Photo: Will Varley, credit Rob Ashton Baker
THE FACTORY LIVE IS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME ALT-COUNTRY/FOLK ARTIST WILL VARLEY TO WORTHING AS PART OF INDEPENDENT VENUE WEEK 2026
When the late, great Phil May of The Pretty Things (cited as a major influence by both David Bowie and Jimmy Hendrix) began curating songs for what would become the band’s final studio album, amongst covers of songs by Muddy Waters, Sheryl Crow and Robert Johnson, May included a song by British singer-songwriter Will Varley. In becoming an avid fan of the troubadour from Kent he joined an army of followers that has been growing steadily across the globe for last ten years and includes the likes of Billy Bragg, Skin from Skunk Anansie and Adam Duritz from Counting Crows, all of whom consider Will to be one of the best songwriters of his generation.
In recent years Will has become a regular collaborator in the writing rooms of Nashville and Los Angeles, co-writing songs with Grammy award winning and AMA winning artists from the heart of the country music world.
There is a sheer depth to Will’s writing that sets him apart, and has propelled his music far and wide. From the Dylanesque, post-apocalyptic dystopia of 2021's "Dreamland" to the captivating and ambitious "Weddings and Wars," in which he endeavours to compress the entire history of the world into four minutes, Varley’s songs seem to transcend themselves, marrying vivid imagery, emotion and surrealism to capture his musings in a way that is quite remarkable.
The stage has been Varley's constant companion, from the open mics of south London to Shepherds Bush Empire and The Albert Hall. Over the years he has toured relentlessly, selling out shows across Europe and America, and opening for Frank Turner, Valerie June and The Proclaimers. Further high praise from the likes of Tim Minchin, Donovan, and Adam Duritz of Counting Crows have helped fan the flames, as his audience continues to grow both on the road and online. His music videos have clocked up millions of views on YouTube and his catalogue of recorded albums has surpassed a staggering 30,000,000 streams on Spotify alone.
Will's 7th studio album 'Machines Will Never Learn to Make Mistakes Like Me' came out in May 2025 on the MNRK label, who over the years have been home to Chuck Berry, Townes Van Zandt and The Lumineers. Featuring guest vocals from Billy Bragg and Dan Smith from Bastille, the album was released to rave reviews from the likes of Classic Rock and Rolling Stone Magazine. The album reached number 4 in the official UK Americana charts and received airplay on BBC 6 Music and Channel 4.