Artist
Waylon
Why we feature this artist The Dutch singer behind Wicked Way Waylon's early solo records put a grainy, rhythmically assured voice inside a mixture of soul, rock and country colours. Wicked Way made that combination clear in a particularly concise form. The Du…
- From
- Netherlands
- Sound
- Pop, rock, country
- Active
- 1997–present
Start with the music
Tracks to explore
The artist, in context
The story of Waylon
Why we feature this artist
The Dutch singer behind Wicked Way
Waylon's early solo records put a grainy, rhythmically assured voice inside a mixture of soul, rock and country colours. Wicked Way made that combination clear in a particularly concise form. The Dutch singer's later work changed the emphasis between those traditions, with the Common Linnets collaboration providing another setting for the same recognisable vocal character.
Wicked Ways and After All
Willem Bijkerk recorded as Waylon, taking a professional name associated with his affection for American country music. Wicked Ways appeared in 2009, including Wicked Way and Happy Song. The title single uses a firm, mobile groove, with the vocal's rougher edge supplying an effective contrast to the polished instrumental frame.
The voice could carry force without needing to remain at maximum volume. A shorter phrase or a slightly delayed entrance could make the rhythm feel more physical, allowing the band arrangement to answer the singer. After All followed in 2011, giving the early solo catalogue a second album and another set of melodic and production settings.
The Common Linnets and later solo records
Waylon joined Ilse DeLange as the Common Linnets for Calm After the Storm in 2014. The duet's restrained country-pop setting asked for a different kind of delivery, with the two voices sharing the emotional scene rather than one lead dominating it. The performance brought that quieter musical frame to a wide international audience through Eurovision.
Seeds followed as a solo album in 2016, with The World Can Wait in 2018 accompanying another Eurovision appearance, this time with Outlaw in 'Em. Later records also made more room for Dutch-language material. The sequence shows a singer moving between different song traditions through a consistent set of performance instincts: rhythmic confidence, a clearly shaped melody and a vocal texture that can make a polished arrangement sound a little more weathered.
Essential releases
Wicked Ways
Wicked Way and Happy Song introduce the early meeting of soul rhythm and rough-edged pop singing.
After All
The second album broadens the initial solo recording chapter.
The World Can Wait
A later solo album includes the period of Outlaw in 'Em and a more explicit country-rock setting.