William Mccarthy

William “Billy” McCarthy Is A Songwriter Artist And Author Based In New York City Who Fronted NYC Bands Pela And Augustines. Since McCarthy's 2004 Debut EP “All In Time” Brassland Records With Pela And The Bands Seminal Full Length “Anytown Graffiti” Great Society 2007 He Has Risen To The Top Of His Genre And Stands Out From His Peers As A Dynamic And Charismatic Tour De Force Who Sings From His Soul. He Has Zig-Zagged America And Overseas Playing Clubs While Singing About Small Town American Confines And Finding The Willpower To Leave Them. Critics Celebrated Pela’s Ability To Punch Above Their Weight Class And Acknowledged McCarthy’s Ambitious Lyrical Subject Matter. Those Lucky Enough To See Them Live Remember The Energy And Passion That Made Every Show Unique. Pela Split In 2009 With A Half Finished Album And A Heartbroken Fan Base. The Heart Of The Unfinished Work Was A Response To His Younger Brothers Incarceration In California’s Folsom Prison Which Resulted In His Untimely Death. With His Half Completed Album 2009/10 Was A Period Of Great Reflection For McCarthy Together With Bassist And Multi-Instrumentalist Eric Sanderson From Former Band Pela He Began To Reimagine A New Path In Music To Get The Still Yet Unfinished Work Out To Fans And They Set Out As A Two Piece Folk Act Called “Augustines” Choosing Community Support Over The Traditional Label System That Had Long Frustrated Them. After A Handful Of Tours As A Duo And With Promotion And Support From Seattle DJ John Richards KEXP Sanderson And McCarthy Searched For A Drummer And Decided To Form A Traditional 3 Piece Band With Robert Allen. The Band Were Later Signed Votiv Records And Released Their Debut “Rise Ye Sunken Ships” On June 6 2011. The Album Was Met With Glowing Reviews And ITunes Named Rise Ye Sunken Ships "Best Alternative Album" Of 2011. The Band Subsequently Gave Many Network Television Performances And Toured Globally For 6 Years To High Acclaim Selling Out Venues As Headliners And Supporting Indie Mainstays Like Frightened Rabbit And Maccabees. Augustines Disbanded Amicably Due To Financial Challenges In Autumn 2016. In February Of 2016 McCarthy Set Out On A Series Of Sold Out Solo Shows In Europe. Journals Maps Stories And Songs Was Envisioned While McCarthy Was Living In Amsterdam And Consisted Of A Live Storytelling Presentation Of His Journals Projected On A Screen Live Storytelling And Acoustic Accompaniment And Was Given Universally Glowing Reviews “Augustines Front Man Thrills A Packed Audience With A Set That Transcends The Music His Wit And Incredible Storytelling Are The Highlight Of The Night.” -Louderthanwar.Com In December 2016 In The Aftermath Of Augustines Recent Breakup McCarthy Moved To Berlin And Continued Writing Music. He Reached Out To A Small Community Of Augustines Fans To Ascertain If There Was Any Interest In Him As A Solo Artist. The Response Was Positive A New Platform In Lieu Of The Traditional Label System Was Suggested And McCarthy Set Out As A 100% Independent Artist Recalibrating And Redirecting His Creative Efforts To Utilise A Subscription Based Platform Called Patreon To Sustain His Offerings. During This Period He Began To Notice His Creativity Flourishing In Different Ways. He Started Writing Prose And Creating Visual Art And It Quickly Became A Non-Negotiable Aspect Of His Output And Is Something He Has Continued Sharing With His Fans. 2017 Was A Fruitful Year For McCarthy As He Self Released “Shelter” On Augustines Label Oxcart Collaborating With Longtime Band Mate And Friend Eric Sanderson Greg Georgio And Peter Katis Interpol The National Kurt Vile At Katis’s Bridgeport Studio. Shelter Was A Self Described “ode To Lyricists” And Covered Augustines Pela Alongside Artists Like Eric Bachmann Dan Bern And Tom Waits While Showcasing McCarthys Solo Work. In The Winter Of 2017 McCarthy Launched A Podcast “Onward With William McCarthy” ITunes Covering His Love For Travel History And The Creative Process. In The Summer Of 2018 McCarthy Released His Debut Book “Unsheltered” A Collection Of Stories Selected From Over 150 Written Which Had Been Exclusively Shared With His Online Subscription Based Community. Produced By Michael Baum And Todd Howe Arcade Films 'Rise The Story Of Augustines' Tells The Story Of The Start Of Augustines And The Challenges Life And The Music Industry Can Throw At You. Rise Premiered In London's Leicester Square In September 2018. The Next Week Saw It Make It’s US Premiere In McCarthy’s Hometown At The Santa Cruz Film Festival Where It Won The Audience Award. In December Of 2018 RISE Picked Up Four Awards At The Queen Palm International Film Festival Including Best Feature Documentary Best Director And Its Royal Gem Diamond Award For Best Feature. In March 2019 The Film Toured The UK To Sell Out Audiences “RISE The Story Of Augustines Is One Of The Best In A Long Time. I Would Go So Far As To Put It Near The Likes Of The Last Waltz In Terms Of Both The Emotional Journey And Filmmaking Prowess On Display. ” — FILM THREAT In The Years After Augustines While Chartering A Solo Path William McCarthy Has Carved Out A Niche For Himself Performing His Music At Festivals Storytelling And Reading Excerpts From His Book On Tours. McCarthy’s New Album Saw Him Travelling To Colombia New Orleans Spain And Scotland Seeking New Musical Influences And Ideas For The Album Which Was Largely Inspired By A Boat Wild Eyes That Was Found Off The Coast Of Australia During The Making Of The Record. The Album Was Recorded In A House In New Jersey During Spring And Summer 2019 And Sees McCarthy Working With Longtime Collaborator Eric Sanderson And Joe Michelini American Trappist Rather Than Release One Traditional Album A Collection Of E.P.’s Will Be Released Throughout The Year And Is Slated For Release On January 15 2020 Accompanied By Video Projects To Support The Collection. Autumn 2019 Will See McCarthy Play His First Shows In Mexico And Asia And He Intends To Continue Creating Art And Performing Across The World With The Same Vitality He Has Built His Name On For Nearly Two Decades. read less