Willos' - From Now On
Willos’ started in Siena (Italy) in January 2001 with a repertoire of Irish and Scottish folk music . Over the years and nearly 600 gigs in Ireland, Italy, France and Switzerland the band has continued to produce their own style and today it is interpreting, composing and producing their own fresh unique sound. In 2020, before all live music events were cancelled, the band was booked to tour for the first time in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Poland. However, by the end of 2021 the band was able to perform more than 30 in person gigs all over Italy and started some great relationships with pipers Massimo Giuntini and Martino Vacca from the band FULL SET. In September 2021 the band started working on a new full album “From Now On” that was released in May 2022 with great international feedback.
Today the 6 piece band is no longer only reproducing traditional music but is now interpreting, composing and producing its own ‘fresh’ sound and unique style, experimenting original compositions mixed with trad and folk. The approach, however, is the same, performing and involving the public by creating a dance atmosphere with ‘memorable’ rhythms and ‘catchy’ themes that can be performed informally, in any venue.
Prior to “From Now On”, Willos’ released three albums, also working with international artists such as violinists Liz Carroll and Athena Tergis and guitarist John Doyle.
The album opens with a livelz instrumental Flying Bull, an upbeat dance tune where the trad roots are as clear as day. The listener is surely tempted to tap their feet or even dance along. Can you imagine what these tunes would be like without the trademark fiddle?
The band demonstrates both their musicianship and their arrangement skills throughout the album. The latter is especially evident on Wayfaring stranger, a well-known gospel. The arrangement they came up is laced with trad through and through but doesn't loose the impact of the powerful message.
The Ghost, eventhough instrumental, carries that unmistakable feel of an old folk tale that usually has a tragic ending. The evocative aspect is there thanks to the strings and an instrumentation like that can do wonders with the listener's imagination. Quite surprisingly though, this track isn't somber all along, it gets more upbeat in the last third of the track where it turns into almost a danceable piece.