Media Tools / Press Kit

PRESS KIT

CONTACT

BOOKING & MANAGEMENT:
Michelle Willis // michellewillisbiz [at] gmail.com

PUBLICITY:
Jamie Margulies // jamie [at] groundupmusic.net

LABEL - GROUNDUP MUSIC:
Andy Hurwitz // andy [at] groundupmusic.net
Jamie Margulies // jamie [at] groundupmusic.net

BIOGRAPHY
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Prior to launching a solo career, British-born, Canadian-raised singer/songwriter Michelle Willis amassed an impressive résumé through a variety of collaborations and work as a session keyboardist and background singer. She graduated from Toronto's Humber College jazz program, and began performing weekly at piano bars across the city. It wasn't long before she expanded beyond the city's limits to become a hired gun for a variety of different acts like David Crosby, Becca Stevens, Laura Mvula, Snarky Puppy, Parachute Club and Zac Brown Band.

A choir kid, with a love of Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell and Carole King, made songwriting a natural part of life. Her immediately intimate, lush, and powerful music fuses the sounds of early 70s soul, jazz and modern folk (think Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell and Norah Jones), each song laced with a sea of voices and hymn-like harmony.

"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 a member of not one but two of his bands.

Since See Us Through was released, Michelle has 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)

PRESS & QUOTES

“Sounds like God on a good day” David Crosby, Crosby Stills & Nash
"...An immediate spell-caster." Roots Music Report
"Got sultry? Michelle Willis has plenty to go around, check her out"
James Williamson, Iggy & the Stooges
"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
"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

"The music is wistful, melancholic and invites introspection. Michelle's dulcet tones are the star of the show."
Errol Nazareth, host of CBC Radio's Big City Small World
“Wholly assured, charismatic and enviably talented, the golden-voiced Willis launched into fantastic renditions of her originals... She's clearly set for big things.”
Hidzir Junaini, Bandwagon SG, Singapore (June 2016)
“The whole show was a sea of positive energy and adoration.”
Lee Fraser, Cashbox Canada Magazine, Canada (May 2016)
"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