The Sect were formed in Derry in 1979 and were almost called ‘Aural Sect’ but thankfully good sense prevailed! The original line-up consisted of Jim Walker, guitar, vocals, John Cassidy, bass, vocals and 'Min' McCann on drums. Their early sets consisted mainly of Jam covers and being a trio, they were constantly being compared to that band. Even though they were as much influenced by the Sex Pistols and The Clash, and dropped the covers in favour of their own songs, the Jam comparisons still stuck. The Sect soon gained an excellent reputation around their hometown and they seemed the most likely Derry band to follow The Undertones and The Moondogs on the road to stardom. Several demo tapes were recorded at Colum Arbuckle’s home studio and at the Undertones own studio. Two songs were also recorded for a proposed 7" single on Colm Arbuckle’s ill-fated Shoestring Records. Unfortunately, neither the single nor the label materialized. A radio session was recorded for the Mike Read Show on BBC Radio One. This session came about partly because the band had lent Mike a guitar and amp for a guest spot with the ‘Moondogs’ and Jim’s then girlfriend pestered him into returning the favour! Jim takes over the story “We arranged the hire of amps and drums for the session from a hire company in London out of our own pockets .The producers of the session must have felt sorry for us as they made sure we got the money back from the expenses. They also referred to us as the ‘one take wonders’ as we were so quick at laying down tracks! The band also received some airplay on The Dave Fanning Show on RTE. 2 and made an appearance in Dandelion Market where the bands set was followed by a screening of N. Ireland punk movie ‘Shellshock Rock’. A few Dublin mods showed up and the gig was going well, until a door at one side of the venue burst open and a large group of rockers burst in and proceeded to kick rings round them. To add insult to injury the bands van was broken into and robbed.

It was around this time that Jim and friend Vinny Cunningham put out the first issue of the 'If And When" fanzine. Jim “We wanted to give a platform to any musicians, poets or illustrators who wanted to avail of it; however it soon became a forum for bands to bitch about each other and the lack of gigs”.

In 1984 Jim formed a new band called Cast of 1000’s, who moved to London in 1985 after being signed by Cure manager Chris Parry on a publishing deal. They released one single 'Subtle Sunglasses' on Parry's Desire label before signing to Fun After All Records. They released two singles, 'Nothing Is Forever' and 'September' and one album 'Passion' on Fun After All and all enjoyed a modicum of success in the UK, gaining a considerable amount of encouraging write ups in the music press. However, by 1994 the band had run its course and after their break up, Jim decided to return home. He now fronts a new band called The Jaywalkers and has written the theme music for local TV series’ The Seanchai, Lesser Spotted Ulster. Sarah and the Whammi, Muintir na Darach and Battle of the Bogside among others.