The Cottonwood Shivers is an independent music project founded in 2023 by singer-songwriter Will Adlard.

Born and raised in London, England, Will has been writing songs since age 12 and has played in several bands, including Patch William with his older brother, Ed. In 2009, Will’s song “The Last Bus” was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.

After the band ended in 2011, Will set out for America, backpacking across the country by himself. There, in Portland, Oregon, he met the woman he would one day marry, and thus began a new chapter of Will’s life, personally and musically. After several years of living and traveling various places, including London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Portland, this period of transition, movement, work, and ultimately growth culminated in the EP Moonlight in 2018, released under his own name.
In 2020, Will and his wife moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota. Soon after, Will began crafting the idea for The Cottonwood Shivers—a personal, acoustic-driven project rooted in thoughtful lyricism and guitar-playing, with plenty of room for experimentation, collaboration, and expansion down the road.

Now, after getting settled in the Midwest, The Cottonwood Shivers have something to share. It is Will’s hope that you enjoy the first single, ‘Dandelion’, and the many more songs yet to come.

More soon x 

Contact: thecottonwoodshivers@gmail.com