Austin Willacy is an accomplished vocalist/songwriter who is also a member of Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. recording artists The House Jacks. Willacy has recorded four CD's with The House Jacks (as well as 3 solo releases) and tours extensively throughout the US, Europe and Japan, performing with Ray Charles, James Brown, The Neville Brothers, The Temptations, The Gap Band, The Pointer Sisters, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Starship, Chicago and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, willacy received a degree in Psychology from Dartmouth College and then moved to San Francisco to refine his songwriting and pursue a career in music. In the last few years: > willacy was mentioned in Wired Magazine (December 2002) > willacy co-wrote "The Last to Know," a B-side on a KAI single (Geffen R&B/Pop). > willacy appeared on the "House of Blues Hour," a special, syndicated radio program (May 2000). > willacy was a featured artist on MP3.com, myplay.com, tucows.com, thatslive.com, riffage.com, ubl.com, listen.com, vitaminic.com and garageband.com. > "them," the lead single on american pi, won 3 consecutive Cage Matches against Neil Young, Travis and The Tragically Hip on San Francisco superstation KFOG. > "them - the Music Video" DVD is a finalist for the award of Best Interactive Marketing in the Joey Awards for 2001. > willacy co-produced a critically acclaimed CD for Mary Schmary, a Bay Area a cappella quartet. > willacy produced an award-winning 5-song demo and a full-length CD for 'Til Dawn, a Bay Area teen vocal group. > willacy was the featured artist on KXCI (Tucson) for one week. > willacy co-produced "Call to Honor", a song to benefit Transforming Violence and the American Red Cross in the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center. > american pi was voted "Best of Recording" on the Sound Off page in Ebony Magazine (May 2000). > "supertechnology," a single off of american pi, was selected to broadcast on an MP3.com syndicated radio program in February, 2001. Willacy signed to APG Records at the end of 1999 and released akw, a 5-song EP that immediately went into rotation on college radio. american pi, his debut solo LP, was released in the spring of 2000 and has garnered uniformly positive reviews. American pi evolves through different moods and textures with willacy's soulful and versatile tenor as your guide to songs that reflect a deep understanding of the human psyche. Willacy's backup musicians found the mark on every song on american pi. They include Jon Evans (bass, Tori Amos), Andrew Borger (percussion, Tom Waits) and Mark Orton (guitar), Rob Burger (keyboards and accordian) and Carla Kihlstedt (violin) from tin hat trio. Willacy has performed regularly in the Bay Area and toured in Southern California, the Midwest and New England. "them" has received extensive airplay on college and select AAA radio stations nationwide. page 7, willacy's 2003 release, features local luminaries Jon Evans (bass player, Tori Amos) and drummer Andrew Borger (currently on tour with Norah Jones) and has been described by the San Franciso Examiner as "an edgy adult contemporary sound that goes down easily and speaks to the heart. " The twelve ear-friendly and unforgettable new songs distill the tastiest elements of rock, pop and soul, and soon feel like old favorites that you're hearing for the first time. Austin's writing comes from a heart wise and willing, tempered by a fierce intellect and astute sense of observation that is wry but still hopeful, bloody yet unbowed.