PRESS KIT
CONTACT |
SOCIAL |
MUSIC
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BOOKING & MANAGEMENT:
Richard Haubrich // richardhaubrich@gmail.com Michelle Willis // michellewillismusic@gmail.com PUBLICITY: Rob Krauser // rob@rekroommedia.com Olga Makrias // olga.makrias@umusic.com LABEL - GROUNDUP MUSIC: Andy Hurwitz // andy@groundupmusic.net Jamie Margulies // jamie@groundupmusic.net |
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VIDEO
IT'LL RAIN TODAY
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SEE US THROUGH
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BIOGRAPHY
Click Here for LONG BIO
Click here for SHORT BIO
Born in the UK and raised in Canada, Michelle Willis comes from a family of "let's sing that James Taylor song again" kind of people at holidays.
A choir kid, with a love of Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell and Carole King, it wasn't long before songwriting was a natural part of life. She studied jazz at Toronto's Humber College, and soon began performing and writing with Don Rooke (The Henrys) and Hugh Marsh (Bruce Cockburn, Mary Margaret O'Hara).
"Michelle Willis sounds like God on a good day." - That's David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash more than aptly describing her brand new record, See Us Through, released May 13 on GroundUP / Verve. Croz should know, as Willis sang on his most recent album, Lighthouse, and is joining his band for a US tour this fall.
Her immediately intimate, lush, and powerful songwriting fuses the sounds of early 70s soul, jazz and modern folk (think Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell and Norah Jones), each song showcasing a sea of voices and hymn-like harmony.
She spent the last five years performing as a back up singer and keyboard player with the likes of Snarky Puppy, Zac Brown Band, David Crosby, Iggy & The Stooges, Laura Mvula, Hawksley Workman, Parachute Club, Stuart Mclean, Royal Wood, Peter Katz and many other roots, pop and folk musicians.
Since See Us Through was released, Michelle's been on a non-stop touring schedule making stops across the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.
A choir kid, with a love of Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell and Carole King, it wasn't long before songwriting was a natural part of life. She studied jazz at Toronto's Humber College, and soon began performing and writing with Don Rooke (The Henrys) and Hugh Marsh (Bruce Cockburn, Mary Margaret O'Hara).
"Michelle Willis sounds like God on a good day." - That's David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash more than aptly describing her brand new record, See Us Through, released May 13 on GroundUP / Verve. Croz should know, as Willis sang on his most recent album, Lighthouse, and is joining his band for a US tour this fall.
Her immediately intimate, lush, and powerful songwriting fuses the sounds of early 70s soul, jazz and modern folk (think Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell and Norah Jones), each song showcasing a sea of voices and hymn-like harmony.
She spent the last five years performing as a back up singer and keyboard player with the likes of Snarky Puppy, Zac Brown Band, David Crosby, Iggy & The Stooges, Laura Mvula, Hawksley Workman, Parachute Club, Stuart Mclean, Royal Wood, Peter Katz and many other roots, pop and folk musicians.
Since See Us Through was released, Michelle's been on a non-stop touring schedule making stops across the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.
PHOTOS
All photos by Jen Squires
(Right Click on Image + Select Download Linked File)
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PRESS & QUOTES
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“Sounds like God on a good day”
David Crosby, Crosby Stills & Nash "...An immediate spell-caster. Four stars." Roots Music Report "Got sultry? Michelle Willis has plenty to go around, check her out" James Williamson, Iggy and the Stooges "If you have yet to hear the beautiful music of Michelle Willis, it's about time I introduce the two of you. Willis has the rare ability to place you directly into the music by connecting with you on an emotional level." Kerry Martin, Producer of q, CBC Radio "'See Us Through' is the kind of album that envelopes you in warmth and beauty....sweeping powerful vocals that can stop you in your tracks and move you to tears." Lee Fraser, Cashbox Canada Magazine "Her pristine vocals are gently haunting and her songwriting is strikingly accomplished and eloquently poetic" Kerry Doole, Exclaim! Magazine |
"...sonic beauty. You can drown in harmonies like these. Willis has power, she has range, she has gorgeous tone and the ability to pack a lot of emotion into even the smallest moment in time."
Doug Gallant, The Guardian (Prince Edward Island) “…it's the perfect temperature - how does she manage to sound hot and cool at the same time? This is going to be an amazing record.” Laurie Brown, The Signal, CBC Radio Michelle Willis is one of those phenomenally talented local musicians that will have her name on the world's lips soon, and all of us Torontonians will get to casually drop into conversation, 'Well, did you know she grew up in Toronto?' - Kate Foster, Snapd Magazine |
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