BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
AARobert Rex Waller Jr. is a singer, songwriter, performer and professor living in Los Angeles, CA. Over the last 20+ years Waller has been the lead singer and one of the principal songwriters with the critically acclaimed country rock band, I See Hawks in L.A.
The Hawks have released ten studio albums and toured the US and Europe multiple times. Their songs have charted in independent Americana radio in US and Europe and have been placed in TV and films including Cobra Kai, Roswell, and True Blood.
Dave Alvin has called the Hawks “one of California’s unique treasures” and MOJO magazine named them “the finest country rock band on the planet.”
Waller has written, recorded, or performed with artists including but not limited to Phoebe Bridgers, Lucinda Williams, Carla Olson, Eddie Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Cheech Marin, Jackson Browne, Justin Townes Earle, Tom Petty, Tony Joe White, Chris Hillman, Aram Saroyan, Matmos, Herb Peterson, John York, David Jackson, Gabe Witcher, Rick Shea, Dave Alvin, James Intveld, Gregg Sutton, Tony Gilkyson, Raul Pacheco, Peter Case, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Bernie Leadon, and The Meat Puppets.
Waller and the Hawks have performed at some of the most legendary venues and festivals in Americana music including: McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Old Town School of Folk Music Chicago, Slim’s (SF), and Joe’s Pub (NYC). His festival appearances include: Kerrville Folk Fest, Stagecoach, Strawberry Festival (CA), Down On The Farm (Halden, Norway), Maverick Fest (UK), Belladrum Tartan Heart (UK), Hempfest (Seattle), French Broad River Fest (NC), Albino Skunk Fest (SC), and showcases at Folk Alliance.
In addition to his performing career, Waller is also a professor at the University of Southern California. Alumni from his legendary Writing for Visual and Performing Artists course are professionally active in all genres of the arts from TV and film to Broadway to popular and classical music to visual arts, architecture and video games.
Waller released Fancy Free, his first solo album of cover songs, in 2016. Waller’s second solo album, See The Big Man Cry, was produced by Carla Olson and is set to be released on BFD records on October 20th, 2023.
Waller lives in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles with his wise and understanding wife, three well-behaved children, and two adoring cats.
“Any fear of how some songs would fit are soon dispelled as Waller, JR ups his game to deliver an album I will be playing for a long, long time. He doesn’t just cover the songs but in a number of cases it will be his I reach for first in days to come as the definitive version.” –Maurice Hope, Americana UK
News and Reviews
Brave New Covers Reviews Fancy Free
https://parcbench.live/2016/06/08/brave-new-covers-robert-rex-waller-jr-fancy-free/ Robert Rex Waller, Jr. — Fancy Free Label: Western Seeds Records The first solo album from I See Hawks in L.A. lead singer Robert Rex Waller Jr. is available soon (July 1, 2016). On...
FANCY FREE RECORD RELEASE AT PAPPY AND HARRIET’S July 2, 2016
Saturday night July 2nd, 2016 come out to the desert to celebrate from FANCY FREEDOM! 8-11 PM Robert Rex Waller, Jr and Big Memphis Hair FREE! More info here: http://www.pappyandharriets.com/event/1199865-robert-rex-waller-jr-big-pioneertown/
Twangville Reviews “Fancy Free”
The snow swirls around the lamp posts and even the bars have been closed for hours. It’s too cold to kill time, but killing time is all you have left. Painting that picture of desolation and near despair, Robert Rex Waller, Jr., opens his upcoming album with a version of Utah Phillips’ Walking Through the Snow In Your Town. He elevates the hobo folk song original into a country masterpiece that would send George Jones straight to the bottom of his whisky glass.
Lonesome Highway Reviews Fancy Free
With I See Hawks in LA Waller sings original song. Here he is given the freedom to interpret songs that have entered his consciousness in an individual, stylised way that makes the most of his voice and their musical setting
Amos Perrine of No Depression reviews Fancy Free
With his distinctive vocal style and sensibility that harkens back to a time in the ’70s when what we now call Americana was gaining form, his first solo album is, oddly enough, one of covers.