Biography

Blind Willies began at San Francisco’s High School of the Arts as a duo playing covers of American folk songs and Alexei’s originals which he began writing when he was 15. After their professional debut at San Francisco's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, the band’s first two releases of all original songs, The Unkindness of Ravens[2007] and Everybody's Looking for a Meal[2008], were highly praised. The albums defined their sound and provided them the opportunity to perform extensively at eclectic venues, from New York's Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and San Francisco's Djangofest to Brooklyn's intimate back room at Barbès. They shared stages with punk icon Penelope Houston(Avengers), “Dawg Music” innovator David Grisman, and folk iconoclast Peter Stampfel (Holy Modal Rounders).

Following their sophomore release, and in search of a larger canvas, Alexei assembled a full band of experienced, young musicians, accomplished across diverse genres including rock, jazz, classical, world, and hip-hop. Now five musicians strong—Alexei Wajchman(vocal, guitar, harmonica), Misha Khalikulov(cello), Daniel Riera(bass), Max Miller-Loran(keys, trumpet), and Adam Coopersmith(drums)—the band recorded the new album, Needle, Feather, and a Rope, at Tiny Telephone, indie engineer/producer/performer John Vanderslice's all-analog studio in San Francisco's Mission District.

Judging by the rich landscapes Alexei’s songs travel, the band has used the various gifts of its new members to forge a dynamic and unique sound that reflects the deeply resonant American musical traditions they each brought to the table. The music is sincere, raw, and poignant, and the band’s integrity is reflected in the 14 tracks of Needle, Feather, and a Rope, as well as in the recording process. “We wanted to record in the manner of our favorite classic albums,” Alexei explains, “the band all together in the studio, live to 2” analog tape, with minimal overdubs. We felt this approach not only gives the album superior sonics, but is a more honest representation of our musicianship and soul. We punched it out in 4 days, 10 hours each day, and I think you can hear the pleasure of the experience and the fun we had.”

Needle, Feather, and a Rope was produced by Blind Willies and Lemon DeGeorge(Jolie Holland, film Genghis Blues), recorded by Jay Pellicci(Deerhoof), mixed analog by Justin Phelps(Dresden Dolls, Chuck Prophet, Neville Brothers, Cake) and Gabriel Shepard(Peter Case, Frank Black) at Hyde Street Studios, and mastered by Paul Stubblebine(Ry Cooder, John Lee Hooker, Jerry Garcia & David Grisman, Santana).

Alexei's songs have been played on over 200 radio stations around the world. Confirmed radio play includes Better Days Radio, Vancouver, BC; Pirate Cat Radio, SF; KPIG, KRSH, WXPN, WFUV Woody's Children, KPFA, WFDU, KALW, KZSC, KUSP, KYOU, KQED, KDVS, KKUP, WOBC, WTJU, WTSR, WDVX Writer's Block, WCOM Taproot Radio, Americana Roots, WWUH, KZSU, KRCB, KSCL, WBGU, KAOS, WTUL, WCBN, KBCS, WEFT, WMBR, KCBX, KBGA, WSDP, WDCB, KXCI, WRKF, KACI, WLRN, KCSC, WFHB, WMUD, KAFM, Thayrone's The Bone Conduction Music Show(syndicated), WRFL, WDBX, KGLP, Radio Marabu/Europe/No Pigeonholes, Hanx/Netherlands, Crossroads/NL, Arjen Dekker's Blue Wednesday/NL, Dutch Roots Radio's Landslide, Gerrit Casper's Goodnoise/NL, Thomas Kaldijk's Blueprint/NL,
Rootsrevival, Michel Penard's ISA Radio
American Roots Music/France, Friedrich Hog's Radio Free FM/Germany, Heart of the Night and TransAtlantic Acoustic indieheart.com podcasts, indieSF.com, Todd Mack's Off the Beat-n-Track, Suffolk 'n Cool/UK, CKUA Tom Coxworth's Folk Routes/Canada, WYEP, WGDR, CJLX, CKHA, WHAY, WBSD, WKZE, WHDD, NHPR, KRCC, KLOI,CHES Erin Radio, CJTR,Progressive Roots/WSJF, WHJX, WFJO, KFOK, WMRD-AM, WLIS, WMPG, WXIN, KVMR, WMUC, WPSU, 2 MAX/Australia, Triplej/Australia, 3 INR/Australia, 2AIR/Australia, 4RED/Australia, Radio Upper Galilee/Israel, Highway 61 Radio Voce Spazio/Italy, Radio EVW/Germany, Radio ZuSa/Germany, Radio Shalom/Canada.