Charlottesville, Virginia based singer-songwriter, Will Overman, sets off on his first headlining tour of 2020. The up-and-coming VA-based artist will play nine shows across ten days, stretching from Norfolk, VA to Atlanta, GA. Overman returns to Knoxville for the first time since visiting with his collaborative project, Will Overman Band.
Musically and lyrically, Overman draws deeply from his Virginia roots, producing a rare combination of enticing straight-ahead rhythms and riffs paired with introspective melodies, all brought to life with his sleek vocals. Yet, Overman’s music transcends genres and convention, blending elements of rock, folk, and country, wrapped in a thin varnish of pop sensibility, to create a concoction reminiscent of Ryan Adams and Josh Ritter, yet with the softness of James Taylor. Overman is a modern-day storyteller too, drawing inspiration from Jason Isbell and Gregory Alan Isakov, fellow artists who are unafraid to tackle deep, personal issues in their poetic lyrics.
The 2020 Spring Tour is Will’s second cohesive multi-date tour performing as a solo artist with a backing band, coming over two years after his collaborative project, Will Overman Band, disbanded. In 2013, he began his professional music journey, releasing his first solo full length record on the heels of completing a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail, and appearing as a contestant on two rounds of NBC’s The Voice. By 2014 Will found like-minded musicians in Charlottesville’s blossoming music scene to form collaborative project, Will Overman Band, and became known as the hard working “southern fried rock ‘n roll” band. The band gained momentum, releasing an EP and full-length album while performing at notable festivals such as Merlefest, Front Porch Fest, and Appaloosa Music Festival, as well as in a variety of venues from Nashville TN, to Burlington VT, Decatur GA, and everywhere in between.
By 2017, Overman reached a crossroads, both literally and figuratively. Overman graduated from the University of Virginia, and members of Will Overman Band decided to go their separate ways. During that transition, Overman wrote and recorded his first solo record in almost 4 years. His introspective EP, Crossroads, was released just before he embarked on a multi-month trip around the world with his now wife. The expedition was a much needed break from the rigors of touring almost non-stop for the previous four years while attending college. The break from music made one thing clear: he still felt that he had something left to say. Through sadness and trials, hope and celebration, Overman wrote songs that meaningfully connected to his soul-searching, and personal life.
In 2019, Overman returned to the studio to begin recording these new songs for an upcoming LP set to release in 2020. The Spring Tour is in support of his upcoming single, Something To Hold, which will be released around Valentine’s Day. The song is a perfect Valentine’s Day anthem to dance to, with its John Mayer-like groove, or just sit back and enjoy the infectious lyrics.
Dates and locations for the full band tour are listed below.
• Friday, March 6th - Roanoke, VA The Spot on Kirk
w/ Adam Bolt Trio
• Saturday, March 7th - Johnson City, TN Willow Tree
Co-headliner Virginia Ground
• Sunday, March 8th Asheville, NC Ambrose West
Virginia Ground, Maggie Valley Band
• Monday, March 9th - Knoxville, TN WDVX Blue Plate Special Radio Show
• Monday, March 9th - Knoxville, TN Preservation Pub
• Tuesday, March 10th - Atlanta, GA Smith’s Olde Bar
w/ The Murphs, Cody Bolden
• Wednesday, March 11th - Awendaw, SC Awendaw Green Barn Jam
• Friday, March 13th - Lynchburg, VA Spearkertree
w/ John McBroom
• Saturday, March 14th - Norfolk, VA O’Connor Brewing 10 Year Celebration
This tour is the first leg of three this Spring. For a full list of tour dates, visit www.willovermanmusic.com.
