IN: Ernest Clayton Walker, Jr. (born August 19, 1969) is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You", which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die". Both singles were included on his self-titled debut album, released in 1993 via Giant Records. He stayed with the label until its 2001 closure, later recording for Warner Bros. Records and RCA Records before joining his current label, Asylum-Curb Records, in 2007.

Walker released his twenty-third single, "Say No More", for Giant in early 2001. It was the first single release from his sixth studio album of the same name, peaking at number 33 on the country chart; the only other single, the Jerry Kilgore co-write "If You Ever Feel Like Lovin' Me Again", reached number 27. The latter song was promoted by Giant's parent company, Warner Bros. Records Nashville, as Giant had closed in late 2001. Walker co-produced the album with veteran producers Byron Gallimore and Blake Mevis, and session guitarist Brent Mason. The album also included a song that Walker wrote in high school, and a cover of Ritchie Valens's "La Bamba." Maria Konicki Dinoia of Allmusic rated it three stars, with her review saying that "the sensitivity on this album is so expressive that it makes you want to run right out and hug the one you love." Country Standard Time critic Mike Clark considered it a transition to a more country pop-oriented sound, describing the album as being "full of bad lyrics and overwrought production cliches." In 2002, Walker wrote and recorded a song for the National Football League's expansion team, the Houston Texans. Titled "Football Time in Houston," the song was used as the team's official fight song during its inaugural season. In an interview with CMT, he said that he donated the song to the city of Houston, and that he sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the team's opening game every season. Although he had left Warner Bros. for RCA Records' Nashville division in May 2002, Warner Bros. released a Christmas music album entitled Christmas in September of the same year. It included a cover of Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad", which Walker took to number 49 on the country chart in January 2003.

Who was he signed with

OUT: The latter song was promoted by Giant's parent company, Warner Bros.

IN: Cold War Kids is an American indie rock band from Long Beach, California. Band members are Nathan Willett (vocals, piano, guitar), Matt Maust (bass guitar), David Quon (guitar, backing vocals), Matthew Schwartz (backing vocals, keyboards and piano, percussion, guitar), and Joe Plummer (drums, percussion). Former members of the band include Dann Gallucci (guitar, keyboards, percussion), Matt Aveiro (drums, percussion), and Jonnie Russell (guitar, vocals, piano, keyboards, percussion). Forming in 2004 in Fullerton California, the Cold War Kids' early releases came from independent record label Monarchy Music.

Cold War Kids spent the end of 2008 and most of 2009 on the road touring for Loyalty to Loyalty, highlighted by a national tour with Death Cab for Cutie. In between touring, the band returned to the studio to record what would become their seventh EP, Behave Yourself. In an interview with Flavorwire, Maust talked about the differences between this and Loyalty to Loyalty: "It's basically the happier, more vibrant songs that didn't really fit on the [Loyalty] album. We realized that in a way, we were starting to work ahead of ourselves, so this [EP] works as a nice bridge between records." Behave Yourself was released digitally on iTunes on December 21, 2009, and given a physical version on January 19, 2010. Cold War Kids went back into the studio in February 2010. Willett, when speaking to Filter Magazine, said, "Album three is in the works now. We are working with a producer named Jacquire King. He has a sweet and eclectic roster of Modest Mouse, the last Norah Jones record, Tom Waits' Mule Variations, the last Kings of Leon record...So, he is going to work miracles with us. All of our music has always been written entirely by us, without any influence, so to have him step in and help us with the direction is tremendous. I was just watching the Wilco Documentary again, and I think that in many ways Wilco is to country/Americana as Cold War Kids is to soul/punk. We are taking what we do to the next level on this record. The EP is the final reminder of the good old days of quick and fun, minimal Cold War Kids recording." Mine Is Yours was released on January 25, 2011, and garnered mixed reviews from critics. Billboard said that "the band has emerged with a set that's more inviting than its first but just as catchy." Sean O'Neal of The A.V. Club said that the album has "the bland sound of a band trading identity for ambition." Cold War Kids supported the album with a spring tour across North America that included festival appearances at Bonnaroo and Coachella. On February 8, 2012, the band announced that lead guitarist Jonnie Russell left the band due to personal reasons.

When was Mine is Yours released?

OUT:
Mine Is Yours was released on January 25, 2011,