Will Fry is a multi percussionist and session musician based in Peckham, London.
With British and Indian heritage, Will grew up in Brighton studying violin, piano, drum kit, orchestral percussion and tabla. Discovering a love for Latin American percussion as a teenager, Will immersed himself in his local music scene, taking lessons from visiting artists and playing regularly in a wide variety of groups.
Will relocated to London at twenty years old with Son Veneno, a ten-piece band from Australia who had based themselves in Europe. He lived, rehearsed and toured with the group intensively for over a year whilst working with other international artists including Roy Ayers, Nathan Haines, Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers and Jamiroquai.
Will went on to perform in over fifty countries as a freelance musician and take lessons in Cuba, Brazil, Senegal and America.
On the London, Latin-American music scene, Will has worked over many years with Eliane Correa, Alex Wilson and Snowboy and the Latin Section. He has recorded albums with Eliane, The New Regency Orchestra, The Mantecas, Aleph Aguiar and performed with CubAfrobeat, Roberto Pla, René Alveras, Osvaldo Chacon and international artists Giovanni Hidalgo, Edwin Sanz, Eliel Lazo, Maite Hontele, Joe Bataan and more.
In the West African music scene, artists include Dele Sosimi (Fela Kuti), Madé Kuti, Tony Allen, The Very Best and Baaba Maal, with whom he recorded and performed at Maal’s own festival in Podor, Senegal. Will has also performed with Asake and The Compozers at a sold out O2 arena in London and in Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria.
Will has recorded and toured extensively with the British, electronic band Jungle and worked with the Japanese/American artist Hikaru Utada on two of their albums and a live stream from Air Studios in 2022.
Other notable artists Will has worked with include Sola Akingbola, Incognito, Kwame Yeboah, Frank McComb, Duffy, Celeste, Ravichandra Kulur (Ravi Shankar), Georgia Cecile, Lucy Rose, Ife Ogunjobi, Robin Mullarkey (Jacob Collier), Floating Points, Skinshape, Anaiis, Chiminyo, Mr Children (Jpn), Native Dancer, Ola Onabule, Jules Buckley, Fabio and Grooverider and The Outlook Orchestra, Oscar Jerome, The Wombats, Anthony Joseph with Archie Shepp, ZFEX and Waaju with whom he recorded with Moroccan multi-instrumentalist Majid Bekkas.
He has been a band member on a number of West End Shows and tours including Motown The Musical, Burn The Floor and The Lion King and played on several film sessions including Black Panther - Wakanda Forever, Mission Impossible - Dead Reconning, The Bad Guys, and Mufasa - The Lion King, where he was a featured musician.
Will is an endorser of Latin Percussuon instruments, Protection Racket cases, Cosmic Ears and has his own Kontakt instrument with Rattly and Raw.
"One of the UK's most outstanding and knowledgable percussionists, with technique and feel to die for" - Snowboy
Studio
When the studios closed in the March 2020 lockdown, Will began recording from home.
He has now worked remotely for a number of artists, including Sam Smith, Jungle, Skinshape, Robin Mullarkey, Lucy Rose, Maisha, Nicky Brown, Bryony Jarman Pinto, Juanita Euka, Eliane Correa, Kwame Yeboah, Ben Lamdin (Nostalgia 77), Matt Johnson (Jamiroquai), Marla Kether, Holly Holden, Alley Lloyd, MckNasty, Metro 13 music, A&G Sync... Through Instagram, Will often records for the personal projects of musicians from across the globe.
Known for his musicality, unique sounds and fluid groove, Will’s small flat in Peckham is home to his carefully curated collection of percussion instruments, sourced from travels and tours over the last fifteen years.
The photos below show just some of the many sounds Will has available at every home session.
Contact Will below for more info regarding remote sessions.
Teaching
Will is a professor at The Royal College of Music and teaches regularly from home or on Zoom to students from around the world.
He has taken lessons with many of the great percussionists of our time, including Changuito, Roberto Quintero, George Delgado, Adonis Panter Calderón, Sidiki Dembele, Marcos Suzano and many more...
Will has been invited to play in groups and for sessions led by some of his favourite UK and European based percussionists, including David Pattman, Ernesto Simpson, Mohammed Guaye, Edwin Sanz, Eliel Lazo, Paul Clarvis and Sola Akingbola, with whom he had the privilege of rehearsing and performing with Giovanni Hidalgo in 2019. All of these musicians have had a big impact on both his playing and teaching style.
Will is a passionate teacher and eager to share anything he knows.