Willoughby

“Willoughby offers up a blend of neo-folk, vagabond-pop with echoes of the Beatles and whispers of Wilco.” Yahoo! Music

Willoughby’s debut album I Know What You’re Up To is the product of Gus Seyffert, who performed and produced all the tracks on the album, with a few friends stopping by to help along the way.

Flavorpill provided this apt description: “Willoughby is a quiet band — but "quiet" as in the old saw about watching out for the quiet ones. Their tintinnabulating melodies have both a Brit-pop, downtempo optimism and an intriguing speakeasy manner, tempered with the dusty funkiness of a saloon band. Onstage, their winsome live presence — crafted from dreamy, salty balladeering, starry percussion, and gently swaying rhythm guitar — will spirit you away.”

The resulting album is a delicate masterpiece that was a dream fulfilled for Gus. “I had wanted to make my own record for a number of years but was always working on other projects.” The production process was key to creating Willoughby’ unique sound, which has evoked comparisons to seedy burlesque clubs, Chet Baker, Elliot Smith, Dashiell Hammett, Graham Greene and Wilco. “Recording the whole thing to tape was really important to me – I really wanted to capture the organic, analog sound of all the great records I love – by people like Harry Nilsson, Sparklehorse, The Zombies and Chet Baker,” Gus says. Those other projects he refers to have included recording and performing with musicians such as Inara George, The Bird and The Bee, Sia, and Michael Andrews.

Gus also recently dueted with Inara George on Tonight You Belong To Me on the latest EP from The Bird & The Bee, while Willoughby are featured on the track Not Enough on the new Junkie XL album, with Gus co-writing Mad Pursuit on the same record. Gus co-wrote Astronaut with Priscilla Ahn for her Blue Note debut and produced and wrote with Benji Hughes for his A Love Extreme album.

The band recently wrapped up a West Coast US tour, and in November 2007 toured North America as the guest of Sia. Summer touring plans are being finalized and will be announced shortly. The band has received strong radio support from KCRW, Indie 103.1 and KROQ among others, including KEXP, who had the band in for a session recently.

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