"Got Sultry? Michelle Willis has plenty to go around, check her out" James Williamson, Iggy & The Stooges
"Don’t try to do anything else while this record is playing, just sit back and absorb the sonic beauty" Doug Gallant, The Guardian
"Don’t try to do anything else while this record is playing, just sit back and absorb the sonic beauty" Doug Gallant, The Guardian
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Prior to launching a solo career, British-born, Canadian-raised musician/songwriter Michelle Willis amassed an impressive résumé through a variety of collaborations and work as a session keyboardist and background singer for the likes of David Crosby, Becca Stevens, Laura Mvula, Parachute Club, Zac Brown Band, and many collaborations with funk / jazz collective Snarky Puppy. After studying jazz and honing her chops on the Toronto piano bar scene, Michelle packed up, moved to New York City and released her debut solo record, See Us Through.
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Michelle's original music is inspired by years spent singing in choirs, a love affair with jazz, folk, gospel & blues, and finding a home in the song craft of Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin, Bonnie Raitt and Donny Hathaway.
See Us Through was released in 2016 on GroundUP Music / Verve, featuring sweeping vocals, lush harmony and heart-wrenching lyrics. She has performed her music all over the globe, from Australia to Japan, Stockholm to London, Atlanta GA to Vancouver BC. Along with other collaborations, Michelle's recent songwriting work can be heard on the new David Crosby album. David, Michelle, Becca Stevens and Michael League cowrote the majority of the music on 'Here If You Listen', released in 2018 on BMG. For four years, Michelle was a member of Three Metre Day, a Canadian modern roots trio with slide guitarist Don Rooke and violinist Hugh Marsh. The trio recorded the 2012 album Coasting Notes, and scored the 2013 feature film Still Mine, the latter of which earned them a best original score nomination from the Canadian Screen Awards. Three Metre Day also befriended an unlikely ally in James Williamson, guitarist for Iggy & The Stooges, who enlisted them to play on Iggy Pop's 2013 album, Ready to Die. Michelle is currently working on her new record, due for a 2020 release. She is a touring member of David Crosby's 'Lighthouse' and 'Sky Trails' bands, as well as the Becca Stevens Band.
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