Wim Tapley & The Cannons

Based in Athens, Georgia, Wim Tapley came of age playing scrappy venues in Washington D.C. and its sprawling suburbs. Taking slots on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings, young Wim paid his dues and honed his voice with the patience and passion of a born troubadour.

It was the drama of the struggle, pure love of the craft that drew Wim back again and again, no matter the slot, the pay, the crowd. It was with the faithful companionship of his well-worn Martin 000-15 and ever-growing gaggle of groupies that he finessed his showmanship, experimented with style, and ultimately grew into the voice he wears so naturally today.

Firmly rooted in Americana and blessed with a devastating knack for dreamy pop hooks, Wim Tapley is the East Coast’s resident and rising space cowboy. Pull in the glamorous sensibilities of your favorite pop princes, the swinging depths of neo-soul, and a higher-than-average affinity for horns, and you get a sense of this lone ranger’s unique sound.

Wim’s encompassing vision puts him in the middle of everything— and we mean everything— he creates. Though a frontman at heart, Wim is a talented multi-instrumentalist and on his most recent release The Woodlands he played, recorded, and co-produced every element himself.

Wim’s process has been shaped by his tireless gigging, and in the studio, instruments stay live and edges remain raw. A sonic westward expansion of fuzzed-out guitars, saloon pianos, defiant horns, and dusty vocals, Wim’s discography blazes a fresh new take on folk-pop while honoring the songwriting giants that paved the way before him, like Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton, and Bill Withers.

Wim Tapley may be a compelling one-man band of epic proportions, but his seemingly self-generating enthusiasm and natural gift for building community draws local followings and meaningful collaborations wherever his feet land. In his very first week in the Empire State of the South, Wim already found himself on a local bill, right where he was always meant to be.

Follow Wim on Spotify and Instagram and never miss a beat.