From pop-up gigs to European tours: Will Linley’s inspiring rise as a musician

GROWING up, there was always that one annoying question adults loved to throw around: “What do you want to be when you're big?” And let’s be honest, they weren't really asking.

- BERNELEE VOLLMER

CAPE Town musician Will Linley turned uncertainty and small gigs into sold-out shows and European headline tours.

(Instagram)

They were fishing for the “respectable” answers: nurse, doctor, teacher, firefighter. Something with a pension fund and a name badge.

The minute you even hinted at music, acting or one of the “creative” careers, the eyebrows went up.

Suddenly, everyone's an economist telling you there's “no money in that”. As if passion pays in exposure and heartbreak only.

But dreams don't die just because they don't come with a medical aid plan. Talent doesn’t disappear because your aunt thinks drama is a hobby. And sometimes, all you need is one person who believes in the vision before the world catches on.

Cape Town artist Will Linley is living proof.