For Walter Lloyd, music has always been about more than lyrics or rhyme; it's been about inspiring feelings and connections between people. Lloyd is a junior in commercial music at Auburn University and has been making music for the past ten years. During this time, he’s been able to figure out his sound and his reason behind songwriting.
Lloyd blends pop, R&B and rock in his music, but what makes him unique is his use of genre blending and testing out all kinds of sounds and beats. He can spend an entire day so deeply engaged with his music that he’ll look up and realize he hasn't even eaten.
Throughout his music career, Lloyd has performed at Music Monday Cafe, AubFest and the AU singer/songwriter competition, which he won in 2023. Lloyd is also in Sonic Nation, a commercial music ensemble that performs regularly.
In addition to studying, producing, performing and writing, Lloyd also works three jobs. One of these jobs is at Publix, but stocking shelves for hours on end can get very boring. That's why, for the past year, Lloyd has been writing music in his head while at work.
“I come up with everything at the same time in my head. I can hear the music, the melody and new lyrics. They just spawn in my head," Lloyd said.
Lloyd has always loved music since he was young, and his parents encouraged this passion through their support. He began college pursuing an engineering degree at Tuskegee University, then transferred to Auburn and later decided to pursue his passion for music.
From performing Michael Jackson performances at recess to producing his own music, Lloyd had been exploring music-making long before he started producing around 2014 on GarageBand.
Around 2016, Lloyd realized he really wanted to pursue music, but at that point, he didn’t think it was realistic. Making music was more of a creative outlet than an actual career.
Once he got to his senior year of high school, he was able to learn more about sound recording. His teacher, Pat Patton, was the first person to tell him his music was great, and he could truly see Lloyd having a career in the field.
His vocal professor at Auburn, Jilla Webb, has helped him find his voice and guided him through figuring out what his brand and style are, which he explains is ever-changing. He has come to understand that he values genuine human connections.
“What I'm trying to make my brand is encouraging connection between people. I feel like we live in a society now that's so disconnected," Lloyd said.
When Lloyd writes, he starts with a feeling. The rhythm and energy that come from his creative process come before the lyrics. Recently, he has started to get into more narrative-style songwriting, creating lyrics that match the energy of the music.
“Georgia” is his recently released single, which he has been working on since 2020. The song started with feelings Lloyd had about a girl in his all-state theater group and ended up being one of his first releases. From 2020 to 2025, he has been able to refine it, exploring his production possibilities.
“How many different elements of different genres can I blend into this one song and make it still sound cohesive?” Lloyd said.
As a student who plans to pursue music professionally, Lloyd recognizes that the music industry is incredibly competitive.
“The more I learn about the music industry and how impossible it is to break as a music artist, the more discouraged I feel,” Lloyd said.
He doesn’t let this discouragement make him falter and falls back on the belief his friends and professors have in him to keep going. After winning the singer/songwriter contest in 2023, he was able to see how many people saw the same potential in him that he saw in himself.
“Hopefully, my creation of music and my shows will give people a space to connect with each other," Lloyd said.
In addition to “Georgia,” Lloyd is featured on two EDM songs called “Dopamine” and “Serotonin.” Next month, he plans to release a new song called "Time."
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