Release brand new album: ‘HEAVEN’ OUT May 29th

+ IRISH TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED:

JUNE 5TH THE MARKET PLACE THEATRE, ARMAGH

JUNE 6TH CULTURLANN- DERRY

JUNE 9TH THE SET THEATRE, KILKENNY

JUNE 14TH MCGRORYS CULDAFF, DONEGAL

JUNE 19TH ST JOHNS THEATRE, LISTOWEL, CO KERRY

JUNE 21ST INEC ACOUSTIC CLUB, KILARNEY

JUNE 24TH ROOTS, BOOTS & BANJOS, GALWAY

JUNE26TH TOWN HALL, WESTPORT

Life for the Willis family has never been what one might call normal. They have chosen to walk the path less traveled in all areas of life and their newest studio album release, Heaven, is the musical culmination of their journey thus far. Written, performed, engineered and produced by various members of the 14 person family, listeners will hear a top level record full of meaningful songs, striking harmonies, driving rhythms and soaring anthems. The band comprises of the oldest seven children ranging from ages 23 to 13: Jessica, 23, on fiddle and lead vocals, Jeremiah, 22, on acoustic and electric guitars and uilleann pipes, Jennifer, 20, on accordion and mandolin, Jeanette, 19, on whistle and dobro, Jackson, 16, on drums and banjo, Jedidiah, 15, on bass, and Jasmine, 13, on keys.

They proudly show their deep, colorful roots with the integration of ethnic instrumentation, creating a unique, exciting sound in contemporary circles. “We’ve been waiting a long time to release this music,” Jessica, the eldest at 23, explains, “but we always knew we were headed for this sound that would combine all of our musical loves into a new sort of genre in popular music.”

Their latest CD is not the only exciting thing on the horizon for The Willis Clan. They broke out in a big way at the end of 2013 when they were named the TODAY show’s Sound of Music Family. This appearance led to an initial audition on the 9th season of America’s Got Talent with their cover of “A Few Of My Favorite Things” that has now garnered over 6 million views on YouTube. The video got the attention of TLC executives and a reality show centered on the family was fast-tracked and went into production the end of 2014. The first season of the show premieres on May 5th 2015.

The Willis Clan’s first album, ‘Chapter One – Roots’, firmly established their credentials in the Irish music scene and was released in 2012 in tandem with winning the All-Ireland World Championships of Irish Music (Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann). This album won Celtic Connection Radio Album of the Year and made waves in the Irish/celtic festival circuits where the Willis Clan quickly became one of the hottest and most sought after bands. Their second album, Chapter Two - Boots, showcased the effects of exploration into Nashville’s music scene, where the family relocated from Chicago in 2000, and developed a mixture of original bluegrass and country tracks. Appearances at the IBMA festivals in 2013 and 2014, and extensive runs at the theme parks Dollywood and Silver Dollar City propelled the Clan to a fan favorite in the bluegrass world.

The horizon is burning bright for this trailblazing family. With the new TV show and Heaven album release coinciding so closely, and their summer tour schedule running strong, this year promises to create the perfect storm to catapult The Willis Clan to the very top.