Sean Walsh was content being a solo musician, often preferring it over being a part of a band. So it surprised him when he became the front man for The National Reserve.

The National Reserve, as well as Tioga, opens for Low Cut Connie, 8 p.m. March 3, Musikfest Cafe, Bethlehem.

“I’ve been making songs since I was younger and always liked my solo projects, but it just kinda happened,” Walsh explains in a phone interview.

“I had a regular gig where they put together a line-up of folks to play together, and it just worked out. We’ve been able to tolerate each other for this long, at least,” he laughs.

The name of the band, The National Reserve, stems from Walsh’s interest in continuing his solo career, even after forming the band.

“A friend of mine, seven or eight years ago, was laughing because I was going to different cities and would do a solo pick-up gig here and there, and he was joking about it. He’s says, ‘It’s like you have a reserve of musicians or something.’ So we started jokingly calling it The National Reserve, and it kind of stuck.”

The National Reserve expects to perform songs from “Motel la Grange,” an album that took six years to finish.

Concerning “Motel la Grange,” Walsh says, “I don’t think that I was intending to make it a concept or something. It just kind of ended up as very representative of a certain part of my life. We started it five or six years ago, working behind the scenes, in the background, while we were making other records.

“I think it some things just take longer than others. We rerecorded almost all of it, but it gave us a lot of breathing room and make some critical decisions.”

It’s this attention to detail and focus on the craft that defines Walsh as an artist, someone who is living and breathing music.

“It’s something I think about constantly. I got really into collecting records, and constantly listening, looking to seek out new and old music,” Walsh says. “There’s never a moment in the day when I’m not talking about it.”

One of Walsh’s goals with The National Reserve is to bring more positivity and lightheartedness to the stage, allowing for audiences to unwind after a hard day.

“I think I just want for people to have fun, as cheesy as that sounds. Everyone has a long day, I just want people to come and forget about that for a couple of hours. There’s very little opportunity to unwind anymore, so I want them to loosen up, have drinks, whatever, just so they don’t feel wound up.”

Walsh looks to make a positive change on those to come and see him perform while doing what he loves most.

“I hope that people can walk away and know that music can change your life and make it better. There’s a healing magic to it. It’s a powerful thing.”

Tickets: Musikfest Café box office, ArtsQuest Center, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem; steelstacks.org; 610-332-1300