Biography
There are multiple artists by this name
1. Psychidelic Indie band from Florence, Alabama
2. A garage-punk band from Elmhurst, Illinois
3. The stage name of Hayley Willis, a female vocalist from London, England.
1. With psychedelic soundscapes, a touch of indie, alternative blues and surfer rock, WILLIS wears authenticity fastened on to their sleeves. For them, it’s not about imitation, but instead they seek to illicit pure and honest emotion to the highest degree. Above all, WILLIS creates music not just for aural enjoyment, but to also deeply resonate and connect with.
Consisting of Murphy Billings (Bass & Vocals), Glenn O'Steen (Drums), Will O'Steen (Synths), Edward Armstead (Guitar), and Trey Murphy (Guitar), the five members have combined their musical talents to create their brand of indie rock. Having all attended the same school in their hometown, they formed as a band in 2016 and the rest was history. They quickly mustered up their first successful track 'Cydd' during their very first jam session.
As one of the most-streamed independent bands of the last 15 years from their hometown of Florence, Alabama, WILLIS has gained the attention of music lovers worldwide while completely iterating on a new muscle shoals sound. Now based in Nashville, they have amassed over 4 million Spotify streams on their hit single ‘I Think I Like When It Rains’. Additionally, WILLIS secured a position on the top '25 Essential Alabama Musicians To Know for 2018' by al.com.
After the success of their EP Locals 3 in 2019, the band made a return at the end of 2020 to release their latest single, “CranMango”.
Website: http://thebandwillis.com
2. …
Bandcamp: http://willisofficial.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3IUNZYXegiizVs5gAPYKLJ
3. Hayley Willis is probably most famous for her cover of Cameo's 80s hit "Word Up", used to great effect in the US television drama 'CSI' and subsequently followed by over 100,000 people on YouTube.
Having grown up in West London on a diet of Elvis Presley, Hollywood musicals, nursery rhymes and country music, a fortunate inability to remember other people’s lyrics forced Willis into writing her own songs.
Though hugely influenced by female American artists like Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald and Brenda Lee, she began singing traditional Irish folk songs before discovering 1970s Americana, via Neil Young and The Band, during the 90s.
A six year spell working at the eclectic London store, Soul Jazz Records, belatedly introduced her to the world of dance music and electronica, and by the mid 2000s she was releasing records via her
own label, Cripple Creek.
After recording 'Come Get Some', an album for 679/Warners, she
returned to running her own label and in autumn 2010 the new
album 'Uncle Treacle' was released via Cripple Creek.
"…sparse, feral swampy blues, occasionally reminiscent of
the more tender moments of 16 Horsepower…comparisons to
Joni Mitchell , Carole King, Bobby Gentry and, especially,
PJ Harvey would not be unreasonable but they wouldn't tell
the entire story. Willis may well be that rarest of things in a
ridiculously oversubscribed field: something genuinely
original."
Website: http://www.willismusic.co.uk
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/willisinfo
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