Will Ardell

Will Ardell's powerful and immediately recognizable voice is a testament to the expression of art and to yearning in all of us to be heard above the din of our surroundings.  

As the late Cam Fuller from the Star Phoenix said of Will's voice "He may not be a millionaire, but he sounds a lot like Cash"   

 Born and raised on the prairies of Saskatchewan the beauty and realness of rural life is brought alive in the lyrics in a way only Will Ardell can.  In 2009 Will Ardell released his first music by request, in 2009 after posting some of his home demos for people to hear. Will had recorded the music on his digital recorder.   He sold 1500 copies from New York to Australia. The remainder he sold out of the trunk of his car.  

 In 2010 Will joined the Southwest Saskatchewan Country Music Tour, officially starting his professional career. His first album "All About the Ride" was a unique two-disc Country-Rock album. The albums two videos did extremely well "Save Me", a catchy upbeat love song and "Make Me a Man" a moving lyrical tribute to his late father had a combined 550,000 + organic views. A record for a country artist in Saskatchewan at the time.  "Save Me" was Will Ardell's first release to country radio and broke the top 40 on the Canadian Media Based Charts. Will’s success at radio, YouTube numbers impressed his peers enough he was awarded the title of 2013 SCMA Rising Star.   
The second album "Reckless home recorded in 2014 with help from talented friends like T.W. Cargile who works Americana esteemed artist Jamey Johnson. The record "Reckless" has a more Americana Folk sound to it than his previous recordings, with less of a focus on traditional radio friendly music. "Reckless" also caught the attention of his peers in Saskatchewan and once again Will was nominated for several SCMA awards including video of the year for "Ten Thousand Candles".  
Will Ardell has a total of 15 SCMA nominations, including Male Artist of the year and Folk Artist of the year. Clearly showing the industry acknowledges Will's incredible talents across the country genre. 

Will Ardell’s style has unapologetically changed over the years. With a strong focus on music with meaning and depth. Says Will “I want my music to be just as relevant and meaningful ten, or twenty years from now as it is today. I just hope my music makes a difference, to someone”.  With singles like "Wounded Kids" and "Highway to the Sun" both taking on heavy subjects, child abuse, and suicide, some may say Ardell’s music is dark, but he always leaves the listener with a message of hope. Writing outside the box has not affected his fan base a fan noted "His voice is hauntingly beautiful. I don't listen to country anymore, but I'll listen to Will Ardell. He reminds me of Johnny Cash and Waylon those guys I use to listen to with my Dad!" 

Whether playing the Black Bird Sessions, a songwriter’s event created by Ardell and fellow artist Berk Jodoin for Americana and other artists outside the commercial box, or playing on the festival stage of the Dog Patch Festival Will “leaves it all on the stage”. He shares every ounce of his soul and being with the audience, often leaving the stage feeling drained and the audience on their feet. 

2023 has brought more international success with 2 ISSA nominations; International Songwriter of the Year and International Performer of the Year (min 15 dates to qualify).  In 2023 Will lightened the mood dramatically with an upbeat throwback release to Stompin' Tom. Recorded with friends, Award winner Canadian Indigenous artist Berk Jodoin and Blue Grass/Folk artist Jolie Blue at SkullCreek Studios. The song, “Goodbye Lou” is blowing up at international radio with 1k radio stations/shows playing early in the campaign. 

Real Raw Authentic has and is Will Ardell's anthem, regardless of music trends. Whether on the stage or on the radio, Will Ardell's music will stir something deep within the listeners soul. 

Over 850k combined organic streams on Spotify

Music is on an outstanding 1689 playlists on Spotify