Today we’d like to introduce you to Cole Wills.
Hi Cole, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Cole Wills. I am a twenty-nine-year-old citizen of the world, born just outside of Philadelphia in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I own a historic Equestrian farm, am a professional Arborist, lead my own band, and produce music festivals. Much of my life has revolved around preserving my abandoned family farm that dates back to 1782 and was formerly owned by the Hollywood actor; Claude Raines. My father was an Arborist and outlaw biker who died when I was young, and my mother made sure I learned music at a young age, which has been the saving grace that has kept me from falling into the dark grips of hatred and violence that permeate Outlaw life. I started picking up instruments in fifth grade, recorded my first album when I was sixteen, and have played in many different musical contexts ever since. Much of my life has revolved around either attending music concerts or performing in them. When I was 20, I had the honor of meeting the greatest Luthier of our time (… he would deny this), Carl Thompson, who agreed to build me an Electric Bass. It took three and a half years to get my bass made, and after I had it, I was invited to continue to work in the shop building with Carl in Brooklyn, NY — something I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to do.
After I got my instrument, my music career really started to take off after nearly a decade on the Philly music scene. I was playing professionally in an up-and-coming bluegrass band and was landing the festival gigs I had always dreamed of. I threw my first festival, Hoedown on the Lowdown, which was a giant success, and after playing in the bluegrass band for several years, I left the band to start my own project — Rhythm Addicts.
Our first show was January 3rd, 2020 — quite possibly the worst year in history to try and start a band. Four months in, the media-induced panic of COVID-19 began. I didn’t let this stop us; I made my farm a sanctuary for our scene and began hosting music festivals throughout the entire pandemic. We called them “Throwdown on the Lowdown”; we had four of them, and there were anywhere between 200-400 people attending each of them. My friends, Brian Corry and Ginny Gogarty, along with myself formed a production company, Throwdown Productions, and used our newly established credibility to produce secondary stages at other music festivals and to book our bands at these events as well.
One of these festivals was “Karnival of the Arts”, produced and founded by San Diego residents Miguel Munoz and David MacArthur. Karnival really stood out to me from many of the East coast festivals because of its heightened sense of professionalism and social mindfulness; much of which I attribute to Miguel, personally. Miguel had a very ambitious dream; he wanted to have Karnival of the Arts on the West coast. I had always dreamed of playing a festival in California, and I believed in Miguel and David MacArthur, cofounders of Karnival West, so naturally, I was all in on this ambitious leap of faith. I acquired and rebuilt a bus, and started to gear up for what would be one of the biggest adventures of our life — my first cross-country US Tour.
Nine of us drove from Philadelphia to Nashville, then to Dallas, Texas, stopped for a night in City of Rocks state park, New Mexico, broke down overnight in Tucson, Arizona, before arriving in to San Diego. I know people always talk about being in love with places they travel to, but I’ve been all over the place and never felt as at home as I do in San Diego. Karnival West was held at Jacumba Springs about an hour outside of the city on DeAnza Resort and the Colony owned by a brilliant man named KeCho and operated by a really incredible staff, head by Jason Griffasi. Karnival was an absolute success and the performances were incredible, and later that week we played a really kick-ass show at the Holding Company in Ocean Beach after the farmer’s market. We will be booking more shows closer to the start of next year and when I come back it will likely be to stay because I’m really looking forward to all that Karnival of the Arts, DeAnza Resort, and the Colony have planned ahead.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My life has been a constant series of obstacles and challenges to overcome, but in terms of our experience on the road from Philadelphia to and from San Diego; it was certainly not a smooth road. In Texas, our gear trailer tire overheated, threw its tread, and slapped the wheel well right off the trailer… Our bus overheated climbing mountains near El Paso… After taking a detour in Texas around a border patrol inspection station just before New Mexico, we ran out of gas in the desert… In Tucson, our bus tire sheered its tire studs and lug nuts, auto zone gave us the wrong parts and I spent the night the bus in the auto zone parking lot… The next day after we made our repairs, an hour down the road, our ignition module and distributor fried and the bus was inoperable… We left it in Tucson and picked it up on the way back, the mechanic Quinton at QDC was a saint and didn’t charge us for the work. The trailer blew its second tire… After over 40 hours of driving, less than 20 minutes from my farm, the bus blew its back right tire… Definitely not what I would call a smooth road.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an Electric Bassist that fronts my own band, Rhythm Addicts. Our music is legally categorized as Gangsta Funk or G Funk, which fuses Funk, Jam, and Hip Hop. My playing style utilizes percussive slap bass lines, melodic fretless bass lines, as well as organic, sinister dubstep bass lines that I produce using my bass and a motion sensor ring I wear when I perform that all really help me stand out amongst any other act in the industry. My electric bass, made by Carl Thompson, is itself is a work of art and was recently appraised at 30k dollars. It is made of Black Walnut, Paduak, West African Mahogany, Macassar Ebony, Snakewood, Cocobolo, Honduran Mahogany, and Pau Ferro and is essentially an extension of myself at this point.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Just that they should be on the lookout for Rhythm Addicts show in the future in San Diego!!! As well as keeping an eye out for Miguel Munoz and David MacArthur from Karnival of the Arts and next year’s festival at The Colony at DeAnza Resort! They will not want to miss it!
Pricing:
- Karnival of the Arts West – $120 for a weekend of incredible music
- Rhythm Addicts – $900 for San Diego Bookings
- 3 bands – $2400
- Event Sound Production – $2000
- DeAnza Hotel – $140 a night!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/whatevercolewills
- Facebook: Facebook.com/rhythmaddictsband
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCd0gFVTcobTBt6IX0rMXNdw
- Other: Instagram.com/rhythm.addicts
Image Credits
Corey Rice
Wil Reiner Photography
