British rockers founded in 2010, Will and the People will be coming to Bristol for a headline live show at Thekla on Saturday 7th December 2024.
Only the strongest brotherhoods emerge from ten years of triumph and tragedy, more passionately devoted to the cause than ever. Through car crashes and international smashes, onstage magic and offstage losses, Will and The People—a creative community as much as a band—have maintained an intense faith and self-belief in the power of their music and are roaring out of their darkest days hellbent on a bright horizon.
Originally starting out as a punk ska band, it wasn’t long before they started experimenting with their sound, leading to a fuller dub-pop aesthetic. From there, whilst exploring their interest in expansive psychedelia, they slipped into a surrealist psych-polka-pop phase, then rolled into electro rock whilst venturing into a futuristic R&B concoction adorned with gritty soul vibes, Muse-like robo-rock riffs, and operatic backing choirs with the occasional politically-minded sleaze rocker track or some brooding, Arabian-inflected grooves.
Then came the new phase… enigmatic folk, hard rock, pop, and, most notably, hip-hop whilst looking to bridge the gap of Lil Peep in his bedroom and Arctic Monkeys in a massive studio. Their latest sound is a powerful and unique combination of punky ska hip-hop grooves with a mixture of rocky, heavy and dirty guitars and hip-hop drums.
All in all, Will and The People are on an endless creative mission to express everything they’ve ever been inspired by and that which comes from their own unlimited souls. With all this, and their 6th studio LP due this summer 2023, this is just what makes them such a thoroughly exciting and entertaining band to follow. It’s also worth mentioning they have amassed a string of collaborations with the likes of… Rag’n’Bone Man, Sticky Fingers, Easy Life, Lime Cordiale, Ocean Alley, Toddla T, The Feeling, Reverend and The Makers, and Rose Gray.
Photo credit: AA Lucas
