The Word’s Out About WILLIS

Pleaser talked past, present and future with the five-piece band WILLIS. Their first record release last year, the tour they’re currently on, and an upcoming EP release were all on the agenda, and we made sure to fill you in. 

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILLIS

If you know me in real life, you know I’m constantly touting that I found someone's favorite artist before they did. If a Chappel Roan song starts playing, I’m the first to let you know that I’ve known her since “Pink Pony Club” was originally released in 2020. The proof? I added the track to my “Liked Songs” on Spotify on February 1, 2022. That’s a full two years before her breakout Coachella performance last spring, for the record. I feel particularly akin to these musicians that I find early on in their careers, like my listening has led them down the path to recognition. 

The Florence, Alabama founded fivesome, WILLIS, is another example of my early detection skills at work. Now with 2.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, it’s safe to say they’re not the small group I discovered in 2018 anymore. I caught up with Murphy Billings (bass, vocals), Glenn O'Steen (drums), Will O'Steen (synths), Edward Armstead (guitar), and Trey Murphy (guitar) last month between shows of their “Real Vacation” tour, which started in Madison, Wisconsin in September and wraps up in Louisville, Kentucky mid-December. 

This tour took its name from the band’s first single release off the upcoming January 2026 EP, Locals 5. “Real Vacation” sets the getaway vibes from the start with an upbeat, sweet soul melody coupled with the nostalgic nuance of Billings’ voice. Despite its carefree nature, the lyrics capture a deeper emotion centered around a longing for change, for relief. 

I just want a real vacation /

Where my life won't feel so vacant /

All I really want is a real vacation /

Don't wanna spend my whole life waiting /

'Til it's over

As you may imagine with the notation of five after Locals, all of the EPs released by WILLIS carry the same name; Locals followed by the edition they’re on. Billings said each EP represents their lives in that moment, a snapshot of what’s currently on their minds. “I think of it like mixtapes,” he said. He added that the locals tag started when the band was still in Florence, nodding to their community in the area. Since their first rendition in 2016, Billings said the locals lingo has evolved into a celebration of those who have been on the journey with them so far. Murphy said that the term also extends to touring, as the band feels embraced by crowds in cities far and wide, effectively turning them into locals. 

“We have a close connection to our fans and they always make us feel welcome. We feel like we’re always visiting a home away from home, even if it’s a new city.” 

Speaking of touring, Billings said the crew tours with eight people; five being the band, a tour manager, content person, and front of house. His favorite part is seeing how much their music means to fans in every city. For him, being on the road with the guys has always been easy because they all share the common goal of putting on a great show. “There’re a lot of little things that go into it, but we try to keep the main thing the main thing,” he said.

Murphy agreed, noting that after being friends for so long, the slight troubles of touring are easily washed under the bridge. Personally, Murphy explained that they all have aspects of band life they enjoy most: the music, production, fans. For him, it’s always been touring.

“I love being on stage with my brothers who I’ve grown up with, and grown with musically for the past 10 or 11 years. Getting to perform with friends for fans who appreciate us everywhere we go is a really special thing I don’t take for granted.”

On the challenges, Billings said the circumstances are the most difficult, with long shows, drives and nights accumulating over time. “Managing your own energy is what’s hard, but as a group we don’t get on each other’s nerves much,” he said. 

Despite their deep friendships and long history as a band, the group's first full-length project I Can’t Thank You Enough wasn’t released until April 2024. Billings mentioned that the album was an ode to where they came from, where they’ve been and all the positives and negatives in between. The band largely works in-house to produce, but I Can’t Thank You Enough was the first time they outsourced and worked with a producer they didn’t have an existing relationship with. Through that experience, Billings said they learned a lot about the creation process. He was ultimately thankful to have a moment to slow down and dedicate time to this body of work. “We said ‘Okay, this is our time to do this and it isn’t going to be a fast moving thing, we’re gonna take time to develop each song,’” he said. 

In suggesting songs for listeners to get to know the band better, both Billings and Murphy said the final track from I Can’t Thank You Enough, “Clearlake.” The track shares a similar tropical tune to “Real Vacation,” but slower and more emotive. The introduction also features a country twinge, with pulled guitar stretched and whammyed. In what seems to be WILLIS fashion, the band explored a complicated emotion through its lyrics but wrapped it in a sonically enticing package. 

I learned how to swim /

From the times I thought I was drowning /

I'm so glad I did /

Turns out that the water's just fine /

Billings also noted Locals 2 as a good place for new listeners to jump in, which just so happens to be the home of WILLIS’ TikTok breakout hit, “I Think I Like When it Rains.” Their sophomore EP dropped in June of 2017, but the track reached its TikTok peak during Covid in April of 2021. The song is still being shared and streamed today, with over 3.6 million views on TikTok and 225 million streams on Spotify. Billings said the band wasn’t very active on TikTok before, but once the song launched they worked to capitalize on the moment. The band already solidified their stage performance before their online success, Billings explained, and that went a long way in fans sticking with them. The TikTok fame though, “that was validating,” Billings said. He enjoyed seeing the spin fans took on the song, adding their own aesthetic and vibe to each video. “We love seeing where other people take the song, or how it affected them.”

Murphy added that at the start of Covid in 2019, the band had just moved to Nashville from Florence. WILLIS chose Nashville because of its close proximity to their home. The distance is “just a quick two-hour drive and we’re back with the fam,” Billings joked. They were still laying their roots in the city, Murphy continued, meeting with booking agents and preparing to record their first professional pieces when the virus shut things down for the foreseeable future. 

“We did a good job of sticking together and writing music during it [Covid]. To have that [TikTok virality] happen in the middle was a nice pick me up in the middle of a situation.” 

Their development since Covid has been rooted in their strives for authenticity. Murphy explained that in their music, on TikTok and on stage, the band works to represent their truest form. The entire discography looks to avoid asking “are people going to like what we write?” and instead highlights the emotions, hardships and gratitude that each member of WILLIS shares.  “Authenticity comes through in our music, and we hope people appreciate that,” he said. 

If you’re looking for some authentically relatable music to dance to this fall, check out WILLIS live on tour and listen to their new EP coming January 23!