At the height of their career, the popularity of Nashville's Walk The West rivaled that of EMI labelmates Jason & the Scorchers on the Southeast circuit. Walk The West was formed in 1984 by guitarist/vocalist Paul Kirby, the son of songwriter Dave Kirby (writer of "Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone"), childhood friends John Golemon and Will Golemon and drummer Richard Ice. The band's rise in popularity echoed that of other similar mid-80s Nashville artists like Will Rambeaux and the Delta Hurricanes, leading to a deal with EMI America which resulted in the band's lone, self-titled album in 1986, produced by Jozef Nuyens.