Wille & The Bandits Tickets

About Wille & The Bandits

Hailing from Cornwall, Wille & The Bandits are a British roots-rock band who have steadily forged a reputation for blistering live performances, instrumental adventurousness, and a sound that merges blues, rock, folk and Latin influences into something distinctly their own.

Founded in 2010, the group is led by frontman and slide‐guitarist Wille Edwards. Over the years the line-up has shifted, but the current iteration features Edwards (vocals, guitars, lap steel, dobro), Matthew Gallagher (keys, guitar, backing vocals / percussion), Harry Mackaill (bass, vocals), and Tom Gilkes (drums, percussion).

Musically, they draw from classic rock and blues forebears like Jimi Hendrix, Ben Harper, Pearl Jam, as well as more atmospheric and jammy elements (notably through Edwards’s lap steel work). Their song-writing often moves between high-energy riffs and softer, spacious acoustic passages, giving their sets a powerful dynamic range.

They’ve earned acclaim for their stage shows: they were named one of the “Top Ten Must-See Bands” at Glastonbury by BBC Radio 1. They’ve played many major festivals (Isle of Wight, Greenman, Shambala, Boardmasters etc.), supported/ shared stages with the likes of Deep Purple, Joe Bonamassa, and others.

Their most recent studio album, When the World Stood Still, released in January 2022 via their independent label Fat Toad Records, was recorded at the legendary Sawmills Studios; a deliberate choice, both for its location and its history. They funded part of the record through fan support and used the album to explore themes of pause, reflection and resilience in tumultuous times.