Willi Carlisle

Willi Carlisle is a folksinger and poet whose rootsy songs pair traditional string-band sounds with vivid, sharply observed stories. Drawing on rural life and the people often left at its margins, he moves easily between dark humor, tenderness and social commentary. His breakout album, Peculiar, Missouri, introduced listeners to story-rich songs such as “Tulsa’s Last Magician” and “Vanlife”; Critterland followed with character-driven tales set among the hills and hollers. Carlisle’s clear, wry voice and literary knack for detail give his songs the pleasure of memorable characters and the feeling of stories shared around a table.