Most Fairfield students feel that picking a major means choosing a specific path in life.
One Fairfield graduate disagrees. “I was an English major and a double minor in Marketing and Jazz,” says Brian Kelly ’98, who is the lead singer of Talking to Walls, a rock group that recently performed at the Acoustic Café and the Levee.
Matt Krupa, who plays drums in the band, is another Fairfield alum that found Kelly through the Fairfield Career office when looking for a job in computers. Although Kelly couldn’t help him find a job, he was in need of a drummer. Kelly and Krupa then joined with Peter Shindler, who played bass and keyboards, and Mike Puccio, who played guitar.
Kelly fondly remembers his time at Fairfield and, “a voice teacher named Betty Jones. Voice was the most important class I took. It taught me confidence whether it was singing or anything else.” Kelly has carried what he learned from Fairfield into the Walls’ latest album, “Naked.”
Kelly has put his English degree to some use by being the primary writer for most of the band’s songs, drawing inspiration ranging from a broken stereo on a long drive to a break-up of a group of friends.
“Naked” places the band in the category of a refined punk group bordering on classic indie rock. Fairfield students had a chance to experience this style when the Walls played at the Levee, but due to Parent’s Weekend many students avoided the on-campus bar.
Only the future will tell how far this homegrown band will go, “We just bought a van. That is a strong indicator. It still has a strong engine. Basically [we plan to] keep playing and writing without compromise. We play new stuff constantly and do whatever we’re into at the moment.”
Currently Kelly is in talks with MTV about licensing some of the Walls’ music. You can catch Brian Kelly solo at the Reality Café in Stratford on Nov. 30.
Leave a Reply