Writing

Fiction, essays, newsletters, founder letters, and music-industry writing by Luke F. Walton. Papers are collected separately under Research. On this page: Love Music More (newsletter and podcast), founder letters on Surmado, and music-industry journalism from the NAMM era (2018–2024).

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Fiction
Essays
Love Music More
Founder letters
Music trade writing
Print syndication

Fiction

The Signatories

Novel · Luke F. Walton & Jonathan Gillie

Speculative literary fiction.

2026 Page Turner Fiction Book Award Finalist

When Gods Meet

Fiction project in progress · Luke F. Walton

Gods, people, and what they owe each other, in contemporary Japan.

Essays

Personal essays by Luke F. Walton. The newsletter, Love Music More, is further down this page.

The Bent Stick: essay #1

Essay · June 2026

After Guillain-Barré took guitar and sight, a stick in the river became a lesson about bent knowing, language, and standing behind what you can't prove.

The Seam: essay #2

Essay · June 2026

A dog mask, a meme-reader interview, and an answer engine that split Scoobert from Luke. Essay #2, on standing behind the seam.

Love Music More

Love Music More: newsletter and podcast. Posts hosted here, plus 226 interview and history episodes. The hub, RSS, and archive stay canonical there. Sponsorship is on the show site.

Love Music More Newsletter · Podcast · Spotify Craft, history, and philosophy of music. Scoobert Doobert newsletter, interviews, and music history.

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Founder letters

Essays on building Surmado: product thinking, AI systems, and accountability for what you ship.

We Run the Site. You Run Your Business.

Surmado Blog · 2026

Founder letter (September 2026) on Surmado Sites as a fully managed website, not a DIY editor: a roofer, a San Diego restaurant ChatGPT could not find, and Ohtani.

Why We Built the Easiest Code Review Tool on the Market

Surmado Blog · 2026

Founder letter on Surmado Code Review: zero-config GitHub review, Scout-authored STANDARDS.MD, and pricing for vibe coders.

Code Review Isn't Just for Engineers Anymore

Surmado Blog · 2026

Founder letter (May 2026) on marketers and founders shipping AI-generated code without a review layer.

What Makes Scout Different

Surmado Blog · 2026

Product architecture essay: Scout as multi-model strategy layer, not a ChatGPT wrapper.

Music trade writing

Journalism and editorial from the NAMM era (2018–2024): instrument retail, pro audio, and show coverage. Web pieces on ProSoundWeb and NAMM. Print: Canadian Music Trades, MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, and Music Inc. Page scans.

Guitar Pedals Are Going Big at The NAMM Show

NAMM · 2024

Interview with Paolo De Gregorio (Delicious Audio / Deli Magazine) on pedal trends ahead of The NAMM Show. Author bio: previous stints on the road supporting The Doobie Brothers and Gregg Allman.

NAMM 2023 is Coming!

Gearspace · 2023

Preview of The 2023 NAMM Show for pro-audio and MI readers.

NAMM Insights: The Network Effect of MI And Pro Audio

ProSoundWeb · 2023

Also published in print in Canadian Music Trades.

Gear-Synergy: The Beauty of a Multi-Product Show

NAMM Playback · 2022

Trade-show ecosystem piece; also ran in Canadian Music Trades.

Audio Engineering Pro Tips with Derek 'MixedByAli' Ali

NAMM · 2019

Luke Walton byline: interview with Derek Ali ahead of the 2019 NAMM Show; EngineEars and Seeing Sounds workshops.

Europe and the Right to Music

NAMM Playback · 2018

Feature on the European Agenda for Music and music as a fundamental right.

Print syndication

Trade columns and advertorials published in print. Page scans are here; the web versions (where they exist) are listed under Music trade writing.

Gear-Synergy: The Beauty of a Multi-Product Show. Canadian Music Trades, December 2022. Writer. Web Page scan

Music Retail Is Back-to-School. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., July 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Introducing the NAMM U Virtual Summit. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., July 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

A Blueprint for Recovery. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., June 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Supporting Our Members During COVID-19. Canadian Music Trades, June 2020. Writer. Page scan

Succeed in NAMM's Top 100 Dealer Awards. Canadian Music Trades, May 2020. Writer. Page scan

Working Together Through Crisis. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., May 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Shhh... Top 100 Secrets. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., April 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Succeed in NAMM's Top 100 Dealer Awards. Canadian Music Trades, April 2020. Writer. Page scan

Advocating for Our Members' Pocketbook Issues. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., March 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

2020 Retail Resolutions. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., February 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Finding Meaning at the Crossroads. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., January 2020. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

A Winning Game Plan. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., December 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Prepare for Your Future at The NAMM Show. Canadian Music Trades, December 2019. Writer. Page scan

Future-Proofing Your Business. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., November 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content).

Fighting for Our Member Community. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., October 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

A Sincere Thank You. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., September 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

A Sense of Community. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., August 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Summer NAMM Plan. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., July 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Are You Playing to Win?. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., June 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

5 Reasons to Attend 2019 Summer NAMM. Canadian Music Trades, June 2019. Writer. Page scan

New at Summer NAMM: Software.NAMM. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., May 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

The Recognition You Deserve. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., April 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

What's in Store for the 116th Congress. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., March 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

2019 Retail Resolutions. MMR, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Trades, Music Inc., February 2019. Editor, copywriter (ads), co-writer (content). Page scan

Audio Engineering Pro Tips with Derek 'MixedByAli' Ali. NAMM, January 2019. Writer. Web Page scan

TEC Awards: Studio Design. Music Connection, November 2018. Writer (advertorial). Web