Where is Owen Walsh going?

HONESDALE, PA — What makes a great musician or a great person? 

Talent, of course. But talent alone doesn’t make you great. It’s about dedication and hard work, becoming the best at what you do—while staying true to yourself. 

So does the willingness to step up and give back to others. To speak the truth with kindness and understanding in your heart, and being eager to listen. 

Those are the attributes that separate great ones from the crowd. And Owen Walsh, a singer/songwriter, a journalist—including for the River Reporter—and a Honesdale native, is one of the great ones, according to friends, fans and listeners.

Walsh’s new, full-length album is scheduled for release on Friday, December 9, the same day of his CD-release show at 7 p.m. at the Cooperage Project.

Telling the story

The Fall Music Festival at Dorflinger recently recorded its first podcast at the new Live Mic studios at the Creative Compound, and Walsh was the guest. 

The following is from an interview with Walsh, led by Jamie Rutherford and Ekat Pereyra.

Where it began

Walsh got his first introduction to music at age three. His older sisters wanted to start music lessons, so his parents introduced him to the violin, a musical instrument small enough for a toddler to hold. 

In high school, Walsh discovered his dad’s old Epiphone guitar, along with some Simon and Garfunkel and Paul McCartney song books. This guitar, which hadn’t seen the light of day in years, sparked a new musical interest. Thanks to the violin lessons, he was able to learn and perfect his guitar-playing skills. He still has his dad’s guitar as a reminder of where it all began.

The love of music

Walsh started performing at age 16, and has since appeared all over the country, including in Nashville, New York City, Los Angeles and more.

It took courage to perform at his school's talent shows, but a positive response encouraged him to continue as he wrote his musical stories. At the same time, he came to appreciate the pressure of live performing.

Walsh developed his musical taste and style from artists like John Prine, Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Beatles and many more. The interpretation of Americana blues by some of the greats has guided him back to the sounds of traditional American folk singers like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and James Taylor, especially their ability to tell stories through their lyrics. 

At the age of 17, Walsh auditioned for a local restaurant. That resulted in his first professional gig, and the rest is history. 

Taking the stage

He looked back at all of his performances, and said he preferred performing at events such as the Fall Music Festival or at the Cooperage Project, due to the homegrown and more intimate atmosphere provided by those events. 

Walsh has been part of the festival since its second year, and is an integral part of the team, both from the organizing end and from performing. The festival is an annual event and is the largest single-event fundraiser in the area, raising more than $200,000 for a host of local charities and scholarship programs since its inception.

It takes place every year on the second Saturday in September at the Dorflinger Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located in the village of White Mills, halfway between Hawley and Honesdale, just off Route 6.

Part of the success has been his band, O&Co. The band’s first EP, titled “O&Co.,” was released in September. The EP is available on all musical platforms, including Spotify.

‘Where is he going?’

That’s both a question and the name of one of Walsh’s singles.

His plans include an upcoming move to Asheville, NC in 2023. “Not to be confused with Nashville,” he said with a smile. 

When asked if Walsh will continue in journalism, he said he is hoping to split his musical and journalistic paths 70/30, and that he is inspired to continue telling his stories through both newspaper articles and his songwriting. 

He wants to continue to bring people in with a good story, to keep them reading or listening. 

Walsh will have to get used to missing the small-town atmosphere and all the people and places he has grown to love. However, moving to a new place for new opportunities is exciting, and is a big part of his plans. He said that he wants to find new adventures, to grow and learn from them, and to put his mark on them.

And he’s promised to come back and perform in this area. 

New album, farewell concert

The release of Walsh’s new album will happen on Friday, December 9, and so will his concert at the Cooperage. Fans old and new are invited to say goodbye before he moves on to the next stage of his life in Asheville.

Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. To purchase tickets, visit owenwalshmusic.com.

Want to hear the full podcast from the Fall Music Festival team? Visit youtu.be/ezYcQhCnvjw. 

Learn more about Creative Compound at creativecompound.biz.

For more information on the Fall Music Festival at Dorflinger, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FallMusicFestivalPA. 

Written by Ekat Pereyra for the Fall Music Festival.