It’s been a busy year for Willie Stratton, the nice boy from Bedford who spends his nights screaming and strumming through his frenetic, throwback folk songs. He released an EP, The River, captivated a ballroom at Music Week, stomped through the stage at The Company House during HPX and averaged two shows a week. “I’m slightly flabbergasted,” he says of the win, which also christens his new band name, Willie Stratton and the Boarding Party. “We could never agree on anything,” he says. “I was reading about naval battles and then I was all like ‘OK, let’s name ourselves after badass sailors who jump on enemy ships.’”
Gold Winner Willie Stratton
Silver Winner Old Man Luedecke
Bronze Winner Ben Caplan
