Walter: you.

00:12:34 Suzanna Choffel: is so infectious. I have been to those shows.

00:12:36 Erin Walter: Oh!

00:12:36 Suzanna Choffel: Uh, I remember seeing a show and I think your daughter was there and it was awesome. And I was like,

00:12:43 Erin Walter: Ah!

00:12:43 Suzanna Choffel: wow, that's that's a really, really cool family dynamic. I love that I myself have not gotten my kids to perform with me. They're very shy. And so

00:12:51 Erin Walter: Oh!

00:12:51 Suzanna Choffel: I'm hoping with time they will they will want to. But, you know, again, just trying to let them do their thing and be their own beautiful people in the world because, you

00:13:01 Erin Walter: Oh

00:13:01 Suzanna Choffel: know,

00:13:01 Erin Walter: my gosh.

00:13:02 Suzanna Choffel: no

00:13:02 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:13:02 Suzanna Choffel: one needs to be forced to do anything to do rock and roll. You have

00:13:05 Erin Walter: No.

00:13:06 Suzanna Choffel: to love it.

00:13:06 Erin Walter: Yeah. And, you know, I never did any theater. And both of them have done theater.

00:13:10 Suzanna Choffel: Um.

00:13:10 Erin Walter: So it's been really interesting for me to get a glimpse into in a different artistic medium. And now my daughter's a filmmaker.

00:13:18 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:13:18 Erin Walter: So, like, it's just I just want to I always say, like, about myself. Like, I just want to be able to use my gifts. Like that's a thing that I feel about the human experience and being alive is like, I just want everyone to be able to feel like they they got to use their gifts. And and

00:13:33 Suzanna Choffel: Absolutely.

00:13:33 Erin Walter: so my, my kids are finding the ways that they use their gifts, you know, um, and I think that's also a thing that's just, if I may say, like, really important for people to understand right now, in the moment that we're in, um, nationally and here in Texas, which, to be fair, is a moment that we've, you know, many communities, communities of color have been in for a very, very long

00:13:55 Suzanna Choffel: Right,

00:13:56 Erin Walter: time.

00:13:56 Suzanna Choffel: right.

00:13:57 Erin Walter: And that, you know, sometimes white folks or other folks are starting to wake up to.

00:14:01 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:14:01 Erin Walter: And that's okay. I mean, it's it's not okay, but it's like we need everyone. So like,

00:14:05 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:14:05 Erin Walter: we we want to be able to welcome people into the work however they get here. Um, and also there's the tendency when people get motivated by a national event or outcry to just want to like, kind of jump in and reinvent the wheel or like they don't know what's happening, so they might make extra work. So I just want to encourage people to look for where directly impacted folks are leading the way or are making asks or, or, you know, and also that we don't all have to do the same thing. Like since this is a mom's podcast, like the the organizing call I was just on right before I got on here,

00:14:45 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:14:45 Erin Walter: we were talking about the things that moms with young kids can do to support, like immigrant rights or abolition work. And

00:14:53 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:14:53 Erin Walter: there's so

00:14:53 Suzanna Choffel: Tell

00:14:53 Erin Walter: many,

00:14:53 Suzanna Choffel: us.

00:14:54 Erin Walter: you know, it's like caring for others, right? Caring for others, making meals for the people who go out to do

00:14:59 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:14:59 Erin Walter: ice watch or, you know, whatever, like you don't. It's like find the thing that is authentic to you, where you can really offer something that's being asked for and

00:15:12 Suzanna Choffel: Right?

00:15:13 Erin Walter: then, you know, show up humbly and listen for that, you know?

00:15:16 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:15:16 Erin Walter: Um,

00:15:17 Suzanna Choffel: I love it,

00:15:17 Erin Walter: yeah.

00:15:17 Suzanna Choffel: I love it. That's so true. I've been thinking on that a lot too, because I often feel quite guilty that I don't make it out enough in person to protests. Um, and I have realized that a lot of times, what I truly want to do is write a song and then like and then and then put it out there, even if it's just like a quick song, it's nothing that's meant to be officially recorded and promoted, and it's just just like sort of a way to connect with others quickly through

00:15:45 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:15:46 Suzanna Choffel: art. And I think it's really powerful. I've seen it a couple times when I've done it, like really reach people and I'm like, okay, that is a way that I can I can show up in, in maybe a whatever, just a, an easier way for myself at this moment in time with two young children. Um, and so I think it's really it is it's important to figure out what you can do, how you can do it to where, you know, not everybody has to show up. It's great if you can,

00:16:11 Erin Walter: Oh my

00:16:11 Suzanna Choffel: but.

00:16:11 Erin Walter: gosh.

00:16:12 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:16:12 Erin Walter: Well, and like you just described writing that song as easy, but I've seen some of the songs you've written in in recent times about the issues we're facing. And ninety nine point nine percent of people would not call that easy. Right. Like and that's

00:16:27 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:16:27 Erin Walter: when you know, that's when you know it's your natural lane where you have a true gift

00:16:32 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:16:32 Erin Walter: to offer. Like it would be impossible for most people. But you it's just it's it's you that can do it. You know,

00:16:39 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah, yeah.

00:16:39 Erin Walter: and I just think that's wonderful and. Yeah, like, absolutely not everybody can go to some big rally. And here's the, the truth. Like we need people to do the unglamorous, not on the internet

00:16:54 Suzanna Choffel: Yep

00:16:54 Erin Walter: work.

00:16:55 Suzanna Choffel: yep.

00:16:55 Erin Walter: We need people

00:16:56 Suzanna Choffel: That's

00:16:56 Erin Walter: to

00:16:56 Suzanna Choffel: true.

00:16:56 Erin Walter: do the old fashioned calling on the phone. Call every representative

00:17:00 Suzanna Choffel: Um.

00:17:00 Erin Walter: you have. Use that

00:17:01 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:17:01 Erin Walter: five calls. App call.

00:17:03 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah. That's great. I've been using that a ton lately.

00:17:05 Erin Walter: It's so good.

00:17:06 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:17:06 Erin Walter: And like, write a letter to the editor. I know most of us don't get a physical newspaper anymore, but you know who does? Everybody who's an elected official, they

00:17:14 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:17:14 Erin Walter: all get the newspaper. And so we really do need people to do

00:17:18 Suzanna Choffel: Absolutely.

00:17:18 Erin Walter: this, like unglamorous stuff.

00:17:22 Suzanna Choffel: Yes. Yeah. It's going to take all of us seriously.

00:17:25 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:17:25 Suzanna Choffel: Like, every little tiny skill and and and

00:17:28 Erin Walter: Big time.

00:17:28 Suzanna Choffel: way of infiltrating, uh, the system. So. Yep.

00:17:31 Erin Walter: Yep.

00:17:32 Suzanna Choffel: I'm with you one hundred percent. Thank you. I'm

00:17:33 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:17:33 Suzanna Choffel: glad you. I'm glad you. You said that. That's that's, like, real, tangible, you know, advice for

00:17:38 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:17:38 Suzanna Choffel: all the hard working mamas out there. So.

00:17:41 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:17:41 Suzanna Choffel: So

00:17:41 Erin Walter: You

00:17:41 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:17:41 Erin Walter: got.

00:17:41 Suzanna Choffel: am.

00:17:41 Erin Walter: You got this, mamas.

00:17:43 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah. We got this, we got this. We got some good mamas on our side too. So so you so speaking of, you know, the the political activism within you and your music, you have two singles that you they're about to come out right January thirtieth, I believe.

00:17:59 Erin Walter: Yeah. They'll be on streaming January thirtieth.

00:18:01 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:18:01 Erin Walter: They came out on Bandcamp, uh, this weekend.

00:18:04 Suzanna Choffel: That's what I thought. Okay? I was just on your Bandcamp, so I'm seeing them there and I don't. This podcast will hopefully be out by the thirtieth. I'm going to try to edit it quickly. Um, but yes, if it's not, go check out. She's, uh. Parker woodland has two new singles, police on my back, which is a cover right

00:18:21 Erin Walter: Yeah,

00:18:22 Suzanna Choffel: of

00:18:22 Erin Walter: it's

00:18:22 Suzanna Choffel: the equals.

00:18:22 Erin Walter: a cover of the equals, and a lot of people know it. Popularized by the Clash.

00:18:26 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah, yeah,

00:18:27 Erin Walter: Yeah. And it's

00:18:28 Suzanna Choffel: I love

00:18:28 Erin Walter: a song

00:18:28 Suzanna Choffel: it.

00:18:28 Erin Walter: that's become a real, like, important staple of our live show. And it's it's been amazing to see people because I go out in the crowd and talk about ice and talk about like collective liberation during the breakdown. And

00:18:42 Suzanna Choffel: I've

00:18:42 Erin Walter: at

00:18:42 Suzanna Choffel: seen the

00:18:42 Erin Walter: first.

00:18:42 Suzanna Choffel: videos. They

00:18:43 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:18:43 Suzanna Choffel: look so fun. Everybody just like, rallies around you. It's so. It's so good.

00:18:48 Erin Walter: Thank you. Well, we need that. We need that catharsis. We need. I mean, we all know, like, art is not a luxury. Like we need

00:18:54 Suzanna Choffel: No.

00:18:55 Erin Walter: it, uh, to fuel ourselves. And then we hope that people see, like, oh, my gosh, I'm in the entire long center drop in lawn of a thousand people. And and they are cheering for this anti anthem.

00:19:07 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:19:08 Erin Walter: Or I'm in a punk club like the Mohawk for free week and everybody's getting down to this.

00:19:13 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:19:13 Erin Walter: Oh, then maybe I'm not alone and I can go out and do the work. So

00:19:17 Suzanna Choffel: It's a connecting force.

00:19:19 Erin Walter: yeah.

00:19:19 Suzanna Choffel: It's a it's it's like this medium that we can all rally around, and we don't necessarily have to, uh, you know, know the words or scream along. But to be in that moment with all those humans feels so good, you know, and so

00:19:33 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:19:33 Suzanna Choffel: necessary and good for you for creating that. That's that's awesome. And

00:19:37 Erin Walter: Thank

00:19:37 Suzanna Choffel: get

00:19:38 Erin Walter: you.

00:19:38 Suzanna Choffel: me to the show. This is an original song, right?

00:19:40 Erin Walter: Yes.

00:19:41 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:19:41 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:19:41 Suzanna Choffel: It's

00:19:41 Erin Walter: So.

00:19:42 Suzanna Choffel: awesome. I just listened to it and, like, jammed my head off

00:19:45 Erin Walter: Ah.

00:19:45 Suzanna Choffel: in my studio. I love it, yes.

00:19:47 Erin Walter: Thank you. Yeah. That. That song. You know, we really we were were we weighed. We weighed. Um. Worried is not the right word. Um, we weighed whether to record what first and all that stuff. And we

00:19:59 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:19:59 Erin Walter: did this one first and put it out back in the fall when we did our, our tour out of state and we were doing stuff like Ham Day and Sonic Guild and stuff because we wanted to put out something joyful and

00:20:11 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:20:12 Erin Walter: something that's like an anthem. And and then we knew we would get to police on my back. We did not know that it would be coming out literally the week of the

00:20:20 Suzanna Choffel: Wow.

00:20:20 Erin Walter: most heightened. You know, it's like, that's how I feel about

00:20:22 Suzanna Choffel: Oof!

00:20:22 Erin Walter: our song the World's on Fire and we still fall in love. It's like, I would like this song to stop being relevant. Please.

00:20:27 Suzanna Choffel: Yes, exactly, exactly.

00:20:28 Erin Walter: So,

00:20:29 Suzanna Choffel: Please.

00:20:29 Erin Walter: so.

00:20:30 Suzanna Choffel: It's over. It's done with. Yeah.

00:20:31 Erin Walter: Oh,

00:20:31 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah,

00:20:31 Erin Walter: yeah.

00:20:32 Suzanna Choffel: yeah.

00:20:32 Erin Walter: But so the the get me to the show that came out as the B-side for Police on my Back is a, a radio mix and one that our band, you know, just put some, some extra touches on and

00:20:44 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:20:45 Erin Walter: um, yeah. So we hope it brings people joy in the midst of the struggle.

00:20:48 Suzanna Choffel: It's so good. It's good. It's great that you're you're offering. Yeah. Two. Two powerful songs. One maybe a little more political, but both like bringing people together and get me to the show. It's just like it's such about the spirit of. I mean, it's exactly what it sounds like. Get me to the show. Like, just get me the music. That tangible, incredible experience that everybody's looking for, you know? And it's I love that. It feels like maybe you could have been like sixteen when you wrote it, but you could have been forty, right? It's like it's it's

00:21:18 Erin Walter: Thank

00:21:18 Suzanna Choffel: so

00:21:18 Erin Walter: you.

00:21:19 Suzanna Choffel: timeless. You know, it's a timeless, um, uh, feeling that I think we can all relate to, at least, I don't know, maybe I'm just sixteen forever, but

00:21:27 Erin Walter: I know

00:21:28 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:21:28 Erin Walter: I'm

00:21:28 Suzanna Choffel: always

00:21:29 Erin Walter: right

00:21:29 Suzanna Choffel: want

00:21:29 Erin Walter: there

00:21:29 Suzanna Choffel: to

00:21:29 Erin Walter: with

00:21:29 Suzanna Choffel: go to the

00:21:29 Erin Walter: you.

00:21:29 Suzanna Choffel: show.

00:21:30 Erin Walter: I know I'm right there with you and the funny. I love that you said that because, um, you know, the place that I don't like to tell people too much, like, this is what the song is about, but I'll

00:21:39 Suzanna Choffel: Right,

00:21:39 Erin Walter: just say,

00:21:40 Suzanna Choffel: right.

00:21:40 Erin Walter: like. But I will in this case, because

00:21:42 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah. Sure.

00:21:43 Erin Walter: it's

00:21:43 Suzanna Choffel: Sure. Why

00:21:43 Erin Walter: relevant

00:21:43 Suzanna Choffel: not?

00:21:43 Erin Walter: to this podcast. Um, because the place I was coming from in writing these, these lyrics, um, is that it's about being a woman of a certain age in rock and roll. Um, you know, there's

00:21:56 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:21:57 Erin Walter: there's, like, growing up. I don't need it. Just get me to the show. And then there's a lyric that's like, um, you can ask me for my number, but you're not going to get an answer. And of

00:22:04 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:22:04 Erin Walter: course, it can be interpreted as this, like, sassy, like, I'm not giving you my phone number, but what I mean is, I'm not telling you how old I am because I don't. It's not about that. Like at any age, you should be able to be a woman on the stage of your own life

00:22:17 Suzanna Choffel: Ah,

00:22:17 Erin Walter: just

00:22:18 Suzanna Choffel: preach!

00:22:18 Erin Walter: being a fucking rock star.

00:22:19 Suzanna Choffel: Yes!

00:22:20 Erin Walter: Um, and so at whatever age. And so that that is what the song is about for me. Um, whatever

00:22:26 Suzanna Choffel: I love

00:22:26 Erin Walter: it becomes

00:22:26 Suzanna Choffel: it!

00:22:27 Erin Walter: about for everybody else, more power to you.

00:22:29 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:22:29 Erin Walter: But

00:22:30 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:22:30 Erin Walter: since this is the podcast we're on, I want all the the women out there to know that's what that song is about for me.

00:22:36 Suzanna Choffel: Hell, yes! I'm so glad you underlined that. I needed to hear that. And I didn't even catch that little, um, ism. And I think that is awesome. That it kind of has, like, a little double double entendre thing going, um, with the number reference.

00:22:48 Erin Walter: Thank you.

00:22:49 Suzanna Choffel: It's so good. Um,

00:22:51 Erin Walter: Thank you.

00:22:51 Suzanna Choffel: and on that note, that's a perfect segue to my question for all moms on this podcast is have there been have there been moments where you have been challenged by the idea that, you know, a mom can't be a rock star or a musician? Have you ever been told by the industry? Have you ever been sort of, you know, downtrodden? Your dream has been downtrodden because of the fact that you are a mom? It's a big part of why I started this podcast is that when I first found out I was pregnant, it was sort of this like there were not really a lot of examples around me, at least openly, openly, you know, vulnerable examples of what motherhood and musicianship looked like together. And I kind of got I got some, you know, negative feedback from, from, you know, the world at the time, the music world that I was in. And so it was really difficult. I really struggled with, with kind of shedding this identity, this slightly shameful identity, right, of becoming a mom and being a musician, a successful musician. So I was just wondering if you could speak on that for a second, if you've ever had that in your own experience.

00:24:00 Erin Walter: Uh, well, can I just say, like, barf and middle finger to

00:24:03 Suzanna Choffel: Thank

00:24:03 Erin Walter: everybody

00:24:03 Suzanna Choffel: you.

00:24:04 Erin Walter: who made

00:24:04 Suzanna Choffel: Thank

00:24:04 Erin Walter: you feel

00:24:05 Suzanna Choffel: you.

00:24:05 Erin Walter: that way?

00:24:05 Suzanna Choffel: Yes. And

00:24:06 Erin Walter: God.

00:24:06 Suzanna Choffel: most of them are not in my life anymore with good, you know, good riddance. I since then, ten years later,

00:24:13 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:24:13 Suzanna Choffel: I have a much stronger backbone and I don't, you know, I don't welcome that into my world. Um.

00:24:18 Erin Walter: Well.

00:24:18 Suzanna Choffel: But. Yeah. Go on.

00:24:19 Erin Walter: No, no. I mean, I just I don't want you to take on a whole lot of, like, self. I mean, you do what you need to do, but but like, society does that like

00:24:28 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah, yeah.

00:24:29 Erin Walter: you. Fantastic that your, um, I've followed your journey in these last few years and it's incredible to see you, like, just thriving in your musical life and motherhood and all of it. So I love it. And absolutely, I think we've lost incredible artists to the fact that that they've received. If you've received that message, we know that other people have too.

00:24:50 Suzanna Choffel: Sure.

00:24:51 Erin Walter: Um,

00:24:51 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah,

00:24:51 Erin Walter: so

00:24:51 Suzanna Choffel: absolutely.

00:24:52 Erin Walter: so that super sucks for me personally. Um, it hasn't been a motherhood thing. It's been when I was in my formative years. Like, I've always been a music obsessive, like I had

00:25:04 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:25:04 Erin Walter: like metal magazine posters on my wall as a third grader, you know,

00:25:08 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:25:08 Erin Walter: like, so there's no question that music has always been at the center of my life. I had all various family members and all kinds of musical roles and stuff, but I never it just this is going to sound weird, but like. Or I didn't realize that I could be in a rock band until like my mid twenties, even though I spent my entire high school and young adult life going to Liberty Lunch

00:25:35 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:25:35 Erin Walter: Emo's all those things, I was

00:25:36 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:25:36 Erin Walter: there all the time for the Austin people. I was an intern at Karnak Radio when I was

00:25:42 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:25:42 Erin Walter: in high school, like I was, I was in it, but it never hit me for years until I saw more women, like on stage with a bass

00:25:52 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:25:52 Erin Walter: on stage for, you know, like I finally saw, like Rilo Kiley and Rainer

00:25:56 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:25:56 Erin Walter: Maria and the anniversary,

00:25:57 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:25:58 Erin Walter: like I needed to see accessible people like not just your, like, Madonna or

00:26:04 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:26:04 Erin Walter: Whitney Houston

00:26:04 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:26:04 Erin Walter: or something.

00:26:05 Suzanna Choffel: Pop stars. Yeah.

00:26:05 Erin Walter: Yeah. It took me what, what felt like a long time for me. Right. And

00:26:09 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:26:09 Erin Walter: so that representation Is what took me a while, and then it took me literally almost another twenty years. This is my first band as a songwriter and lead singer. I was a bassist in bands forever. Um, it just it's just taken me a long time, and I really think it's because the there's the representation question and then there's just sort of the industry who it invites to the table,

00:26:33 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:26:33 Erin Walter: who prioritizes, um, and then there's the way that music as a whole is treated by our society. Music is everywhere. You can't go anywhere without hearing music. And yet, you know, it's like a restaurant, a commercial, a church, anywhere. And yet when when a young person wants to do music or is interested in music, no, almost no one goes to them and goes like, you should really nurture this and make this your career. People

00:27:00 Suzanna Choffel: Right?

00:27:01 Erin Walter: say like, no, no, don't do that. Get a real job.

00:27:03 Suzanna Choffel: Right?

00:27:03 Erin Walter: You know,

00:27:04 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:27:04 Erin Walter: so

00:27:04 Suzanna Choffel: Totally.

00:27:05 Erin Walter: there's so many reasons why it took me a long time. And so I

00:27:09 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:27:09 Erin Walter: just empathize with anyone who feels that way. It wasn't motherhood for me. It was the things that happened before motherhood.

00:27:17 Suzanna Choffel: Gotcha, gotcha. So it was kind of more of a, um, of of perhaps being a female and being and and

00:27:24 Erin Walter: Right?

00:27:24 Suzanna Choffel: just that kind of, uh, landscape. Yes. There is absolutely, absolutely, uh, you know, sexism. And then, of course, we deal with ageism. If

00:27:33 Erin Walter: Right,

00:27:33 Suzanna Choffel: you're basically not twenty five anymore,

00:27:35 Erin Walter: right.

00:27:35 Suzanna Choffel: you know, you're a dinosaur. And I've dealt with that as well before, even becoming a mom. And so there's just so much, so much here. And the great thing about you is you didn't listen to any of that bullshit. You push through it. And now we have Parker Woodland in the world, which is so necessary, especially at this moment. I fucking love it. Okay.

00:27:52 Erin Walter: Thank you.

00:27:52 Suzanna Choffel: Um.

00:27:53 Erin Walter: I

00:27:53 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:27:53 Erin Walter: love it, too. Like it's the joy of my life. I mean, I have a lot of joys, but like Parker, woodland is my dream come true, and I just.

00:27:58 Suzanna Choffel: Ah.

00:27:59 Erin Walter: I'm so thankful. And I, my bandmates, Kari and Andrew are just the best,

00:28:03 Suzanna Choffel: They're

00:28:03 Erin Walter: and.

00:28:03 Suzanna Choffel: they're awesome. I

00:28:04 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:28:04 Suzanna Choffel: and y'all's. And the way your energy on stage together, it's like y'all really are like this sibling unit or something that's just

00:28:11 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:28:12 Suzanna Choffel: so, so powerful. And I wanted

00:28:14 Erin Walter: Thank

00:28:14 Suzanna Choffel: to ask

00:28:14 Erin Walter: you.

00:28:15 Suzanna Choffel: you. And taking just a side step away from music for a minute, because

00:28:19 Erin Walter: Sure.

00:28:19 Suzanna Choffel: I've always been so curious about this with you, your spirituality. How what what brought you to, um, your spiritual role? Uh, at

00:28:28 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:28:28 Suzanna Choffel: the. Okay. Is it the Unitarian Universalist church?

00:28:31 Erin Walter: You got it.

00:28:32 Suzanna Choffel: Okay. Got

00:28:32 Erin Walter: That's

00:28:32 Suzanna Choffel: it. I'm

00:28:32 Erin Walter: it.

00:28:33 Suzanna Choffel: always afraid I'm going to mix it up with another

00:28:34 Erin Walter: People

00:28:34 Suzanna Choffel: one.

00:28:35 Erin Walter: do.

00:28:35 Suzanna Choffel: So

00:28:35 Erin Walter: People

00:28:35 Suzanna Choffel: I've

00:28:35 Erin Walter: do.

00:28:35 Suzanna Choffel: been a fan

00:28:36 Erin Walter: Okay.

00:28:36 Suzanna Choffel: for a long time. I had a friend in college who was deeply involved, and I think she actually became, a reverend or whatnot. And she is incredible. And I love following her journey. And I've always been a fan of what that church in particular does because it seems very justice oriented, which

00:28:54 Erin Walter: Yes.

00:28:55 Suzanna Choffel: is beautiful. So tell me about your did you grow up in this church? Was this something you discovered on your own? Um,

00:29:00 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:29:01 Suzanna Choffel: yeah.

00:29:02 Erin Walter: Well, I was very fortunate to be raised at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin over at forty seventh and Grover.

00:29:09 Suzanna Choffel: Awesome.

00:29:10 Erin Walter: My mom was raised Presbyterian, I think. And my dad Methodist.

00:29:14 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:29:14 Erin Walter: And she found the church when I was about one. Um, because I think she was going to some kind of, like, social justice book group or something.

00:29:23 Suzanna Choffel: Oh, cool.

00:29:23 Erin Walter: Yeah. And they were meeting at the church, and

00:29:25 Suzanna Choffel: Gateway.

00:29:25 Erin Walter: that's

00:29:26 Suzanna Choffel: The gateway.

00:29:27 Erin Walter: that is how a lot of people find us there. Like, I went to a meeting like my Starbucks was unionizing, and we met at the church, you know, um, my

00:29:35 Suzanna Choffel: Perfect.

00:29:35 Erin Walter: my flag, my PFLAG group meets there. I went to the gay prom. Like, we host all of that.

00:29:40 Suzanna Choffel: That's

00:29:40 Erin Walter: Um,

00:29:40 Suzanna Choffel: great. That's

00:29:41 Erin Walter: yes.

00:29:41 Suzanna Choffel: great.

00:29:41 Erin Walter: So I was raised in that. And so, like, some of my earliest memories are of, like, being in the coffee hour and there's an Amnesty International table or a campaign to end the death penalty table. And I, I had a really great growing up with, like, you know, a summer camp in

00:30:00 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:30:00 Erin Walter: Oklahoma, like the band that I played in in Chicago, I played in with a guy that was like my buddy at Uh-Uh summer camp in, you know, like fifteen years before.

00:30:11 Suzanna Choffel: Yes, I

00:30:12 Erin Walter: Um,

00:30:12 Suzanna Choffel: love

00:30:12 Erin Walter: yeah.

00:30:12 Suzanna Choffel: it.

00:30:13 Erin Walter: So. And I'm still friends with those folks, so. So I my first career was as a journalist. I was a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman.

00:30:20 Suzanna Choffel: Oh,

00:30:20 Erin Walter: Um,

00:30:20 Suzanna Choffel: wow.

00:30:20 Erin Walter: yeah. And I still am real. Like writing informs everything that I do. That training is in my sermon writing. It's in my music writing. Like, I'm really interested in, um, everything, like, including songs is I'm interested in, like, dialogue what people say, you know, which is like when you

00:30:35 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:30:36 Erin Walter: interview people, it's like quotes and stuff, you know?

00:30:38 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:30:38 Erin Walter: So,

00:30:38 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:30:39 Erin Walter: so anyway, that is all formative to me. And then when I moved to Chicago, um, and I worked in a literacy organization there, um, which was kind of my combination of like writing journalism and like, justice and

00:30:54 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:30:54 Erin Walter: education type stuff. I really was struck like the two things that that I think called me into ministry were, um, the horrific killing of Trayvon Martin

00:31:09 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:31:09 Erin Walter: and Wendy Davis's abortion rights filibuster.

00:31:14 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:31:14 Erin Walter: In both of those cases, I felt deeply what one person's life can mean if it is in like community support of something

00:31:24 Suzanna Choffel: Something

00:31:25 Erin Walter: important,

00:31:25 Suzanna Choffel: like.

00:31:25 Erin Walter: like if you mobilize around, you know, that leadership.

00:31:29 Suzanna Choffel: That.

00:31:30 Erin Walter: And so at the same time, I was organizing volunteers in Chicago for literacy, and I was seeing what organizing people around a mission was like. And then here's where motherhood comes in. I, I got pregnant with my first child, and I knew that I wanted her to have the really caring and loving, uh, spiritual grounding that I had growing up. Um, so I started going back to church. Um, and

00:31:59 Suzanna Choffel: Awesome.

00:31:59 Erin Walter: then when I did that, um, I had back to representation, just as we talked about for music, both of the ministers, my home church and my Chicago church had female ministers

00:32:09 Suzanna Choffel: Oh, wow.

00:32:09 Erin Walter: for the very first time in my life, I

00:32:11 Suzanna Choffel: Amazing.

00:32:11 Erin Walter: had never. Yeah, I had never seen a woman in my pulpit. And Reverend Meg Barnhouse, who was our minister in Austin at the time, was a guitar player and a singer and a songwriter. So

00:32:21 Suzanna Choffel: Wow.

00:32:21 Erin Walter: it was just like all the things converged

00:32:22 Suzanna Choffel: Worlds

00:32:23 Erin Walter: and.

00:32:23 Suzanna Choffel: colliding. Yeah.

00:32:24 Erin Walter: Yes,

00:32:24 Suzanna Choffel: Exactly,

00:32:24 Erin Walter: yes.

00:32:24 Suzanna Choffel: I love it.

00:32:25 Erin Walter: And so I was just like, I think I could do this. And also, again, just representation matters so much.

00:32:30 Suzanna Choffel: Yes! The universe

00:32:31 Erin Walter: Yeah,

00:32:31 Suzanna Choffel: was was moving,

00:32:33 Erin Walter: yeah.

00:32:33 Suzanna Choffel: like in in your direction for your direction. I love it. That's

00:32:36 Erin Walter: Thank

00:32:36 Suzanna Choffel: that's

00:32:37 Erin Walter: you.

00:32:37 Suzanna Choffel: wonderful. So how long have you been. So you've been pretty active since you were a kid, but when did

00:32:42 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:32:42 Suzanna Choffel: you you went to seminary?

00:32:45 Erin Walter: Yeah. I've been a minister for about ten years.

00:32:46 Suzanna Choffel: Ten years. Okay. Gotcha.

00:32:47 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:32:48 Suzanna Choffel: Gotcha.

00:32:48 Erin Walter: And I was an activist well before that. Like,

00:32:52 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:32:52 Erin Walter: I've always just been like I did a lot of arts activism around abortion rights and reproductive justice. I was in the very first handmaids group. Um, you know,

00:33:01 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:33:02 Erin Walter: I don't do that anymore, but I did

00:33:04 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah,

00:33:04 Erin Walter: at the time.

00:33:05 Suzanna Choffel: yeah.

00:33:05 Erin Walter: Um, and. Yeah. So just looking for ways to bring the arts into

00:33:08 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:33:09 Erin Walter: our justice work.

00:33:11 Suzanna Choffel: I love it, I love it.

00:33:12 Erin Walter: Thank you.

00:33:13 Suzanna Choffel: Um, so I am so curious. I asked this of all of the people I interview. It's one of my favorite things to ask is walk me through, like, a week in your world or even just a day. But like, as a mom, as a musician, as a an activist and leader in your church. Tell me, tell me kind of about like, I always love to paint this picture for for maybe aspiring moms or just so other moms feel very seen in their crazy

00:33:39 Erin Walter: Right.

00:33:40 Suzanna Choffel: multitasking worlds and lives. What? What is a typical week like for Erin Walter, aka Parker Woodland?

00:33:47 Erin Walter: Oh my gosh. Um, well, funny you said multitasking. My my dear, dear bestie guitar player Andrew Solan, who is just incredible and also not a parent, um,

00:34:00 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:34:01 Erin Walter: and not a minister, um, will bless him. He he would like me to put my phone away when we're working on stuff. And I really try, I really try

00:34:11 Suzanna Choffel: It's so hard.

00:34:12 Erin Walter: I

00:34:12 Suzanna Choffel: It's so

00:34:13 Erin Walter: know,

00:34:13 Suzanna Choffel: hard. You're like, always on call, you

00:34:14 Erin Walter: I

00:34:15 Suzanna Choffel: know?

00:34:15 Erin Walter: know, I'm

00:34:15 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:34:15 Erin Walter: always on call. There's there's just there's so much and a lot of times being able to be responsive, whether it's to kids or like a newspaper reporter who wants to talk about the band or wants to

00:34:24 Suzanna Choffel: Right,

00:34:24 Erin Walter: talk about justice, like

00:34:25 Suzanna Choffel: right.

00:34:25 Erin Walter: it's like you kind of have to seize it. But he but he's also right. Andrew, if you're listening, you're also right. Um, you do have to

00:34:31 Suzanna Choffel: We

00:34:31 Erin Walter: carve.

00:34:31 Suzanna Choffel: should all put our phones down. Really?

00:34:33 Erin Walter: We should

00:34:33 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:34:33 Erin Walter: all

00:34:33 Suzanna Choffel: mean, in

00:34:34 Erin Walter: go.

00:34:34 Suzanna Choffel: a perfect world, yes.

00:34:35 Erin Walter: Yes. Well, last night in the vigil in Minneapolis, or actually, it was in Saint Paul. Our congregations in the Twin Cities did a did a vigil last night, and

00:34:43 Suzanna Choffel: Mm.

00:34:43 Erin Walter: it was live streamed. And that one of the first things the minister did was, was said, you know, I want I know how much is going on. I'm going to ask you to turn your phones off for one hour,

00:34:54 Suzanna Choffel: Wow.

00:34:54 Erin Walter: like reset your nervous system with us for one hour.

00:34:57 Suzanna Choffel: Wow.

00:34:57 Erin Walter: Um, and so I am going to try to find an hour for that today, too, because I know I need it, but,

00:35:04 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:35:05 Erin Walter: um. Yeah. Let me see. How do I. What's a day in a life like? Well,

00:35:08 Suzanna Choffel: Or it can just be like. Yeah.

00:35:09 Erin Walter: yeah. Yeah.

00:35:10 Suzanna Choffel: Just

00:35:10 Erin Walter: I'm

00:35:10 Suzanna Choffel: like

00:35:10 Erin Walter: gonna

00:35:10 Suzanna Choffel: whatever.

00:35:10 Erin Walter: I'm gonna. Yeah.

00:35:11 Suzanna Choffel: Pick. Pick up your busiest day and walk

00:35:14 Erin Walter: Right.

00:35:14 Suzanna Choffel: us through it. No.

00:35:14 Erin Walter: Well, we don't have five hours, so let me see. Um, I always say brevity is not. Has never been the soul of my wit, but

00:35:21 Suzanna Choffel: That's

00:35:21 Erin Walter: I'll try.

00:35:21 Suzanna Choffel: I love

00:35:22 Erin Walter: Um.

00:35:22 Suzanna Choffel: it, I love it.

00:35:23 Erin Walter: Um. So, of course, kids get off to school. My daughter's now old enough to drive, so she drives herself to school.

00:35:31 Suzanna Choffel: Wonderful.

00:35:31 Erin Walter: Um, a family

00:35:32 Suzanna Choffel: One last

00:35:32 Erin Walter: member?

00:35:32 Suzanna Choffel: thing.

00:35:33 Erin Walter: Yeah, a family member who is a wonderful aunt, um, handed down a car to her.

00:35:39 Suzanna Choffel: Ah, beautiful.

00:35:39 Erin Walter: So we feel I know she's, like, going for best aunt status, and

00:35:43 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:35:43 Erin Walter: she

00:35:43 Suzanna Choffel: Seriously?

00:35:43 Erin Walter: did it. So.

00:35:44 Suzanna Choffel: Major

00:35:44 Erin Walter: My

00:35:44 Suzanna Choffel: brownie

00:35:45 Erin Walter: daughter.

00:35:45 Suzanna Choffel: points.

00:35:45 Erin Walter: Right. My daughter drives herself to your alma mater, and

00:35:49 Suzanna Choffel: Oh, yay!

00:35:49 Erin Walter: I know. And then my son needs to get up, and. And it's like, I hope he'll ride his bike, because if he rides

00:35:56 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:35:56 Erin Walter: his bike, that takes a couple things off our plate. But

00:35:59 Suzanna Choffel: Sure.

00:35:59 Erin Walter: he doesn't always. And so in that case, I might drive him to school.

00:36:02 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:36:03 Erin Walter: But but, you know, I wake up and I literally, like, walk in there with, like, an Eggo waffle and a glass of water because I'm like, we gotta we gotta look alive, people. Um, but

00:36:13 Suzanna Choffel: That's

00:36:13 Erin Walter: my.

00:36:13 Suzanna Choffel: awesome.

00:36:14 Erin Walter: Yeah, but my. Because I'm the executive director of a grassroots organization that does not have a building. And

00:36:21 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:36:21 Erin Walter: so we work remote. And because my band is like a also a full time band, I basically have like two full time jobs. Um, I

00:36:28 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:36:29 Erin Walter: weave my day. Um, I know that my job there will always be work to do, and so I don't hold myself to nine to five like we have night meetings or church services. And so my band everybody has like flexibility. So we often will do a practice in the middle of the day. Um, and then I'll get back to work or like, and we have a practice space at Andrews house. Um, so I kind of, I kind of weave those things. Um,

00:36:59 Suzanna Choffel: Nice.

00:36:59 Erin Walter: yeah. Sometimes my team and I meet in person at a congregation just, you know, to be together. Because being together matters.

00:37:06 Suzanna Choffel: Yes

00:37:07 Erin Walter: Um,

00:37:07 Suzanna Choffel: it does.

00:37:07 Erin Walter: and other times, it's a lot of zoom. Um,

00:37:10 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:37:11 Erin Walter: a

00:37:11 Suzanna Choffel: That's okay.

00:37:11 Erin Walter: lot of a lot of zoom and email

00:37:13 Suzanna Choffel: It's the

00:37:13 Erin Walter: and

00:37:13 Suzanna Choffel: world

00:37:13 Erin Walter: text

00:37:13 Suzanna Choffel: we live in. Yeah.

00:37:15 Erin Walter: and I also so before I was in this role, I was the community engagement director and interfaith chaplain for the YMCA of Austin. Um, and I worked at the Town Lake YMCA. Um, and that that job ended with the pandemic. But

00:37:30 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:37:31 Erin Walter: that is my other community, like people used to say. Or I would say, like, if I didn't have a church, the Y would be my church.

00:37:37 Suzanna Choffel: Yes,

00:37:37 Erin Walter: Um, and

00:37:38 Suzanna Choffel: I love

00:37:38 Erin Walter: so

00:37:38 Suzanna Choffel: it.

00:37:39 Erin Walter: I know so I also used to be a Zumba teacher. So I still go to those

00:37:43 Suzanna Choffel: Oh

00:37:43 Erin Walter: classes.

00:37:43 Suzanna Choffel: my God, no way. I just went to my first. Well, I used to do it a long time ago, but I just

00:37:47 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:37:47 Suzanna Choffel: like, really went to my first Zumba class ever and made a fool

00:37:51 Erin Walter: Oh

00:37:51 Suzanna Choffel: of myself.

00:37:51 Erin Walter: my

00:37:51 Suzanna Choffel: And

00:37:51 Erin Walter: God.

00:37:52 Suzanna Choffel: it was so much fun. And I was so sore the next day and I got to come take Zumba from you. Or we need

00:37:56 Erin Walter: Please.

00:37:56 Suzanna Choffel: to go together.

00:37:57 Erin Walter: Let's do let's do it together.

00:37:59 Suzanna Choffel: It's

00:37:59 Erin Walter: We're

00:37:59 Suzanna Choffel: so

00:37:59 Erin Walter: going

00:37:59 Suzanna Choffel: fun.

00:37:59 Erin Walter: to I want to know where you are, where you're going. I don't

00:38:01 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:38:01 Erin Walter: mind

00:38:01 Suzanna Choffel: go to

00:38:02 Erin Walter: if.

00:38:02 Suzanna Choffel: the Y.

00:38:03 Erin Walter: Oh, I don't mind if people know. I go to the Tuesday nine a m class at the town lake. Why? And everyone

00:38:08 Suzanna Choffel: Hell

00:38:08 Erin Walter: else

00:38:08 Suzanna Choffel: yeah.

00:38:08 Erin Walter: should go. It

00:38:09 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:38:09 Erin Walter: is the most best, joyful, fun thing ever.

00:38:12 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:38:12 Erin Walter: So I

00:38:12 Suzanna Choffel: Awesome,

00:38:13 Erin Walter: never

00:38:13 Suzanna Choffel: awesome.

00:38:13 Erin Walter: I never miss that. And then my friend Leslie also teaches one on Fridays at maybe like ten, thirty or eleven. That's

00:38:19 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:38:19 Erin Walter: like a cardio funk. And it's so great.

00:38:21 Suzanna Choffel: So

00:38:21 Erin Walter: So

00:38:21 Suzanna Choffel: fun.

00:38:22 Erin Walter: that's the other piece. You know, people are always acting like, I don't sleep. Like I cherish my sleep and I cherish my exercise time. Um, could I do more stretching and strength and stuff? Yes, ma'am. Do I aspire

00:38:34 Suzanna Choffel: Uh,

00:38:34 Erin Walter: to do it?

00:38:35 Suzanna Choffel: yeah.

00:38:35 Erin Walter: But yeah,

00:38:35 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:38:36 Erin Walter: but, like, I never miss Zumba. Like, never. Uh, it is

00:38:39 Suzanna Choffel: That's beautiful. I love that you have that ritual,

00:38:41 Erin Walter: it.

00:38:41 Suzanna Choffel: because that's that's another

00:38:43 Erin Walter: It's

00:38:43 Suzanna Choffel: question

00:38:43 Erin Walter: everything.

00:38:43 Suzanna Choffel: I was getting to is like, what do you do to keep yourself sane? Mind, body, spirit. Right. Like, I

00:38:48 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:38:48 Suzanna Choffel: know you probably get a lot of spiritual joy from what you do. Um, but body, you know, it's essential

00:38:54 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:38:54 Suzanna Choffel: for us to take care of, of these bodies. So that's great. You checked that

00:38:58 Erin Walter: Yeah,

00:38:58 Suzanna Choffel: off Zumba. Okay, beautiful.

00:38:59 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:39:00 Suzanna Choffel: That's

00:39:00 Erin Walter: So

00:39:00 Suzanna Choffel: where you

00:39:01 Erin Walter: that's

00:39:01 Suzanna Choffel: get your

00:39:01 Erin Walter: kind

00:39:01 Suzanna Choffel: energy.

00:39:01 Erin Walter: of.

00:39:02 Suzanna Choffel: Got it, got

00:39:02 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:39:02 Suzanna Choffel: it. Okay.

00:39:03 Erin Walter: Yep. And that's kind of my. You've basically heard my day. It's like

00:39:06 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:39:07 Erin Walter: on a good day I've gotten Zumba and I'm mixing work and band. Um, my husband and I have a weekly date night. It's nothing fancy,

00:39:16 Suzanna Choffel: Oh,

00:39:16 Erin Walter: but

00:39:16 Suzanna Choffel: that's

00:39:16 Erin Walter: we.

00:39:16 Suzanna Choffel: so good.

00:39:17 Erin Walter: Yeah, but we make sure we go out, we get a meal or we watch a movie together, and we put our phones away. We tell the kids, hey, we're at Magnolia Cafe if

00:39:25 Suzanna Choffel: Great.

00:39:25 Erin Walter: you need us, but the phones are in the car,

00:39:27 Suzanna Choffel: Right?

00:39:27 Erin Walter: you

00:39:27 Suzanna Choffel: Right, right.

00:39:28 Erin Walter: know, so

00:39:28 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:39:29 Erin Walter: that's important. Um, and

00:39:30 Suzanna Choffel: Call

00:39:30 Erin Walter: then

00:39:31 Suzanna Choffel: the

00:39:31 Erin Walter: I

00:39:31 Suzanna Choffel: actual

00:39:31 Erin Walter: have

00:39:31 Suzanna Choffel: restaurant if the house is on fire.

00:39:33 Erin Walter: exactly do it like we did in the eighties.

00:39:35 Suzanna Choffel: Exactly.

00:39:36 Erin Walter: Yep, yep.

00:39:37 Suzanna Choffel: Trying to

00:39:38 Erin Walter: Um,

00:39:38 Suzanna Choffel: hunt down parents? Yes.

00:39:39 Erin Walter: totally. And then the other thing that's really important to me in my day to day life is I just friendship with women

00:39:46 Suzanna Choffel: Um,

00:39:47 Erin Walter: is everything to

00:39:48 Suzanna Choffel: yeah.

00:39:48 Erin Walter: me. Um, I

00:39:49 Suzanna Choffel: You

00:39:49 Erin Walter: have

00:39:49 Suzanna Choffel: seem to be really good at that, too.

00:39:51 Erin Walter: thank

00:39:51 Suzanna Choffel: I watch

00:39:52 Erin Walter: you.

00:39:52 Suzanna Choffel: you do that, and that's that's that's a beautiful thing. Go

00:39:54 Erin Walter: Thank

00:39:55 Suzanna Choffel: on.

00:39:55 Erin Walter: you. No,

00:39:55 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:39:55 Erin Walter: I just, um, I have have some friends that I've been friends with since elementary school at Travis Heights Elementary that I still see

00:40:03 Suzanna Choffel: Nice.

00:40:03 Erin Walter: all the time. I have my Zumba group. I have my neighborhood group. Like it can be a lot to keep up with, and I wish sometimes I saw them more, but it's still my mentor when I was in seminary said, make sure you nurture your relationships outside of this work

00:40:20 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:40:20 Erin Walter: because you need to be able to talk about things other than like justice or the church or whatever.

00:40:26 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:40:27 Erin Walter: Um, and, and it's been that was some of the best advice ever. Um, and so I just always say to people like, particularly those in person friendships

00:40:38 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:40:38 Erin Walter: or like, who can you pick up the phone and call like, I can call like, you and I haven't known each other that long, but if I needed to, I could call you on the phone. I

00:40:45 Suzanna Choffel: Oh

00:40:46 Erin Walter: definitely,

00:40:46 Suzanna Choffel: hell yeah.

00:40:46 Erin Walter: I definitely call Noelle Hampton,

00:40:48 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:40:48 Erin Walter: Ray

00:40:49 Suzanna Choffel: love

00:40:49 Erin Walter: prim,

00:40:49 Suzanna Choffel: Noelle Hampton.

00:40:50 Erin Walter: Johnny

00:40:50 Suzanna Choffel: She's the best.

00:40:50 Erin Walter: Goudie. Like,

00:40:51 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:40:51 Erin Walter: like have your musician friends you can call on the phone, you

00:40:54 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:40:54 Erin Walter: know,

00:40:55 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:40:55 Erin Walter: so.

00:40:55 Suzanna Choffel: Absolutely. It helps. Nikki is a big one for me.

00:40:58 Erin Walter: Oh,

00:40:58 Suzanna Choffel: We

00:40:58 Erin Walter: my God,

00:40:58 Suzanna Choffel: we

00:40:58 Erin Walter: I love Nakia.

00:40:59 Suzanna Choffel: we

00:40:59 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:40:59 Suzanna Choffel: powwow, like, every week about so many things. It's like,

00:41:02 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:41:02 Suzanna Choffel: oh, what are you what are you what are you mourning today, my friend? You know, it's like,

00:41:06 Erin Walter: Yep.

00:41:06 Suzanna Choffel: yeah,

00:41:06 Erin Walter: Yep.

00:41:07 Suzanna Choffel: it's essential. It's essential.

00:41:08 Erin Walter: Yeah. So

00:41:09 Suzanna Choffel: That's

00:41:09 Erin Walter: that's

00:41:09 Suzanna Choffel: so good.

00:41:09 Erin Walter: kind of those are. I consider those things to be the key components of my life. Like music, work, friendship, family, like family routines, um, and making sure I dance.

00:41:20 Suzanna Choffel: That's amazing. It's funny because at the end of this podcast, I was going to ask, like, what? You know, what? What advice would you give to a younger artist who's considering motherhood? You know, fears this and that and the other. But I feel like you honestly just like went through like the what to do checklist when becoming a a mom and really just a human being in general to like how to how to take care of yourself, how to nurture yourself and how to be in this world. It's like friendship, exercise, spiritual nourishment. You've you're like a pro.

00:41:52 Erin Walter: Thank you. I

00:41:53 Suzanna Choffel: You're

00:41:53 Erin Walter: mean,

00:41:53 Suzanna Choffel: a you're

00:41:53 Erin Walter: I,

00:41:54 Suzanna Choffel: a pro at life. Aaron.

00:41:55 Erin Walter: I feel good about it. Susanna. I have to say, I do. Like that's I that whole live your life like you mean it thing. That

00:42:02 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:42:02 Erin Walter: is a phrase that came out of my very, very first band, The Personals, in the early two thousand.

00:42:07 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:42:08 Erin Walter: We saw a Superchunk play at Antone's during, I think it was a South By show,

00:42:12 Suzanna Choffel: Um.

00:42:13 Erin Walter: and they were so stinking great and the energy was so good, and we just, like, leaned up against the wall when it was over and just, like, slid down to the floor and looked at each other. And Adam, the lead singer guitar player, turned to me and he was like, that's meaning it. And I was

00:42:28 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:42:28 Erin Walter: just like,

00:42:28 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:42:29 Erin Walter: that's what I've wanted,

00:42:30 Suzanna Choffel: Oh.

00:42:31 Erin Walter: you know, ever since. And so that's where that comes from. Um, and that's actually another thing I should say in Parker Woodland. Like, we really, really pride ourselves on this, like, very physical, energetic,

00:42:41 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:42:42 Erin Walter: like reckless. Maybe not reckless, but like, liberated abandon

00:42:46 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:42:46 Erin Walter: on stage. And

00:42:47 Suzanna Choffel: Absolutely.

00:42:47 Erin Walter: so that's another place I get my cardio and my spiritual

00:42:50 Suzanna Choffel: I was going to

00:42:50 Erin Walter: life.

00:42:50 Suzanna Choffel: say if you can't make it to Zumba just, just get to the show up,

00:42:55 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:42:55 Suzanna Choffel: get to a park or woodland show and you will get your Zumba. Uh, you know, your heart rate will definitely go up

00:43:01 Erin Walter: Right, right.

00:43:02 Suzanna Choffel: in

00:43:02 Erin Walter: I don't

00:43:02 Suzanna Choffel: a good

00:43:02 Erin Walter: I

00:43:02 Suzanna Choffel: way.

00:43:03 Erin Walter: can't bop the way I did twenty years ago, but I try.

00:43:06 Suzanna Choffel: I'm in awe. I am like, how is she moving so much? I, I, I get going sometimes and then I'm like, oh my God, I'm well, first of all, there's the whole like, I'm gonna hit like, ram my mouth into the microphone and then the guitar is I, my

00:43:19 Erin Walter: I.

00:43:19 Suzanna Choffel: knees. The whole it's just a, it's a. Yeah. Anyway,

00:43:22 Erin Walter: I know

00:43:23 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:43:23 Erin Walter: it's

00:43:23 Suzanna Choffel: admire

00:43:23 Erin Walter: amazing,

00:43:24 Suzanna Choffel: you

00:43:24 Erin Walter: I

00:43:24 Suzanna Choffel: for

00:43:24 Erin Walter: haven't.

00:43:24 Suzanna Choffel: moving a lot on stage.

00:43:25 Erin Walter: Thank you. It's a miracle I haven't chipped a tooth yet. Um, and I will tell you at the Mohawk show for free week a couple weeks ago, which was our. It was one of our. We've had a lot of dreams come true this year, but like, I've wanted to play on that mohawk outside stage for a long time.

00:43:40 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:43:41 Erin Walter: It was so great for the first time ever, and it happened twice in

00:43:46 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:43:46 Erin Walter: the same thirty minute set. I got my my bass, the neck of my bass caught in Andrew's guitar cable.

00:43:52 Suzanna Choffel: No way.

00:43:53 Erin Walter: Yes, And I and I separately fell down because I was just like, so, like, happy and pumped. And I just tripped and fell over. I mean, it was

00:44:04 Suzanna Choffel: That's

00:44:04 Erin Walter: it

00:44:04 Suzanna Choffel: rock

00:44:04 Erin Walter: was

00:44:04 Suzanna Choffel: and roll,

00:44:05 Erin Walter: it

00:44:05 Suzanna Choffel: baby. That's rock

00:44:06 Erin Walter: was

00:44:06 Suzanna Choffel: and roll.

00:44:06 Erin Walter: very it was very rock and roll. But like, uh, there were yeah, it was such a great show and also like, not my most precise.

00:44:14 Suzanna Choffel: It's okay. You were. You were in it. You were feeling

00:44:16 Erin Walter: I.

00:44:17 Suzanna Choffel: it. And rock and roll and motherhood are both messy. And you were just getting all tangled up in, in in all the

00:44:22 Erin Walter: That

00:44:22 Suzanna Choffel: goodness,

00:44:23 Erin Walter: is

00:44:23 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:44:23 Erin Walter: true.

00:44:23 Suzanna Choffel: love it.

00:44:23 Erin Walter: That is true. Um, can I

00:44:25 Suzanna Choffel: Oh

00:44:25 Erin Walter: tell you

00:44:26 Suzanna Choffel: my

00:44:26 Erin Walter: one

00:44:26 Suzanna Choffel: gosh.

00:44:26 Erin Walter: other thing?

00:44:27 Suzanna Choffel: Yes. Please

00:44:27 Erin Walter: Okay.

00:44:28 Suzanna Choffel: tell me another

00:44:28 Erin Walter: You know.

00:44:29 Suzanna Choffel: thing.

00:44:29 Erin Walter: Oh. So what you. When you said that about, like, being an expert at life, I want to acknowledge that. I actually think that one of the places that that comes from is grief.

00:44:40 Suzanna Choffel: Um.

00:44:40 Erin Walter: Um, my father died unexpectedly when I was twenty four,

00:44:44 Suzanna Choffel: Oh,

00:44:45 Erin Walter: and

00:44:45 Suzanna Choffel: girl.

00:44:45 Erin Walter: I

00:44:45 Suzanna Choffel: Wow. I

00:44:46 Erin Walter: know.

00:44:46 Suzanna Choffel: did not know that. I don't think

00:44:47 Erin Walter: Yeah,

00:44:47 Suzanna Choffel: I knew that you had lost your dad. Okay.

00:44:49 Erin Walter: yeah. And he was both my parents are very important to me.

00:44:52 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:44:53 Erin Walter: And he was a really vivacious person. My mom is kind of where I get my. They both were active, but my mom's a big activist

00:45:01 Suzanna Choffel: Um

00:45:01 Erin Walter: and

00:45:01 Suzanna Choffel: hum.

00:45:01 Erin Walter: my dad was a fixture at the broken spoke. He.

00:45:05 Suzanna Choffel: Oh.

00:45:06 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:45:06 Suzanna Choffel: Broken

00:45:06 Erin Walter: His picture.

00:45:07 Suzanna Choffel: spoke.

00:45:08 Erin Walter: Yeah. His pictures on the and his obituaries on the beer fridge and

00:45:11 Suzanna Choffel: Oh my

00:45:12 Erin Walter: like,

00:45:12 Suzanna Choffel: gosh.

00:45:12 Erin Walter: that's basically his final resting place and.

00:45:15 Suzanna Choffel: What's your dad's name?

00:45:16 Erin Walter: David. Walter.

00:45:17 Suzanna Choffel: Okay, I'm gonna

00:45:18 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:45:18 Suzanna Choffel: look for him next

00:45:18 Erin Walter: Um,

00:45:18 Suzanna Choffel: time I'm there.

00:45:19 Erin Walter: yeah. We'll have to meet up there sometime

00:45:20 Suzanna Choffel: I'll raise

00:45:21 Erin Walter: and I'll

00:45:21 Suzanna Choffel: a beer to

00:45:22 Erin Walter: think.

00:45:22 Suzanna Choffel: his. To his memory. Was he a big part of your musical

00:45:25 Erin Walter: So he,

00:45:26 Suzanna Choffel: identity?

00:45:26 Erin Walter: um, he two things about him and music. I mean, again, both sides of my family have have music in them. My dad was real into, like, old school country. So

00:45:35 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:45:35 Erin Walter: like, Merle Haggard was our jam. And, um, he loved Aretha, too. But we would go on the back when South by Southwest music was Wednesday to Sunday,

00:45:45 Suzanna Choffel: Yep.

00:45:45 Erin Walter: we would go on Wednesday night, and he had a best friend who would fly in from California to do this, and we would go on Wednesday night and he would go see and we would go together to see only the kinds of music he would never see on a in any other time. So he'd go

00:46:01 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:46:01 Erin Walter: to Japan night. He'd see like a Swedish punk band hitting each other with dildos and

00:46:05 Suzanna Choffel: Oh

00:46:05 Erin Walter: like

00:46:06 Suzanna Choffel: my

00:46:06 Erin Walter: just

00:46:06 Suzanna Choffel: God, I love

00:46:07 Erin Walter: it

00:46:07 Suzanna Choffel: it

00:46:07 Erin Walter: was

00:46:08 Suzanna Choffel: so

00:46:08 Erin Walter: incredible because

00:46:08 Suzanna Choffel: good.

00:46:09 Erin Walter: he was just a total cowboy from Roswell, New Mexico. Um, and so I'll never forget, like, the last year of South By before he died, I took him to see Cruiserweight, which was my favorite local band. I took him

00:46:20 Suzanna Choffel: Yes!

00:46:20 Erin Walter: to see They Might Be Giants, and even though he was such a country guy, he turned around to me after They Might Be Giants and he just goes, and this was at La Zona Rosa, and he goes, if I were in a band and I just saw that show, I would quit. Like

00:46:36 Suzanna Choffel: Wow.

00:46:36 Erin Walter: it was like so good. He just he thought it was so good. So so

00:46:40 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:46:40 Erin Walter: that

00:46:40 Suzanna Choffel: love it.

00:46:41 Erin Walter: I know. So that's an influence there. Just

00:46:44 Suzanna Choffel: Ah!

00:46:44 Erin Walter: that he loved music. And then what I'm thankful for is that he got to see me play one time,

00:46:49 Suzanna Choffel: Oh

00:46:49 Erin Walter: one

00:46:50 Suzanna Choffel: my goodness.

00:46:50 Erin Walter: one show before he died. So he he got this glimpse of me and the future me that I was going to be.

00:46:57 Suzanna Choffel: Um.

00:46:57 Erin Walter: Um, it was Flamingo Cantina, um, very

00:47:00 Suzanna Choffel: Oh.

00:47:00 Erin Walter: early in the personals. Yeah. So I have that. And so the reason why I bring him up and I bring up grief in regards to the fact that I live a really, like, full and joyful and vibrant life now, is, is that when I, when we lost him, like I all of a sudden like I as a child, I had been very afraid of death. Um, I was afraid my dad would die. My parents got divorced, and I was afraid he would die when

00:47:23 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:47:23 Erin Walter: he wasn't with us and

00:47:25 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:47:25 Erin Walter: all that stuff. And and so when he did die, it was like, number one, I know what life and death really is now.

00:47:33 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:47:34 Erin Walter: Like, it doesn't matter if I cut my bangs, which I literally I had never had bangs and I was always like, I can't risk it, you know, um,

00:47:41 Suzanna Choffel: It's too

00:47:41 Erin Walter: it's

00:47:41 Suzanna Choffel: big

00:47:41 Erin Walter: like

00:47:41 Suzanna Choffel: of

00:47:41 Erin Walter: it

00:47:41 Suzanna Choffel: a

00:47:41 Erin Walter: doesn't

00:47:41 Suzanna Choffel: risk.

00:47:42 Erin Walter: it doesn't matter if I get a bad haircut. Like it will literally grow back. It doesn't matter if I

00:47:46 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:47:47 Erin Walter: try something and fail. Um, a life is short and b I know the difference between life and death now. Um, and also, um, what was I going to say about that? I just oh, I had survived the worst thing I could imagine,

00:48:00 Suzanna Choffel: Right,

00:48:01 Erin Walter: which

00:48:01 Suzanna Choffel: right.

00:48:02 Erin Walter: the thing I had feared, and I did survive it,

00:48:04 Suzanna Choffel: Right.

00:48:04 Erin Walter: so and life did go on. And so I just that is where a lot of this for me comes from. Like, I was always like an

00:48:13 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:48:13 Erin Walter: energetic, do do things kind of person. But like

00:48:16 Suzanna Choffel: Mhm.

00:48:16 Erin Walter: my my spiritual grounding for all of this, I think comes from grief. And so I share that because I know that a lot of us are experiencing grief right now in different ways. And then then my prayer for us is that we we experience some kind of incredible growth and transformation that comes from it.

00:48:35 Suzanna Choffel: That is beautiful. And that might be a great place to sort of end. I'm going to ask you one more thing. But

00:48:41 Erin Walter: Sure.

00:48:41 Suzanna Choffel: thank you for sharing that because I think that is really powerful I yeah seriously when I look at you and all you do, I'm like, God, where does she get that energy? And that actually kind of just gave me. I was like, okay, that's where she gets it from. She gets it. Not obviously everything, but like that really does have an impact. I think when you lose somebody so

00:48:59 Erin Walter: Mhm.

00:49:00 Suzanna Choffel: dear to you so young, when you're still forming your identity in the world. How could that not have, you know such

00:49:07 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:49:07 Suzanna Choffel: an impact on you? So

00:49:08 Erin Walter: Thank

00:49:08 Suzanna Choffel: you

00:49:09 Erin Walter: you.

00:49:09 Suzanna Choffel: know, cheers to your dad. And and

00:49:11 Erin Walter: Thank

00:49:11 Suzanna Choffel: thanks

00:49:12 Erin Walter: you.

00:49:12 Suzanna Choffel: for sharing that. Because, you know, I've.

00:49:14 Erin Walter: Yeah. Because I don't

00:49:15 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:49:15 Erin Walter: want people to think that you know because I do I deal with people all the time

00:49:20 Suzanna Choffel: Um.

00:49:20 Erin Walter: looking at me and going like when do you sleep? I don't know how you do it, blah blah blah. I'm just like, I promise you, I sleep, I just don't I don't announce it every time I go to bed.

00:49:28 Suzanna Choffel: Of course, of course.

00:49:30 Erin Walter: But I do. And like, I just have like a deep well in myself of

00:49:35 Suzanna Choffel: You do?

00:49:36 Erin Walter: of love for for life and

00:49:38 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:49:38 Erin Walter: love for people and, and it makes me want to be, like, fully present in this world.

00:49:46 Suzanna Choffel: That's amazing. And and like, I am all here for it because you are putting out the best kind of energy. You're fighting for other humans, you're mothering, you're making great art. You know, you're you are showing up fully in in the best way you can, which is awesome. And so on that note, what are you working on right now that is just bringing you so much joy? Are there any new creative projects? I know you've obviously

00:50:10 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:50:10 Suzanna Choffel: got these two big singles that are pretty much out this week. What what's on the horizon for Parker Woodland for for Aaron Walter?

00:50:18 Erin Walter: Thank you. Yes, I definitely would love people to check out police on my back and get me to the show. We're very proud of those. Those were predominantly recorded and produced and mixed by the band and by Andrew. Um, so

00:50:32 Suzanna Choffel: That's awesome.

00:50:32 Erin Walter: we're super proud of those. And we are absolutely currently recording our next full length and which is going to be kind of a

00:50:41 Suzanna Choffel: Ooh,

00:50:41 Erin Walter: more acoustic. I know we're so excited.

00:50:42 Suzanna Choffel: exciting.

00:50:43 Erin Walter: Um,

00:50:44 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:50:44 Erin Walter: a more acoustic album. Um, we have this full, you know, full electric punk trio. That is our main expression of Parker woodland. But and Andrew and I do this acoustic duo version a lot in Congregations in Justice spaces. We did that show where we played with

00:51:01 Suzanna Choffel: Yes,

00:51:01 Erin Walter: Lucinda Williams.

00:51:02 Suzanna Choffel: with Lucinda Williams. I was so intrigued by that. I saw that and I was like, I love that she can become an acoustic thing, that

00:51:07 Erin Walter: Yeah,

00:51:07 Suzanna Choffel: they can become an acoustic thing. That's great.

00:51:09 Erin Walter: it was amazing. And we did it at Parker Jazz Club. And, um, it was just so awesome. So, so there is a variation of us that is this acoustic, and it carries the lyrics and the energy in a different way. And so we wanted a record that could represent that. So that'll have some new songs on it and some acoustic versions of songs from our first album. There's No Such Thing As Time, and then we will take some of those acoustic ones, potentially some of those new songs adapt to electric and complete writing the next electric record. So we're

00:51:44 Suzanna Choffel: Okay.

00:51:45 Erin Walter: really focused on writing and recording new music right now, and we're super excited. And and we'll be playing some of the new songs, probably in our South by showcases where we're official at South by this year again.

00:51:55 Suzanna Choffel: Great.

00:51:55 Erin Walter: And

00:51:55 Suzanna Choffel: Congrats.

00:51:56 Erin Walter: yeah,

00:51:56 Suzanna Choffel: That's awesome.

00:51:56 Erin Walter: thank

00:51:57 Suzanna Choffel: You should be.

00:51:57 Erin Walter: you,

00:51:57 Suzanna Choffel: Yeah.

00:51:58 Erin Walter: thank you. Yeah. I mean, as a kid growing up in Austin, like to be a part of South By is particularly special to me. I know that there's a lot of, you know, it's changed a lot and everything. Um, and we just hope to go and make the best of the experience as a band. So we're excited.

00:52:13 Suzanna Choffel: Absolutely. You just have to use it for for what it is, which is basically like this incredible, huge networking opportunity. Tons of, you know, different ears in front of you that wouldn't normally be. And, you know, that's that's a good thing, especially

00:52:26 Erin Walter: Yeah.

00:52:27 Suzanna Choffel: with with with y'all. So I'm super

00:52:29 Erin Walter: Thank you.

00:52:29 Suzanna Choffel: excited for for the future. Y'all have just been such a bright light in the Austin music scene and in the world. But you know, definitely here in Austin for the past year or two, I've just been like just loving everything you're you're doing and everything you're a part of. And I'm so grateful for you for taking time to, uh, to talk to me today on Another mother about your beautiful, messy life and world. I love it, I love all of it. And,

00:52:56 Erin Walter: Thank

00:52:56 Suzanna Choffel: um,

00:52:56 Erin Walter: you.

00:52:57 Suzanna Choffel: yeah, I can't, I just can't wait. Y'all go listen to to the new Parker Woodland stuff. The old stuff too. Oh my God. I had to mention, I have to mention, um, from your. When did you put out there's no Such Thing as time. That was

00:53:10 Erin Walter: Um, like September of twenty

00:53:12 Suzanna Choffel: twenty

00:53:12 Erin Walter: four.

00:53:13 Suzanna Choffel: four. Yes. There's a song on there that I continuously listen to. Last song on Earth. It is

00:53:18 Erin Walter: Or.

00:53:18 Suzanna Choffel: so good. Just put that in your ears today, friends. And just, like, dance around your living room.

00:53:25 Erin Walter: Uh, thank you so much. I know, thank you. And speaking of which. Um, let's do some dancing together, and hopefully

00:53:31 Suzanna Choffel: Yes.

00:53:32 Erin Walter: we can do. I would love for us to do some kind of musical, uh, like, whether it's songwriting or a show collab together sometime before too long. So

00:53:39 Suzanna Choffel: Absolutely.

00:53:40 Erin Walter: just putting

00:53:40 Suzanna Choffel: I

00:53:40 Erin Walter: that

00:53:40 Suzanna Choffel: actually

00:53:40 Erin Walter: out there into our universe.

00:53:42 Suzanna Choffel: I have a bunch of little, little like, justice anthem things that would be perfect to collaborate on with you, because sometimes I don't feel like I have that like kind of punk rock skill that you do so well. And so

00:53:56 Erin Walter: Thank you.

00:53:56 Suzanna Choffel: I need to collaborate with, with you.

00:53:58 Erin Walter: Yay!

00:53:58 Suzanna Choffel: So we'll do that. We'll, we'll definitely do that at

00:54:01 Erin Walter: That

00:54:01 Suzanna Choffel: some

00:54:01 Erin Walter: would

00:54:01 Suzanna Choffel: point.

00:54:01 Erin Walter: be so

00:54:01 Suzanna Choffel: So.

00:54:01 Erin Walter: fun. Well, congratulations on getting this podcast started. Mother to mother. Like it's a lot to start a new thing. And I love

00:54:07 Suzanna Choffel: That

00:54:07 Erin Walter: that

00:54:07 Suzanna Choffel: is.

00:54:07 Erin Walter: you're doing this, so thank you for having me.

00:54:09 Suzanna Choffel: Thank you. Absolutely. Thank you so much, Erin.