| |
  |
|
austin
willacy is an accomplished vocalist/songwriter who is also a member
of Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. recording artists The
House Jacks. willacy has recorded four CD's with The House
Jacks (as well as 3 solo releases) and tours extensively throughout
the US, Europe and Japan, performing with Ray Charles, James Brown,
The Neville Brothers, The Temptations, The Gap Band, The Pointer Sisters,
LL Cool J, Run DMC, Starship, Chicago and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, willacy
received a degree in Psychology from Dartmouth College and then
moved to San Francisco to refine his songwriting and pursue a career
in music. In the last few years:
- willacy was mentioned in Wired Magazine (December 2002)
- willacy co-wrote "The Last to Know," a B-side
on a KAI single (Geffen R&B/Pop).
- willacy appeared on the "House of Blues Hour,"
a special, syndicated radio program (May 2000).
- willacy was a featured artist on MP3.com, myplay.com,
tucows.com, thatslive.com, riffage.com, ubl.com, listen.com, vitaminic.com
and garageband.com.
- "them," the lead single on american pi, won 3 consecutive
Cage Matches against Neil Young, Travis and The Tragically Hip
on San Francisco superstation KFOG.
- "them - the Music Video" DVD is a finalist for the
award of Best Interactive Marketing in the Joey Awards for 2001.
- willacy co-produced a critically acclaimed CD for Mary
Schmary, a Bay Area a cappella quartet.
- willacy produced an award-winning 5-song demo and a full-length
CD for 'Til Dawn, a Bay Area teen vocal group.
- willacy was the featured artist on KXCI (Tucson) for
one week.
- willacy co-produced "Call to Honor", a song
to benefit Transforming Violence and the American Red Cross in
the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center.
- american pi was voted "Best of Recording" on the Sound
Off page in Ebony Magazine (May 2000).
- "supertechnology," a single off of american pi, was
selected to broadcast on an MP3.com syndicated radio program in
February, 2001.
willacy signed to APG
Records at the end of 1999 and released akw, a 5-song EP
that immediately went into rotation on college radio. american
pi, his debut solo LP, was released in the spring of 2000. willacy
and his backup musicians found the mark on every song on american
pi. They include Jon Evans (bass, Tori Amos), Andrew Borger (percussion,
Tom Waits) and Mark Orton (guitar), Rob Burger (keyboards and accordian)
and Carla Kihlstedt (violin) from tin hat trio.
willacy has performed regularly in the Bay Area and toured
in Southern California, the Midwest and New England. "them"
has received extensive airplay on college and select AAA radio stations
nationwide. page 7, willacy's 2003 release, features
local luminaries Jon Evans (bass player, Tori Amos) and drummer
Andrew Borger (currently on tour with Norah Jones) and has been
described by the San Franciso Examiner as "an edgy adult contemporary
sound that goes down easily and speaks to the heart. "
|