Will Gattis

The prestige that accompanies the title Maine's Best Singer/Songwriter (as won in the 2007 Maine Songwriter Showdown) is not lost on its holder Will Gattis, a Portland-native singer/songwriter whose influences range from The Beatles, The Who, and Queen to Ben Folds Five, Nobuo Uematsu, and David Bowie. Describing his translation of those influences into his own songwriting and performing style, Gattis quips that what fans hear is "the hypothetical result of Pete Townshend sitting next to Freddie Mercury in a philosophy class taught by Paul McCartney."
Gattis has already logged time as a headlining club act up and down the seaboard from Portland to Washington D.C., and onward to Florida and back. One instance of the praise his performances have garnered was Mainetoday.com's observation of Gattis' ability to connect with his audiences: "He's very personable and playful with the audience. He often told little anecdotes about his songs, and the stories were well-received in the audience." After attending one of Gattis' performances, a reviewer for the Portland Press Herald wrote "I was blown away by a performance.by Will Gattis. I was already a fan, having heard his stuff online and on CD, but hearing it live was another experience altogether. Sitting behind his electric piano, Gattis tore the paint off the walls with "Metropolis," a song that chronicles the death of Superman but is about so much more." The Portland Phoenix, meanwhile, has hailed Gattis as "an upcoming purveyor of quirky indie pop."
In another story, the Portland Press Herald printed "Even though his fingers fly when asked, Gattis can still coax a nuanced melody out of his piano.Gattis' ballads are easy to get inside, but powered by lyrical conflicts. In that way, the tracks are much like the guy himself – more than meets the eye." Another front-page story by www.Mainetoday.com said, ". you will love the music that Will has to offer…He certainly has adopted his own style of playing and telling stories through his song." In describing his song-writing style, Gattis explains that "I try to create a specific feeling for the listener. They'll often be stories that I try to make relatable and entertaining."
Of his 2005 studio debut, 'Dullard,' Music Critics Inc. praised Gattis' songwriting gift as one "with a sense of humor that They Might Be Giants would admire, their music is playful and energetic, sad and sincere. The songs have a very exposed quality…What sets…(Gattis) apart from the rest is (his) … willingness to imbue emotion into his vocals and even shout if needed…Gattis and company aren't afraid to experiment and try different things. Be careful--some of these songs are ridiculously catchy…There is no doubt we can expect more humor and sincerity on any subsequent releases from the Will Gattis Trio…You definitely need to check out Dullard!" To do just that, visit Will online at www.myspace.com/gattistheband or contact him regarding his wildly popular live shows via (207) 837-5317 or will@willgattis.com