The Walkmen is an American indie rock band. Active from 2000 to 2013, they are known as part of the 2000s-era post-punk revival in New York City, particularly for their critically acclaimed single "The Rat." The band is made up of drummer Matt Barrick, bassist/organist Peter Matthew Bauer, frontman Hamilton Leithauser, guitarist Paul Maroon, and multi-instrumentalist Walter Martin—all former members of Jonathan Fire*Eater and The Recoys. The band went on hiatus in 2013, with Leithauser, Bauer and Martin all pursuing solo careers, and Barrick joining Fleet Foxes in a touring and session capacity. They announced a reunion in November of 2022, with shows scheduled for April of 2023. History 2000–2003: Early years and debut album Each of the members of the Walkmen grew up in and around the Washington, DC, area, played in many of the same bands from early in their careers, and even attended the same Washington-area high school, St. Albans School; Bauer attended Maret School while the other band members attended St. Albans.The bandmates eventually moved to Harlem. The band was formed in 2000 following the breakup of two separate bands: Jonathan Fire*Eater, whose members included Martin, Maroon and Barrick, and The Recoys, whose members included Leithauser and Bauer. The three members from Jonathan Fire*Eater, borrowed money from their family and friends to construct a rehearsal space in Harlem. The rehearsal space featured a 24-track recording studio and was dubbed Marcata Studios. The newly formed band, who wished to distance themselves from the garage rock sounds of previous bands, released a self-titled EP of songs in 2001 on Startime International, a small Brooklyn-based record label. Shortly after the release of the EP, which featured a blend of upright pianos and other vintage instruments, the Walkmen made their official live debut with a performance at Joe's Pub in the East Village. The 2002 debut album Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone, released by Startime, was well received by critics. The album was noted for its innovative approach to atmosphere and instrumentation, with sparse bass and drums complemented by plinking piano, jangly guitars and Leithauser's unique vocal stylings. Two of the songs on the album, "The Blizzard of '96" and "That's the Punchline," were adaptations of tracks meant for The Recoys' unreleased full-length album. Critics compared the results of the album to past work by U2 and The Cure as a result of the uniqueness of its