Willie J Healey

Few English songwriters arrive with a backstory as unlikely as Willie J Healey's. Born in Carterton, Oxfordshire, he taught himself to play from the age of 13, inspired by family Christmases when his dad and grandad played and he wanted in on the Oasis covers. He once planned to be a boxer, and before a record deal he earned money as a plasterer working alongside his dad. Neil Young is his main influence, and his songwriting shows it.

His debut, People and Their Dogs, came out on Columbia Records in 2017, though the label later dropped him. In August 2018 he supported Gaz Coombes on a UK tour, and Twin Heavy followed in 2020 on Yala Records. A drum machine lent to him by Jamie T during lockdown, Healey has said, pushed Bunny towards a funkier sound. Released in August 2023, the album earned a nomination for BBC 6 Music's Album of the Year, and its singles included Thank You, which features Jamie T, and Little Sister in April 2023. Support slots with Florence & the Machine, Arctic Monkeys and Idles followed, and an EP titled 143 arrives on V2 in 2026.