Willi Carlisle

Willi Carlisle (born May 29, 1989) is an American folk singer-songwriter from Kansas and based in Arkansas. His music pulls from traditional American folk music, punk music, and country music. Many of his songs contain themes of drug abuse, queer life, and rural American life. Carlisle grew up in a musical family, with his father being a polka musician. Thus he was introduced to American folk, bluegrass, and country music. He participated in school musicals and was a member of his school's choir. Carlisle attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas earning a MFA degree in poetry with the hope of learning to write better folk music. While in college he realized a disconnect existed between contemporary poetry and regular people spurring him to write music connecting people. Carlisle is queer. McGregor, Nick (March 8, 2023). "Willi Carlisle Is a Shapeshifting Bard for Our Times". Indy Week. Retrieved February 15, 2024. "Willi Carlisle: The Best of What's Next". Paste Magazine. Retrieved February 15, 2024. Weeks, Olivia (October 21, 2022). "Q&A: Willi Carlisle Is Taking a Folk Singer's Job, to Comfort and Disturb, Very Seriously". The Daily Yonder. Retrieved February 15, 2024. Grear, Daniel (January 26, 2024). "'Higher Lonesome': A Q&A with Willi Carlisle". Arkansas Times. Retrieved February 15, 2024. "Willi Carlisle's Peculiar, Missouri Is Traditional Folk Music For 21st Century Problems". grammy.com. Retrieved February 15, 2024. Liebig, Lorie (March 14, 2023). "Willi Carlisle Dives Into the Uncomfortable on 'Peculiar, Missouri'". nashvillescene.com. Retrieved February 15, 2024. Marcisz, Christopher (September 22, 2022). "Willi Carlisle knew he'd become a folk singer, so he chose to earn his MFA at a university with a lot of banjo players he could learn from". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved February 15, 2024. Liebig, Lori. "Willi Carlisle Dives Into the Uncomfortable on 'Peculiar, Missouri'". nashvillescene.com. Retrieved June 27, 2025. "Willi Carlisle". Free Dirt Records & Service Co. Retrieved February 15, 2024. "Signature Sounds Recordings". January 27, 2024. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024. "Anti-Corp". Retrieved February 9, 2025. "Signature Sounds Recordings". September 19, 2025. Archived from the original on September 19, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.