Willis Earl Beal

Acousmatic Sorcery

20122Apr

I'm still disillusioned and cool catatonic

Always in a daze without smoking that chronic

Willis Earl Beal’s debut album Acousmatic Sorcery was released by Hot Charity / XL Recordings on April 2nd 2012. The album’s 11 songs are taken from a series of recordings Beal made while living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He arrived there without a plan or enough money to live off and began singing warm, visceral and moving tunes to help him cope while sleeping rough. He spent the days drawing and printing up flyers, distributing them all over his new city. Eventually Beal found work as a night porter at a motel. It was during the late-night shifts that the 27-year-old musician from the south side of Chicago taught himself to make music.

News

Willis Earl Beal features in the latest episode of Nigel Godrich's wonderful TV series, From The Basement. Below we have two songs, a powerful acapella version of Blue Escape and a banging new take on Wavering Lines. If you're in the US you can watch the whole episode on

Willis Earl Beal - Watch A Take Away Show

French website La Blogothèque recently filmed Willis Earl Beal for their Concert à Emporter (Take Away Show).

Watch below as Willis...

Willis Earl Beal - Principles Of A Protagonist Soundtrack & Trailer

Willis Earl Beal's Principles Of A Protagonist is a free digital EP of 5 re-recorded songs from Willis' debut album, Acousmatic Sorcery....

Willis Earl Beal - Watch His Interview For Canal180

Portuguese channel Canal180 recently interviewed Willis Earl Beal at Paredes de Coura Festival, which you can watch below.

Alongside...

Willis Earl Beal - Coming Soon.... Principles of a Protagonist

Willis has an animated film called Principles of a Protagonist coming out this autumn. He also has a new US tour, the dates are...

Watch an intense performance from Wavering Lines by Willis at this year's Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.

Willis Earl Beal - Post From... San Francisco

As our artists tour the world they sometimes keep in touch with postcards.

Here's one Willis Earl Beal sent us from San...

Willis Earl Beal - Watch Cosmic Queries Live On French Television

Watch Willis' extraordinary performance of Cosmic Queries live on CANAL+'s Album De La Semaine, in Paris.

Willis Earl Beal - Nardwuar Interview

Canada's best prepared interviewer, Nardwuar The Human Serviette, recently showered Willis with gifts while asking him about everything...

Willis Earl Beal - Live Session For Yours Truly

In this beautifully shot session for Yours Truly, Willis croons into a blackberry at his grandmother's house in Chicago.

Willis' Evening's Kiss video was screened on a massive billboard in Oakland as part of the Great Wall Of Oakland art project. Looks amazing, wish we were there.