Will Varley 
England

There are many interesting things to know about Kent, England’s Will Varley. Here are just a few:

He cut his teeth as a folk singer at a very young age busking on the streets of London and playing anywhere he could, armed with fake I.D. and a pocket full of songs. In 2011 he recorded his debut album, Advert Soundtracks, and then set out on the road – walking 130 miles with a guitar and tent on his back, singing his songs to whomever would listen.

His live performances were becoming legendary, full of wit, commentary, and top-notch storytelling. He played at the Occupy London protests, the Bank of Ideas, coffee houses, clubs and bars with a repertoire that ranged from the silly to the serious, the melancholy to fiercely political. He released a 2nd album and walked 500 miles, adding to a passionate base of fans, getting better known.

Fast forward: he tours with Beans on Toast, Frank Turner, the Proclaimers, opens for his hero Billy Bragg, headlines, gets signed, plays festivals and bigger gigs and goes further afield and records again – twice. His songs engage – are of the everyday and the universal, from the challenges of the supermarket self-checkout line to the inevitability of nuclear war, with titles like We Want Our Planet Back and the outspoken We Don’t Believe You.

The conclusion? Will Varley is a very interesting fellow with things to say and stories to tell. He’s also the very definition of a folk troubadour, cast from a mold some thought had broken. Don’t miss him.