When the late, great Phil May of The Pretty Things (cited as a major influence by both David Bowie and Jimmy Hendrix) began curating songs for what would become the band’s final studio album, amongst covers of songs by Muddy Waters, Sheryl Crow and Robert Johnson, May included a song by British singer-songwriter Will Varley. In becoming an avid fan of the troubadour from Kent he joined an army of followers that has been growing steadily across the globe for last ten years and includes the likes of Billy Bragg, Skin from Skunk Anansie and Adam Duritz from Counting Crows, all of whom consider Will to be one of the best songwriters of his generation.
In recent years Will has become a regular collaborator in the writing rooms of Nashville and Los Angeles, co-writing songs with Grammy award winning and CMA winning artists from the heart of the country music world. But over the last few months he has been holed up in his ramshackle studio, deep in the Kentish wilderness, working away on his latest offering – a new album now firmly on the horizon.
There is a sheer depth to Will’s writing that sets him apart, and has propelled his music far and wide. From the Dylanesque, post-apocalyptic dystopia of 2021’s “Dreamland” to the captivating and ambitious “Weddings and Wars,” in which he endeavours to compress the entire history of the world into four minutes, Varley’s songs seem to transcend themselves, marrying vivid imagery, emotion and surrealism to capture his musings in a way that is quite remarkable.
When the world ground to a halt during the pandemic, Varley refused to stand still. As well as writing his first novel, Will honed his skills in the studio, producing ‘Hit And Run’ for multi platinum artist Eagle Eye Cherry. He also entered Nashville’s International Songwriting Competition (Judged by Tom Waits and Coldplay amongst others), sending in his entry after a night of lockdown drinking. Out of over 20,000 entries Will’s song came 3rd.
The stage has been Varley’s constant companion, from the open mics of south London to Shepherds Bush Empire and The Albert Hall. Over the years he has toured relentlessly, selling out shows across Europe and America, and opening for Frank Turner, Valerie June and The Proclaimers. Further high praise from the likes of Tim Minchin, Donovan, and Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention have helped fan the flames, as his audience continues to grow both on the road and online. His self made music videos have clocked up millions of views on YouTube and his catalogue of recorded albums has surpassed a staggering 30,000,000 streams on Spotify alone.
In 2023 Will signed a worldwide record deal with US label MNRK Music Group, who over the years have been home to the likes of Chuck Berry, Townes Van Zandt and The Lumineers. With a new team behind him and touring plans being hatched for this summer and beyond, Will is poised for an enormous 12 months ahead, as he gears up for the release of his seventh studio album.
