UPDATE: This show has been postponed to Friday, April 8.
Vancouver Island indie roots rocker WiL is set to debut several tracks from his newest album at Char’s Landing in Port Alberni.
It’s been a little more than two years since WiL graced the stage of Char’s Landing. But then again, it’s been a while since any touring artist has been performing live. With COVID-19 restrictions easing, WiL is shaking off the cobwebs with a brand new album on the horizon.
Known for playing mostly with “just a drummer,” WiL mesmerizes listeners with his unusual strumming technique, while creating lush, fat and full acoustic guitar sounds that have become signature to his live experience. WiL has been performing this way since before the launch of his debut album, Both Hands (2003), and was nominated for three Western Canadian Music Awards, including Best Live Act. The accolades afforded him the opportunity to solidify his career as a songwriter and touring musician.
Although the past two years have been tough for musicians and the musical community in general, the time away from playing—for WiL, at least—has yielded a whole new album’s worth of deeply personal material. His newest album, The Gold Mine, is slated for release on May 13, with the first single called “I’m Sorry.”
In mid-February, WiL hit the road for the first time since the summer to play a string of five shows with the aim of getting back into the swing of things.
“I thought that would be a smart thing to do, but my fingers started bleeding and forming blisters on the tips after show number three,” said WiL.
Now, his fingers are primed and ready for show number six at Char’s Landing on Friday, April 8. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.sidedooraccess.com or call Char at 250-730-1636 to charge by phone.