Wes Willenbring Bio
Wes Willenbring was forced into taking piano lessons at the age of seven, and after years of arduous practice he eventually turned to the guitar so he could learn the chord progression to ‘Lay Lady Lay’. An obsession with recording techniques and aesthetics then led to a disturbingly large collection of equipment and microphones. After years of writing and recording music both solo and in a variety of collaborations he has now set up home and studio in San Francisco.
His two albums for Hidden Shoal Recordings, Somewhere Someone Else (March, 2007) and Close, But Not Too Close (October, 2009), are works of muted radiance. Sounds of piano and guitar wash in and out of recognition, providing a kind of dislocated comfort. The albums slowly breathe in and out with an undeniable melancholic warmth, like a sad dream you don’t want to wake from.
