The Willows
www.thewillowsband.com
Reviews
Reviews of Through The Wild (2018) and album tour....
★★★★★ – “Uniquely blends English folk with pure Americana – A sound as wide as the prairie.” Country Music Magazine
★★★★★ – “Pitch-perfect harmonies and haunting melodies… A fresh spin on folk with brilliant results!” Maverick Magazine
★★★★ – “Graceful & impressive - If North America can fall for the faux folk of Mumford and Sons, why not the artful folk-rock of The Willows?”
The Observer
★★★★ – “A band that defies pigeonholing – a force to be reckoned with!” RnR Magazine
“The Willows offer a polished update
of Anglo-folk shot through with a streak of Americana. An impressive
showcase to match their on-stage prowess.” The Guardian
★★★★★ – Northern Sky Magazine
Album of the Year 2018 – “Unbelievably great!” - BBC Folkscene
“One of the most exciting, fresh and talented bands around today.” Folk Radio UK
“Such a wonderful atmosphere… The Willows just get better with each release and are a band that deserves your attention” – Shire Folk
“The Willows would clearly go down well on the main stage of a big folk festival” Songlines Magazine
“A delightful sound with some gorgeous playing” Stirrings Magazine
“Delightful… Plenty of material to get fans up dancing as well as cocking their ear to the gentler songs” Folk North West Magazine
“The Willows are an outstanding live band, and seem to have mastered the art of studio production to match.” Essex Folk News Magazine
“A stellar line-up!” Folk Monthly Magazine
“Magnificent!” Folking.com
"The Willows have slowly evolved into what some might resort to
calling, to coin a tired old phrase that gets rolled out at opportune
moments, a folk supergroup. What it really means is they’re a great
little band packed with quality musicians who make a joyous noise
together." Louder Than War
“The Willows have built up a reputation as a richly talented collective, a shape-shifting musical entity with a magpie approach to genre and an exhilarating line in live performances. Even at this early stage in their career, it is tempting to draw comparisons with bands like Fairport Convention, who made a career out of adapting to new forms of music and new band members while keeping a sound that was always both fresh and instantly recognisable. And while comparisons like these may seem like overstatements, a few minutes in the company of The Willows’ new album ‘Through the Wild’ should be more than enough to convince you otherwise, for there is more than a passing resemblance between them and their illustrious predecessors. They take their influences from both sides of the Atlantic, they have a rambunctious, danceable approach to traditional music, and they are not afraid to turn up the amps and sacrifice a few sacred cows along the way.” Folk Radio UK
Previous reviews...
★★★★★ – “Outstanding!” Albums of 2014 - The Telegraph
“They straddle the worlds between Americana and English roots music and do it in a very very deft way for such a young band – really amazing” Mike Harding
“Absolutely gorgeous… Tender, delicate and very beautiful music" Bob Harris
“They’re wistful with an attractive sound founded on English &Irish principles with a hint of the Appalachians” The Independent
★★★★ – “An excellent album! A particularly British form of Americana. Reminds me irresistibly of Liege and Lief-era Fairfport Convention” RnR
“Fresh and innovative - The Willows are a masterclass in reigning it all in, anchoring their sound somewhere between English and American folk. They have become a solid fixture on the festival scene, accumulating and ever expanding fan base in the process.” Spiral Earth
“Already selected for the ‘next big thing’ from the burgeoning herds of young English folkies , their 2nd album is beautifully rendered – Ward’s banjo is the stand-out feature adding a layer of Americana and there’s a welcome touch of Transatlantic Sessions via Ben Savage’s deft, dancing dobro” Acoustic Magazine
"That band just get better and better in my humble opinion… Fabulous music” Mike Harding
“The Willows have developed a winning combination, just as comfortable with a gutsy rendition of their own murder ballad as they are with a foot-stompin’ alt-country protest song.” Folk Radio UK
“Fronted by distinctive vocalist Jade Rhiannon and employing sensitive newgrass musicianship and instrumentation, Cambridge-based five-piece The Willows come across somewhat like an English take on Union Station, but even more spirited (original) material.” fRoots