Willos’ an Irish Italian Canadian folk band
BIO
Willos’ started in Siena (Italy) in January 2001 with a repertoire of irish and scottish folk music .
Willos’ are
Stephanie Martin – fiddle – Belfast (IRL)
Fiona King – voice & keyboards – Toronto (CAN)
Lorenzo Del Grande – flutes – (ITA)
Luca Mercurio – folk guitar & bouzouki – (ITA)
Giulio Putti – percussions – (ITA)
Massimo Giuntini – uillean pipes, irish bouzouki, flutes – (ITA)
Over the years the band performed nearly 700 gigs in Ireland, Italy, France and Switzerland being in the line up of some great events like All Ireland Fleadh, Folkest, FIMU festival, Celtica Valle d’Aosta, St. Patrick Ball at the Irish Embassy in Rome, Les Roches Celtiques, Triskell, Nyah Festival, Festival Air d’Irlande and many more, offering the audience their own musical style and unique sound.
In 2018 Willos’ opened the FIMU festival in Alsace, resulting as the best band with a tv interview on France3 and the congratulations of the Artistic Director of the Festival.
At the end of 2019 the band’s music was chosen by Actor/Director Frank Gilhooley for his short movie on the Brexit Betrayal
In 2020, before all live music events were cancelled, the band was booked to tour 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 FULLSET.
In September 2021 the band started working on a new full album, produced by Massimo Giuntini, that was released in May 2022 with great international feedback. Massimo played with Loreena McKennitt, Chieftains and on Scorsese’s Gangs of New York movie.
The album was released on May 16, 2022, with the title of “From Now On”. It is receiving an incredible international response (see the bottom of the page for reviews!).
In June 2022 the band signed a collaboration agreement with the Canadian talent agency, Big Records and with the Irish Impact Promotions Ireland.
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.
Discography
2003 Cionn Caslach (no longer available)
2005 Working Men (no longer available)
2010 Dirt Tracks
2019 4th (ep, only available on digital format)
2022 From Now On
2023 Ghost Ship (single distributed by Sony/Orchard)
What does Willos’ mean?
The original band name was Will o’ the Wisp. Irish folklore says that the wisps are the lights used to guide mortals to the places where the fairies danced. Some time ago, after a great review from a French journalist that named the band “les willos”, it was decided to start using this shorter and easier version of the name.
Celtic Music with a Secret Ingredient
In Italy it’s a well-known fact that every great recipe has a secret ingredient! Recently journalists and radio djs are also applying this idea to the music Willos’ plays, defining “From Now On” as an exceptional example of Celtic music with a strong Irish and Scottish base along with hints of something indescribable, an extra flavour that gives a new rich quality to the music.
In fact, today the band is no longer playing traditional music but interprets, composes and produces a “fresh” sound and a unique style, experimenting with original compositions mixed with trad and folk.
Have a listen to it!
“2nd place, Album of the year 2022 awards”
Celtic Music Radio, Glasgow, December 2022
“An Excellent Album”
Irish Music Magazine, October 2022
PRESS QUOTES/REVIEWS
April 2023 World Music Central, USA, FROM NOW ON, …. “Euphoric and Infectious Celtic Music from Siena” ….
April 2023 New Folk Sounds, The Netherlands, FROM NOW ON, …. “……I can’t explain it completely, but in a different way Willos’ knows how to put more experience into the performance of the melodies than many authentic Irish bands. It sparkles, hops, is free of restrictions and conventions…..” …
February 2023 Radio CeltCast, The Netherlands, FROM NOW ON, “Album of the Month” ….. “This beauty came from Italy” ….
January 2023 Corriere della Sera, …. “something completely different, distilled, ancient, untouched Irish music” …..
September 2022 Single released, P Stand for Paddy, on over 300 radios in North American
September 2022 Music from the Heart, Music Blog, Czech Republic : …. “The band demonstrates both their musicanship and their arrangement skills throughout the album” ….
September 2022 OristanoNoi : …… “ More than 400 participants …. an hour and a half of pure show …. people danced almost non stop “ ……Â
September 2022 Radio interview ControRadio, Firenze
August 2022 UK Radio Independent, …. “an exceptional album to listen to” ….
August 2022 Canale50 TV, Interview Title, Willos’ in Monteriggioni
August 2022 Irish Music Magazine, Dublin, Ireland, Interview Title, Introducing Willos’
From Now On, marking their post-Covid re-immergence and new line up ….. ” Recently we signed a distribution deal with a Canadian label and there are festivals around Northern Europe already contacting us for 2023 and we are
getting airplay on radio in the US, Canada and Ireland.”
July 2022 Celtic Music Radio, Glasgow, Scotland, FROM NOW ON, “album of the week”
July 2022 Ian Oliphant, Celtic Music Radio, Glasgow, Scotland : …… “ really good album “ ….
July 2022 Paddy Johnson, Irish Music Cafè, Detroit, USA : … “  great music “ ….
June 2022 Andrea del Favero, Festival Manager @ Folkest Italy : …… “ Really good show “ ……Â
June 2022 David Dee Moore, Bluesandroots Radio, WestPort, Ireland : …… “The real sound of Irish music, Really really nice mixture “ ……Â
June 2022 Celtic CD Releases: folk music blog (Wales) : …… “ This is a mature work from a band that is in its prime, talented performers who have found that precise moment to create a truly remarkable work. Few bands on the continent can offer the music that Willos’ From Now On does. “ ……
May 2022 C3lt4.tr4d?, folk music blog (Spain) : … ” certainly one of the best Irish folk groups in continental Europe “….Â
May 2022 Vera Lane Birdhill Radio Tipperary, Ireland : …… ” I have listened to your music and I love it ” ……Â
May 2022 Davide “Dudu” Morandi, folk singer, Modena City Ramblers : …. “ I have Listened to it , it’s really beautiful! Well done” ….
Feb 2022 Lineatrad, folk music magazine : “ …the Audience went crazy …. ”
Aug 2021 Stefano “Cisco” Bellotti, folk singer:Â “Very good Willos’, if this happens to you, do not miss them absolutely!”