JAMESTOWN -- Will Hansen has been performing pedal steel guitar for various bands in his home base of Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the majority of his musical career. Over the last couple of years, he’s leaned more into performing for his solo project, Old Pup.
When Hansen first started performing as Old Pup near the end of the 2010s, he scheduled the odd show here and there outside of his band performances. However, he’s started focusing on releasing his original songs under that stage name, a purposeful oxymoron inspired by a line from Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself that goes “I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise.”
In 2022, Hansen released his debut record under Old Pup, Incognito Lounge, and in 2024, he released a Bandcamp-exclusive EP, Lion. This spring, he’s touring across the United States to promote his sophomore album Spider’s Town, which comes out everywhere on February 28th, 2025.
Hansen has been interested in music since he was a kid, first trying the guitar in his teenage years. His passion blossomed when his sister’s boyfriend-at-the-time burned a CD of songs by Elliott Smith and gave it to Hansen. He started learning Smith’s songs on the guitar, such as “Angeles” and “Coming Up Roses,” as well as he could.
During Hansen’s high school years, he started writing songs, but at the time, he felt too shy and uncomfortable to share them. Eventually, he spread his wings performing with his friends in bands, and over time, he’s gotten more comfortable on stage and sharing his songs with others.
Elliot Smith has been a lifelong influence on Hansen, but he has also been influenced by David Berman, Berman’s project Silver Jews, and Michael Hurley. Hansen admires them for their uncompromising artistic visions and for being what he calls “beautiful weirdos” in their exploration of both music and lyrics.
Hansen has brought many musicians into the project as collaborators over his time as Old Pup. Early in his performances, he would ask friends of his if they wanted to play in his shows. Over the last year or two, though, a more consistent lineup has cemented: Hansen, Drue DeVente on bass, Benjamin Boehm on cello, Nate Kinsman on drums, and Ellie Jackson on flute, Omnichord, and backing vocals.
Hansen will still perform solo shows for Old Pup to keep his momentum going, but he loves bringing the band to perform with him, and in general, he loves collaborating with other musicians. For Kinsman’s project Fellow Kinsman, he’s featured on the song “Trippin’” and is currently working with the group on their second record. He frequently performs with Johanna Rose in New Orleans, also featuring on Rose’s song “Carhartt Angel” and with Rose and Nick Gamer on their single “Royal St.”
Hansen finds performing in any capacity – solo, in a duo, or with a group – immensely satisfying in unique ways. He loves being able to perform on stage with current friends and making new friends along the way. Ultimately, he hopes that audience members will find something in his music that resonates with them and that they walk away from his shows feeling good, maybe even slightly better than they felt when they arrived.
Hansen is touring across the United States as Old Pup to promote the wide release of his sophomore album Spider’s Town. Based on a recommendation from Mike Clark of The River Arkansas and The Sugar Sounds, he’ll be performing at the Jamestown Mercantile, located at 108 Main Street in Jamestown, on Thursday, February 27th, 2025, starting at 7 p.m.
Spider’s Town will be released everywhere the next day, Friday, February 28th, wherever you get your music. Be sure to support his music, including his Bandcamp-exclusive release Lion, and learn more about Old Pup on Facebook and Instagram (@old.pup).
