Rambling folk singer Will Varley, who walked over 500 miles along England’s south coast with a guitar on his back, is gearing up for the release of his third album Postcards From Ursa Minor, out on 30 October via Xtra Mile Recordings. His last two records received rave reviews from The Independent, fRoots and Q magazine, and he has been described by Frank Turner as ‘one the best singer-songwriters in the UK’.

With forthcoming tour with said label-mate and champion Frank Turner in November 2015, Will Varley will then be heading out solo in February for 17 dates up and down the country. This headline tour follows 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 earlier this year, played dates with cult legend Beans On Toast, released an EP, and spent a summer supporting The Proclaimers across the UK as well as festival appearances at Bestival, Secret Garden Party, Green Man and BoomTown among others.

Produced by Tristan Ivemy and mastered at Abbey Road by Frank Arkwright (Arcade Fire, Blur), 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 Music and 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 complimented 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.

Between touring constantly for the past five years and co-running his own record label and the sell-out Smugglers festival where he’s based in Kent, interest in Will, and his highly anticipated third album is reaching fever pitch. Looking forward to 2016, with his headline tour in February and his first visit to the USA scheduled for March already, the future is bright for this rising star.

‘Powerful, political and pertinent’ – The Independent

‘Excellent… blew me away’ – Q Magazine