RISING folk singer Will Varley will be among the opening acts at Blissfields Festival tonight ( Thursday June 30).

With acclaimed third LP ‘Postcards from Ursa Minor’ propelling him to some of his biggest shows to date this year, Will will be bringing a set of his distinctive and intelligent folk songs to The Den stage at the Winchester festival which continues on Saturday and Sunday.

Will has a huge summer coming up, beginning with an extensive return support slot with Scottish legends The Proclaimers throughout June and into July. Sprinkled in there are three shows with his childhood hero Billy Bragg. He then begins a run of festival dates including Boomtown and a triumphant return to Bestival after last year's successful set. Autumn sees him on yet another headline UK tour ...

It’s been a jam-packed couple of years for Will who has played at The Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust, headlined his own spring tour in 2015, played dates with people’s hero Frank Turner and Anti-Folk legend Beans On Toast, released an EP and got familiar with The Proclaimers last summer supporting them across the UK as well as festival appearances at Bestival, Secret Garden Party, Green Man and BoomTown amongst others.

Produced by Tristan Ivemy and mastered at Abbey Road by Frank Arkwright ‘Postcards From Ursa Minor’ is a masterclass in songwriting that pushes the boundaries of the ‘one man and a guitar’ format. From rowdy drinking songs with sprawling chaotic arrangements to his sparse solo performances he covers a range of subjects with his trademark sprinkling of social commentary, politics and wry humour.

Since completing his walking tour in 2014 and being named one of Time Out's rising stars of 2015, Will has had tracks played on BBC Radio 2, 6 & XFM including mentions from Steve Lamacq, Communion Records and Rob Da Bank. Varley's high energy live shows, which jump effortlessly from heartbreaking love songs to hilarious shaggy dog stories are complemented by his self-made music videos that in turn have clocked up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and bought attention to his songs from all over the world.

Will plays: Boomtown Fair, Winchester on September 13; Bestival, Isle of Wight on September 11 and he brings his headline tour to Portsmouth's Wedgewood Rooms on November 15.

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