What happens when a classically trained opera singer strays away from her trade? Why, she becomes a rock star, of course. Detroit-born songstress Willa Rae, and her backing band, the Minor Arcana are turning heads in the Motor City with the chops to prove it. For a band that had only just been formed in the winter of 2015, the sextet’s debut EP XIII is packed with dark, gritty soul and topsy turvy punk riffs that match the Rust Belt life.
Willa Rae and the Minor Arcana consist of powerhouse singer Willa Rae Adamo, with Alexandria Berry on bass guitar and Mackenzie Sato on percussion. Veterans of other Detroit bands include Craig Adams of the Witches on electric guitar and piano, Ramiro Romero of Nina & the Buffalo Riders on banjo and acoustic guitar, and Kaylan Mitchell of Canada and the Juliets on cello, and Carmel Liburdi on guest vocals.
The first song off the EP,”Bad Ideas”, layers the band’s individual talents into a fast-paced ride of lust and seduction. The punk-infused ballad artfully mixes folk banjo and cello with Adamo’s stirring vocals. “Freight Train” and “Love’s Wastin’ My Time” complement “Bad Ideas” on the EP with strong tonal shifts and infectious piano chords. You can give “Bad Ideas” and the other songs on XIII a listen here:
Willa Rae and the Minor Arcana are touring the dive bars of the Rust Belt, so catch them now up close and personal before they’re selling out larger venues.