Will Overman &
Justin Wells join forces to bring an awesome songwriter night you don't want to miss!
Will Overman:
Making a living in music isn’t easy, especially when it seems like listeners' tastes change with the wind and algorithms are updated constantly, teasing artists with catching the elusive dollar. Central VA based singer-songwriter Will Overman however; has found a way to thrive in a seemingly constant state of transition.
Will Overman’s music can be best described as Country-Americana, but it's not your typical Country-Americana sound. Sonically it is restless by nature, always searching for something new, and with Will’s heart-worn lyrics and dynamic vocal delivery, it makes for a memorable mixture that is hard to place but easy to love.
Born and raised in Virginia Beach, Will began writing songs after picking up the guitar in high school. He quickly built a regional following, and despite taking time to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and move to Vermont for a semester of college, he capitalized on his move back to Virginia the following spring by forming the Will Overman Band. The Southern Rock ‘n Roll influenced Americana project released two EPs and an LP, playing bar gigs and festival slots (Merlefest, Appaloosa Music Festival, Rooster Walk) up and down the East Coast until in the spring of 2017, when Will graduated from UVA and the band decided to go their separate ways.
Although he was unsure what to do next, Will began working on his first solo release - 2017’s Crossroads EP with a studio band of some nationally known musicians (Johnny Stubblefield - Parachute, Sam Wilson - Sons of Bill) and good friends from the central VA music scene. Though proud of the final product, following its release, Will took a step back from music for over a year as he re-evaluated whether he could build a sustainable career as a writer and touring musician. Even while putting distance between himself and music, Will couldn’t keep himselffrom writing new songs, and following a return to Virginia in mid-2019, Will went back into the studio to record the songs that would form his debut LP The Winemaker’s Daughter.
Following the successful and well-received release of the debut single “Something to Hold” from The Winemaker’s Daughter on February 14, 2020, Will hit the road on his first major solo tour two weeks later - just as the pandemic started shutting down the world. Canceled and indefinitely postponed gigs quickly piled up, but rather than stop making or releasing music Will continued on, dropping singles from the album while garnering international media attention and radio play. Since breaking the ice on his own return to live shows in April 2021 to celebrate the release of The Winemaker’s Daughter in February 2021 (almost a year to the day after the release of the initial single), Will has put tens of thousands of miles on his van while traveling from shows anywhere from Savannah to Minneapolis to Boston and everywhere in between. The miles and days away have been hard, but good for Will, as he gained inspiration and experience that led to the recording and release of three brand new singles in 2022 called “Spend it All” “Heart Pine” and “Dotted Line.”
Whereas Will’s older work was extremely personal and reflective, Will’s new singles tell his own story, while also incorporating other perspectives and experiences, all with a similar thread or vein running through them. The ballad-like first single and namesake of his Heart Pine EP (released Nov. 10, 2022), “Heart Pine” focuses on Will’s personal story of struggle with mental health. The dark and moody “Spend it All” is written from the perspective of someone returning from war and fighting the effects of PTSD, chipping away at the idea that everyone’s fight is the same. Lastly, the energetic and powerful “Dotted Line” encapsulates fighting to get past whatever has been dragging you down.
Armed with a powerful voice and powerful convictions, Will Overman is slowly but surely building a name for himself performing throughout the east coast at venues and festivals such as (The Jefferson Theater, Fall for Greenville, The Basement) and supporting artists like (Joe Pug, Christian Lopez, Dead Horses, Grady Spencer & the Work, etc.). Regardless of whether you get a first listen of Will at the next show or song on shuffle, you can be sure that it won’t be long before you know his songs by heart.
www.willovermanmusic.comJustin Wells:
Justin Wells first came to national attention with cult favorite Southern rock band Fifth on the Floor, which released a pair of well-received independent records before teaming up with Shooter Jennings on their breakout third album, 2013’s Ashes & Angels. The record debuted on the Billboard Country charts, earned critical raves, and helped land the band dates with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and Blackberry Smoke. The album would prove to be the band's last, however.
With the rug suddenly pulled out from under him, Wells decided to write his way through the disappointment, emerging stronger and more creatively invigorated on the other side with his solo debut, Dawn in the Distance. The record (and its subsequent touring) prompted the best reviews of Wells’ career, with Rolling Stone hailing his “gift for melody” and Saving Country Music praising his “stunning insight and honesty.”
With his extraordinary second album, The United State, Kentucky’s Justin Wells explored our innate humanity and everything that comes with it: the joy, the sorrow, the ecstasy, the pain, the hope, the fear. Recorded with acclaimed producer Duane Lundy (Ringo Starr, Sturgill Simpson’s Sunday Valley, Joe Pug), the collection starts in the womb and works its way methodically to the afterlife, transcending politics and race and religion to tap into something far deeper, something infinitely more primal and timeless. While thematically speaking to commonalities in people's lives, The United State underlines Wells' commitment to carving his own path, tradition and genre be damned.
Friday, January 26th 2024
Doors 7:30PM | Starts 8:00PM
$15 Advance | $20 Day of Show
