Wille and the bandits
One of the most exciting and talked about acts to emerge in the past year, their sound seems to be an amalgamation of the best elements of music from every era creating a new vibe which is wholely their own. Imagine dusting off your old vinyl and blasting it out in your new spaceship.
This unique combo began by pioneering the Roots Rock scene in the south west and is now pushing out into the rest of Britain and Europe. A similar ocean inspired style of music has thrived on the surfing coasts of the USA and Australia, bringing us artists such as Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and John Butler. We now have a British representative Wille and the Bandits.
“Wille and the bandits mix folk, rock and blues and are considered Europe’s answer to the John Butler Trio.” (Sortir, Eurorégion)
In their first year together the band played at over 15 prodigious festivals including Larmer Tree, Greenbelt, Goldcoast Ocean Fest, Maker Sunshine Fest, Jersey Longboard Festival, Surfstock and Beach Breaks to name but a few.
The band’s world music vibe makes them accessible to a wide range of audiences and they have been praised by critics for seamlessly crossing over and blending Rock, Blues, Folk, Latin, Bluegrass and Reggae, keeping audiences engaged to the very end. This versatility has enabled Wille and the Bandits to share stages with artists as diverse as blues roots legends; Eric Bibb and Donavon Frankenreiter, Folk superstars; The Levellers and Seth Lakeman and Reggae boppers; The Beautiful Girls.
Wille is regarded by many as one of the finest lap steel players in the country and when accompanied by his gravelly voice the concoction is irresistible.
"Front man Will Edwards’ whiskey soaked drawl and inspired slide guitar licks hark back to the 1930's Mississippi, while drummer Andy Naumann and ex Cantaloop bassist Kieran Doherty drag the Bandits brilliantly unique sound into the 21st century"
(GO2 Magazine)
The band dedicates their lives to their music which shows in their performances and in the lifestyle that they lead, clocking up thousands of miles to get their sound heard and grabbing a surf wherever possible.
“The award for the hardest gigging band goes to rockin' roots trio Wille and the Bandits who are playing here, there and everywhere, five nights a week as fully pro musicians – and have still managed to find time to record an album which is due out in April”
(Claire Robinson, Music editor Evening Herald)
They have appeared live on ITV, BBC Radio London, Bristol, Cornwall and Devon. Headlined shows in England, toured France, Belgium, Holland and Germany and have a tour of Eastern Europe booked before the festival season.
After selling out copies of their first EP in under a year, the band will be touring the UK in April to promote their debut album!
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