Today, singer, songwriter and keyboard player Michelle Willis debuts “Trigger”—a duet with Taylor Ashton—from her sophomore record Just One Voice; listen/share HERE. The album, produced with Fab Dupont (Andre 3000, Gregory Porter) features guest performances by Ashton, David Crosby, Michael McDonald, Grégoire Maret and Becca Stevens and comes out April 8 via GroundUP Music; pre-save the record HERE.
“’Trigger’ is about being your own worst enemy. It’s an attempt to talk some sense into myself and people I love, to wake up and recognize no one but themselves are holding them back,” Willis says. “Turning it into a duet gave the song more of a story, like two people in a relationship calling each other out.” “Trigger” follows the album’s first single, “Green Grey,” about which Glide Magazine raves, “Close your eyes when Michelle Willis sings and you might feel like you are at the Brill Building in the early ’60s when Carole King ran the show with her prolific pop melodies. Yet this singer-songwriter also has a modern flair that plays along with the spirited jams of Lake Street Dive and the hearty roots of Tedeschi Trucks Band.”
Just One Voice was written during the intensity of non-stop travel, penned from the cramped seats of buses, planes and countless green rooms. One night, out on the open road, Willis played the title track for Crosby, her mentor and bandmate, who urged, “No one else sounds like this. This is you. You have to make this record.” Shortly thereafter she was able to secure a prestigious grant from the Canada Council for the Arts which set the recording process in motion.
Michelle Willis is a Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player based in Brooklyn. A Toronto native, she moved to New York in 2016 with few prospects, save for a monthly residency at Rockwood Music Hall. Within months she was touring in two bands led by David Crosby (David Crosby & Sky Trails and David Crosby & Lighthouse) and another by pop/jazz composer Becca Stevens and opening for jazz/funk collective Snarky Puppy across the globe. Willis has cemented her place as an in-demand keyboard player and singer, touring and recording with a diverse array of artists such as the aforementioned Crosby and Stevens as well as the Zac Brown Band, Iggy Pop, Laura Mvula and Michael McDonald. Just Once Voice follows her debut record, 2016’s See Us Through.
