-- Growing up in Eastern North Carolina, Will West was surrounded by music at a young age. The son of a fiddle player, he began playing electric guitar at the age of 11. After a few garage bands in high school, West settled back into the acoustic guitar during his college years at UNC - Chapel Hill.

Will began singing & songwriting during the Springtime of 2000.
He first braved the stage at the Skylight Exchange Open-Mic in the Fall of 2000.
At a full panic..... he raced through 3 original tunes to a small group of listeners and fell in love with the idea of stage & performance....

After graduation, Will West loaded his dog, his guitar, and a handful of original songs and moved to Portland Oregon in the summer of 2002.

"Much Love & Thanks to Nash County & Chapel Hill for all the support !!!" -will

Inspired by the beautiful Pacific Northwest landscapes and wonderful Portland vibes, Will continued songwriting and polishing his live performances in the Portland open-mic scene.

He released the album called Reconstruction in December 2003. A collection of live studio recordings tracked at Ethos Studio in Portland. The song "Razor's Edge" caught the attention of Jade Walker (Seattle, WA) and was nominated for "2004 Song of Year" by Siren Song Magazine.

West released his first studio album called "SHINE" in April of 2007. Recorded at 8 Ball Studio with Rob Stroup in Portland, Oregon.
Better Day, Sunny Daze, & Rose City have been featured on KINK FM 102 Local Spotlight.
Rose City was also featured on Get Local ~ FM94.7 KNRK
Sunny Daze was recently picked for the KINK fm102 Locals Only Sampler Volume 3 ~ Out now at KINK FM events & around Portland..

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The limited press album called:
"To Inspire" was released locally in June of 2009.
Featuring members of the Friendly Strangers. The album touches on Old Time Folk, Roots & Progressive Americiana.

"he hails from North Carolina, and his laidback acoustic tunesmithing has a distinctly Southern flair. West is at his best at his most rustic—whenever he strays away from the rootsier side, things can get a little white-boy funky, or even new age jazzy"
- Up & Coming! - Portland Mercury (Portland, OR )

The album is now Out of stock.

But...........

Will West & The Friendly Strangers are working on a new full length album called "Take this Moment"
Due out in November of 2010!
More information soon.....

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You can find Will West performing at wide range of lounges & clubs in the Portland area. Sharing intimate evenings with songwriters at showcases around the city.

Or you can catch him performing with variations of a band called:

The Friendly Strangers

Current & Recent performers include:
Drew Norman - banjo & lap slide
Bob Soper -fiddle & djembe'
Sean Hudson - upright bass
Skip vonKuske - cello
Tanner Cundy - guitar
Ji Tanzer - drums & percussion
Russell Gores - upright bass & drums
Sam Howard - upright bass
Jeff Simpson - trumpet & keys
Drew Shoals - drums
Salim Sanchez - percussion
Griff Bear - fiddle
Noah Peterson - soprano sax
Benjamin Dewey - slide guitar
& other special guests....

Style: Improv Folk, Roots, & Cozy Americana...

( we like to call it Smooth, Groove, Roots .... )

 

Outside the Pacific Northwest....Will West has toured the East Coast several times since the release of the Shine album.
Some venues & notable performances:

Iota Cafe (arlington, va)
Nash Arts Center (nashville, nc)
The Living Room (new york)
Smith's Olde Bar (atlanta, ga)
Eddie's Attic - 2 time open-mic finalist (decatur, ga)
Flicker Theatre (athens, ga)
Low Country Live - ABC CH 4 (charleston, sc)
Village Tavern (charleston, sc)
Blue Plate Special - WDVX (knoxville, tn)
Bobo Gallery (ashevile, nc)
The Cave (chapel hill, nc)
The Evening Muse (charlotte, nc)

 

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" The introspective, folk singer uses a vodka voice to infuse his music with an intimate familiarity. His poetic, crossroads commentary is ideally suited to the acoustic guitar.. ."
- Jade Walker - Siren Song Magazine

“a favorite of those delta-blues/folk lovin' types. This crooner is a storyteller with a soft touch. Check him out. ”
- headout - Willamette Week

 

 

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