The Walking in Between explained

The Walking in Between
Type:studio
Artist:Ben Rector
Cover:The Walking In Between album cover.jpg
Alt:The cover of Ben Rector's The Walking in Between
Released:August 20, 2013
Genre:Rock, pop
Label:Aptly Named
Producer:Jamie Kenney, Charlie Peacock
Prev Title:Something Like This
Prev Year:2011
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Next Year:2015

The Walking in Between is the fifth studio album released by American singer-songwriter Ben Rector, released in 2013. It was partly produced by Jamie Kenney and Charlie Peacock, and partially self-produced. It is the first release by Rector on his self-founded label, Aptly Named Recordings. In recent years, Rector found his high levels of success to be overwhelming. He expected the success to satisfying, though found it instead in "walking in between" moments of daily life. This would inspire the direction of The Walking in Between. The album was built around accessibility and honesty in Rector's feelings.

"Beautiful" released ahead as a single, and the album released on August 20, 2013. Following the release was "The Walking In Between Tour" featuring Tyrone Wells, spanning 32 cities. The album was positively received by critics, and appeared on several Billboard charts, including No. 16 on Billboard 200.

Background and composition

The Walking in Between is the first album release under Ben Rector's own label, Aptly Named Recordings, in association with the brand-management company ROAR. Rector founded the label for utility reasons; he needed an entity to release music under.[1] Staff that worked alongside Rector for the album included co-founder of ROAR Bernie Cahill, booking agent Jeff Krones from the Creative Artists Agency, and Jim Merlis of Big Hassle for publicity. The album was produced by Jamie Kenney and Charlie Peacock, with additional work from Rector.[2] Finding it difficult to write while touring, the album was while he was not doing so.[3]

Having formed his own record label and finding an increasing level of success, particularly in his recent years of touring, he found the experience overwhelming. It was a field he did not believe he fit in well with, and a pessimist by nature, he also did not expect to be in that position. Although he originally expected to find true satisfaction with himself in success, he instead found it in the "ordinary", such as spending time with his friends or his wife Hillary. The themes of the album was shaped around the title, derived from the song "I Like You": "Life is not the mountaintops, it’s the walking in between." The album discusses finding joy in the in-between moments of life, outside of "mountain top" moments of success.[1]

Acknowledging that he wasn't the only one making pop music, Rector wanted to emphasize what makes his music unique, which is a level of accessibility with narrative depth when explored. He described it as a "marriage of accessibility and craft, a record that’s pleasant to listen to and can be enjoyed at face value, but that also has depth and solid foundation if you dig any deeper musically or lyrically." Rector found the best way to create a song that listeners could relate to was by being honest in his work. He details his personality and his experiences in songs such as "Ordinary Love" and "Thank God For the Summertime", songs which explore simple joys in life.[4] Rector is particularly partial to "Making Money", a song that was performed unedited in one take. He was inspired to write the song by a comedic Twitter account that requested to buy the album with a non-monetary payment, such as high-fives, and Rector replied yes "as long as he can pay his mortgage" with them. Compared to his previous album, Something Like This, he felt The Walking in Between was more focused on a unified theme.

Promotion and release

There was little press advertisement done for The Walking in Between as Rector expected the press to not know who he was.[5] He toured in the summer of 2013 with "The Rectour", where some songs from the album were played prior to its release.[6] "Beautiful" released ahead of the album as a single,[6] and The Walking in Between released August 20, 2013.[2] In September 2013 Rector performed an acoustic cover of "I Like You" via the LR Boggs YouTube channel, an acoustic guitar accessory company.[7] Rector toured for the album following the release in the fall with "The Walking In Between Tour" featuring Tyrone Wells,[8] [4] beginning on September 18 in Seattle, Washington and spanning 32 cities, concluding on November 9.[9] One of the locations on the tour included Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This would be his second time performing there, the first in 2005 as his first live performance.[10] A live album recording of his performance in Denver, Colorado, Live in Denver, released on September 16, 2014.[11] A orchestra rendition of "Sailboat" by Cody Fry was featured on his 2021 album Symphony Sessions, featuring Rector.[12]

Critical reception

Rector's voice was lauded, and considered to be "crystalline quality" by Atlanta Music Guides Rosie Judd.[13] Mark Jenkins of The Washington Post and Matt Collar of AllMusic praised the album's themes,[14] and Jenkins noted that most of the songs could be "wedding standards".[15] Collar enjoyed the album for Rector's interpretation of everyday life.[14] Judd praised "Sailboat" for its escapism and Chelsea Gammon of The MBU Timeline appreciated it for its honesty.[2] Judd also lauded Rector's songwriting ability in the songs "Making Money" and "I Like You".[2] HuffPosts John Chattman declared the album a "smash".[16] Critics appreciated the album's compelling simplicity;[15] [13] [2] Judd referred to the album as a "Sunday afternoon record",[13] Gammon called the album "passionately calm and vividly expressive",[2] and Jenkins particularly appreciated the anthem-like "When I'm With You" and "Ordinary Love".[15]

Commercial performance

The Walking in Between appeared on several Billboard charts. It debuted at 16 on the Billboard 200, appearing on the chart for two weeks.[17] [18] It also debuted at 16 on the Top Album Sales chart and remained for two weeks.[19] [20] It reached number 2 on Billboards Folk Albums chart and[21] number 5 on Top Rock Albums.[22] It also debuted and peaked at number 5 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums.[23] [24] It spent two weeks on the Top Current Album Sales and Independent Albums charts, debuting and peaking at number 16 and number 2 respectively.[25] [26] "Ordinary Love" peaked at 37 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, 27 on Rock Digital Song Sales, and 37 on Hot Rock Songs in August 2013.[27] [28] [29] Recognizing that he had yet to see any spikes in his career via charting or usage of his music in pop culture, he attributed the success of the album and his career to word of mouth communication from fans.[30]

The associated live album, Live in Denver, also charted. It appeared at number 40 on the Top Rock Albums,[31] number 3 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart,[32] and 40 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums.[33] All the proceeds from The Walking in Between were donated to build a well in Zambia via World Vision International.[34]

"Beautiful" was highlighted by iTunes via their Single of the Week promotion in July 2013,[35] and Live Nation Entertainment selected Rector for their "One's to Watch" program,[9] two achievements that further advanced Rector's career. It sparked international attention, and Cahill was receiving interest from large record companies, although Cahill commented that "It would take a pretty remarkable label deal to get him to blink."[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Walking In Between: Ben Rector . 2013-11-06 . 2024-01-22 . . Harries Graham . William . January 22, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240122220902/https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/music/2013-11-06/walking-in-between-ben-rector/ . live .
  2. Web site: Ben Rector's 'The Walking in Between' . 2014-09-09 . 2024-01-22 . MBU Timeline . January 22, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240122231623/https://mbutimeline.mobap.edu/ben-rectors-the-walking-in-between/ . live .
  3. Web site: Musician Ben Rector draws inspiration from all the moments in between . 2013-04-03 . 2024-01-25 . Island Packet . Donohue . Patrick . January 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240126234843/https://www.islandpacket.com/entertainment/article33508245.html . live .
  4. Web site: Walking In Between With Ben Rector . 2013-11-25 . 2024-01-22 . . White . Abby . January 22, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240122235232/https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/walking_in_between_with_ben_rector . live .
  5. Happening Now: Ben Rector Rising . 2013-08-30 . 2024-01-22 . . Williams . Nick . January 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240123002419/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/happening-now-ben-rector-rising-5679924/ . live .
  6. Web site: Now Spinning: Ben Rector . 2015-04-30 . 2024-01-22 . Cardinal & Cream . Carter . McKenna . January 28, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160128054652/http://www.cardinalandcream.info/2015/now-spinning-ben-rector/ . live .
  7. Web site: Ben Rector Premieres Acoustic Video for "I Like You" . 2013-10-11 . 2024-01-24 . Guitar World . March 21, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230321015126/https://www.guitarworld.com/acoustic-nation/acoustic-nation-ben-rector-premieres-acoustic-video-i-you . live .
  8. Web site: The Walking In Between Tour: Ben Rector & Tyrone Wells . 2013-10-26 . 2024-01-22 . Medium . Segal . Arin . January 22, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240122232705/https://medium.com/a-teen-view/the-walking-in-between-tour-ben-rector-tyrone-wells-a72967fc8e86 . live .
  9. Web site: Ben Rector Announces Details Of The Walking In Between Tour . 2013-07-17 . 2024-01-22 . Melodic . Wippson . Johan . January 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240123000454/http://www.melodic.net/news/ben-rector-announces-details-of-the-walking-in-between-tour . live .
  10. Web site: Tulsa's Ben Rector talks about handling success ahead of Cain's show Sunday . 2024-11-03 . 2024-01-24 . . Woffard . Jerry . January 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240126234754/https://tulsaworld.com/entertainment/music/tulsas-ben-rector-talks-about-handling-success-ahead-of-cains-show-sunday/article_d3d587ac-51c1-5883-baec-611a3363d848.html . live .
  11. Web site: Live in Denver - Ben Rector . 2014-09-16 . 2024-01-26 . AllMusic.
  12. Web site: Interview with Cody Fry . 2021-10-11 . Bringin' it Backwards . January 26, 2024 . January 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240126234838/https://www.bringinitbackwards.com/videos/interview-with-cody-fry/ . live .
  13. Web site: Album Review: Ben Rector, The Walking in Between, August 20, 2013 . 2013-08-20 . 2024-01-26 . Atlanta Music Guide . Judd . Rosie . January 25, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240125051934/https://www.atlantamusicguide.com/album-review-ben-rector-the-walking-in-between-8202013/ . live .
  14. Web site: The Walking in Between Review by Matt Collar . 2024-01-26 . . Collar . Matt . January 25, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240125051930/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-walking-in-between-mw0002575809 . live .
  15. News: Ben Rector Album Review: 'The Walking in Between' . 2013-10-23 . 2024-01-26 . . Jenkins . Mark . August 2, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180802012739/https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/ben-rector-album-review-the-walking-in-between/2013/10/23/5eefbc1e-36a7-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html . live .
  16. Web site: A-Sides with Jon Chattman: Ben Rector "Keeps Moving On" Up; "Life" Lessons with Little Comets . 2013-08-28 . 2024-01-26 . . Chattman . Jon . January 25, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240125051935/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-sides-with-jon-chattman_b_3829863 . live .
  17. Billboard 200 - Week of September 7, 2013 . 2013-09-07 . 2024-01-24 . . January 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230128182129/https://www.billboard.com/artist/ben-rector/ . live .
  18. Billboard 200 - Week of September 14, 2013 . 2013-09-14 . 2024-01-24 . . January 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230123200947/https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2013-09-14/ . live .
  19. Top Album Sales - Week of September 7, 2013 . 2013-08-07 . 2024-01-24 . . May 4, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220504113740/https://www.billboard.com/charts/top-album-sales/2013-09-07/ . live .
  20. Top Album Sales - Week of September 14, 2013 . 2013-09-14 . 2024-01-24 . . September 20, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230920071846/https://www.billboard.com/charts/top-album-sales/2013-09-14/ . live .
  21. Folk Albums - Week of September 7, 2013. Billboard. January 11, 2016. March 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160330030254/http://www.billboard.com/charts/folk-albums/2013-09-07. live.
  22. Top Rock Albums - Week of September 7, 2013 . 2013-09-07 . 2024-01-24 . . January 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230128182129/https://www.billboard.com/artist/ben-rector/ . live .
  23. Top Rock & Alternative Albums - Week of September 7, 2013 . 2013-09-07 . 2024-01-24 . . January 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240126234717/https://www.billboard.com/charts/top-rock-alternative-albums/2013-09-07/ . live .
  24. Top Rock & Alternative Albums - Week of September 14, 2013 . 2013-09-14 . 2024-01-24 . . January 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240126234716/https://www.billboard.com/charts/top-rock-alternative-albums/2013-09-14/ . live .
  25. Top Current Album Sales - Week of September 7, 2013 . 2013-09-07 . 2024-01-24 . . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202235344/https://www.billboard.com/charts/current-albums/2013-09-07/ . live .
  26. Web site: Independent Albums - Week of September 7, 2013 . 2013-09-07 . 2024-01-24 . . January 5, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240105091155/https://www.billboard.com/charts/independent-albums/2013-09-07/ . live .
  27. Hot Rock & Alternative Songs - Week of August 10, 2013 . 2013-08-10 . 2024-01-24 . . January 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230128182129/https://www.billboard.com/artist/ben-rector/ . live .
  28. Rock Digital Song Sales - Week of August 10, 2013 . 2013-08-10 . 2024-01-24 . . March 30, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180330143846/https://www.billboard.com/charts/rock-digital-song-sales/2013-08-10 . live .
  29. Hot Rock Songs - Week of August 10, 2013 . 2013-08-10 . 2024-01-24 . . January 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240126234757/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-rock-songs/2013-08-10/ . live .
  30. Web site: Ben Rector . 2024-01-14 . 2024-01-24 . . Schlansky . Evan . January 20, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240120053045/https://americansongwriter.com/ben-rector/ . live .
  31. Top Rock Albums - Week of October 4, 2014 . 2014-10-04 . 2024-01-24 . . August 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230828094302/https://www.billboard.com/charts/rock-albums/2014-10-04/ . live .
  32. Web site: Americana/Folk Albums - Week of October 4, 2014 . 2014-10-04 . 2024-01-24 . . May 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527213429/https://www.billboard.com/charts/americana-folk-albums/2014-10-04/ . live .
  33. Top Rock & Alternative Albums - Week of October 4, 2014 . 2014-10-04 . 2024-01-24 . . January 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240126234839/https://www.billboard.com/charts/top-rock-alternative-albums/2014-10-04/ . live .
  34. Web site: Nashville's Boy Next Door: Ben Rector . 2015-09-29 . 2024-01-25 . The Odyssey . Summers . Savannah . December 7, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231207214053/https://www.theodysseyonline.com/ben-rector-boy-next-door . live .
  35. Web site: Ben Rector's "Beautiful" is the iTunes Single of the Week . 2013-07-23 . 2024-01-22 . Best New Bands . January 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240123003121/http://www.bestnewbands.com/breaking-news/ben-rectors-beautiful-is-the-itunes-single-of-the-week/ . live .

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