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
BBC Radio Ulster plays “Easy Loving”
Listen to program Father Brain D'Arcy's Sunday Program Tracklist 1 The Proclaimers I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) 2 Cody Johnson The Painter 3 Luke Combs Fast Car 4 Scotty McCreery Home 5 Janie Fricke I Need Someone To Hold Me 6 Robert Rex Waller Jr Easy Loving 7 Jordan...
BBC Radio Wales Plays “Let Her Go Down”
Program: Frank Hennessy's Celtic Heartbeat link to program Tracklist 1 Wolf Loescher Dance Called America 2 Carreg Lafar Aderyn Bach 3 Brian Kalinec The Beauty Of It All 4 Siskin Green Heart Full Of Anxious Request 5 Charlie McGettigan and Paul Gurney Sweetly She...
Slim Chance Reviews “STBMC”
Link to full article Robert Rex Waller Jr. is mostly known among Americana afficionados as the frontman of Californian country rockers I See Hawks In L.A., with whom he has built a rather impressive body of work. But recently the man also found some time for this solo...
Bloggerhythms Reviews “STBMC”
link to full article Robert Rex Waller Jr. has been the lead singer and one of the songwriters for the oddly named but critically acclaimed band, I See Hawks In L.A. for twenty years. MOJO magazine once named them “the finest country rock band on the planet.” Though...
Dutch Moors Magazine Reviews “STBMC”
link to the full article English translation: I already knew Robert Rex Waller Jr from the Californian country rock band I See Hawks in L.A. where he is usually just called Rob Waller, but for his solo albums he prefers to go all out. See the Big Man Cry is special...