Melodic folk-trio Willow Bay are back with a bang on 28th February as The Carousel hosts the launch of the band's first-ever EP, Evangeline. The live-performance chemistry between the three members is contagious, and they have been known to silence every audience member in sight with their angelic harmonies. We caught up with the band (lead vocalist and guitarist Aaliyah, guitarist and banjo player Matt, and electric guitarist Ben) to dig deep into the story of the EP and their development as a band...
First of all, congratulations! This is a fantastic step forward as a band; this EP really feels like it’ll be a massive hit. What specific musical genre would you describe it as?
Matt: We class ourselves as indie-folk, but we’re not afraid to put elements from pretty much anywhere. The three of us have a pretty eclectic taste but we all have an appreciation for artists like Wild Rivers, Noah Kahan and Bros Landreth to name a few.
Do you have a favourite Song on the EP? If so, why?
Ben: Our favourite would have to be the title track Evangeline. At its core it’s a pretty simple song, but it came together in a really natural way with some great story telling lyrics and a very catchy melody. Aaliyah’s eight-year-old niece loves singing it and that says it all really! We’ve been lucky enough to play this tune at festival stages and even overseas, and something about it just resonates with people.
We created a music video for the track we were really proud down in Brighton and tied it in with a gig and micro band holiday. Playing music together has already led us on one amazing adventures, and it feels like this song was the start of the adventure - so it was only fitting we named the EP after it.
This is a huge milestone for you guys as a band, and definitely something that didn’t happen over night. How long did it take to write and record?
Matt: This EP is an accumulation of just over a year’s hard work. We’ve spent countless hours in the studio writing, rehearsing and recording the songs bit by bit. We’ve toiled over the fine details, chopped and changed structures and given ourselves headaches trying to work out the harmonies and melodies. It’s been a real labour of love and we’re super proud of what we’ve achieved.
After so long getting the EP right, when was the moment you knew it was ready to be released?
Aaliyah: While it’s hard to know the correct way to release music in 2026, we all agreed we wanted a collection of songs we could put out and celebrate before moving on to the next phase of our journey. We wrote a big tick list on the studio wall and worked down it for what seemed like an eternity! We got there in the end though and we’re really proud to have a larger body of work for people to get into.
Of course, each song requires its own individual care and motivation for completion. Can you explain your writing process?
Aaliyah: While we start off writing alone, we almost always end up stuck on a song during the process. So, we’ll often bring the seed of an idea to the band, maybe a couple of verses and half a chorus. It’s from there that the puzzle pieces just naturally come together. We all have strong creative ideas, but we’re flexible which makes writing songs one of our favourite things. Having three people means there’s a clear vote when it comes to ideas.
Being able to put it in a song or using a melody that reflects how I feel is very therapeutic
Your music can be described as emotional and heartfelt indie-folk, has this made it difficult during the writing process or performing when thinking about what you’ve written that is so personal to you?
Aaliyah: In the earlier days of writing and performing these songs, it could be quite difficult to separate personal life from the emotions that can be felt during a live performance, but for me it was quite nice to be able to validate the things I felt in those moments. I tend to struggle with knowing how to feel in certain situations, so being able to put it in a song or using a melody that reflects how I feel is very therapeutic.
However, now being in a very different head space to where I was during the process of writing, it can be hard to get back to that emotional place. So I now see it as a moment of reflection as opposed to actively being immersed in the raw emotions from the original writing stages.
Can you explain some of the songs on the EP, what inspired them and what they’re about?
Aaliyah: Evangeline is about a situation where you have been hurt by someone but you want to keep them in your life so desperately that you're willing to lose yourself along the way. It's also about knowing that it will never end the way you want it to and learning to face the inevitable.
Matt: In This Love, there are a few subjects I touch on: Things like coming to terms with my loss of faith as a teenager, despite going to a Catholic school, which I actually found to be a huge burden lifted off my shoulders, hence the line “consider this your second life”. It’s also about how immensely grateful I am to my mother for everything that she’s done for me and all the stress and worry I’ve likely put her through over the years for various antics. This song is a nod to her and her kind-heartedness.
Ben: Call it a Day is a tune about coming to the realisation that you’ve tried so hard with somebody in a relationship and it just isn’t working. They keep letting you down and you know deep down you need to move on. It’s about finally ‘calling it a day’ - like it says on the tin!
It’s clear, that through both the music and the chemistry between the three of you, you are a very close band. Tell us how you met, leading us to the beautiful Willow Bay?
Ben: I'm a music producer and have been recording local bands since about 2018. I knew Aaliyah because she was the bass player in Kelsey and the Embers who I had recorded. Aaliyah isn't the lead singer in that band (that would be the incredible Kelsey Shaw AKA Jacqueline who is supporting us at our EP launch!), but I knew she had this beautiful voice hiding away. The first time I ever heard her sing, she had to turn the light off in the vocal booth and have a mild breakdown, but it just had a magic quality to it that instantly made an impression on me.
Fast forward a few years and Aaliyah approached me to record a few of her own songs because she thought she ought to force herself to do something with them. They were these stunning delicate pieces of music that were too good to ignore. However, I knew she wasn't going to pursue them without some persuasion - it's so much more engaging to work with other people and lean on their strengths when making music, so I thought we could pull something together.
Matt and I had been playing together since we were 15 and I've never not been in a band of some sort with him, so naturally he was the next call! He'd just acquired a banjo and he also wanted to explore some more delicate aspects of his songwriting, so I organised a little jam.
I'm a massive believer that before any music happens, you should get on with the people you are doing it with and be able to have a laugh.
Last but not least can you explain your musical influences for the EP?
Matt: So many influences for me! I draw on bands like Caamp, Kingfishr and Amble for their incredible songwriting and catchy banjo riffs. As well as the more ethereal and ambient sounds of Novo Amor, Bears Den and All The Luck In The World.
Ben: For this project I play a baritone guitar in a low tuning. The Bros Landreth are a huge influence on me, as they're the absolute masters of the beautiful warm guitar sound that I'm aiming for. All of the musicianship is there to serve the song in their music, and whilst our music is very different, I try my best to do that, too.
Aaliyah: I gained a lot of confidence when listening to Lizzy McAlpine because I have always been a bit insecure about the softness of my voice and felt as though I needed to be louder. However after hearing the delicacy in her voice and realising that she doesn't need to be louder to be able to tell her stories through song, it helped me embrace my soft voice and not be insecure about it.
Overall, it is safe to say that this EP will make you question your own human relationships; an essential part of self-reflection. I think we owe a round of applause to Willow Bay for offering up their vulnerability, just to bless us with their sweet melodies.
Willow Bay perform at The Carousel on 28th February 2026. Tickets are available here.
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