Grace Farmer
Advertising & Social Media Manager | Music Enthusiast
Emerging artist Wim Tapley strives to revitalize the music scene in Athens
By Grace Farmer
Hidden in the backyard of an Athens home, sits a yellow shed with a red door. Behind the door, visitors are welcomed to a recording studio furnished with musical instruments, a mixing board with thousands of buttons and a grey suede couch.
Like a kid in a candy store, Athens musician Wim Tapley bounces back and forth from the couch and an ornate stool, eager to play every instrument in sight.
Wim Tapley, born William Cannon Tapley, is a 20-year-old, emerging songwriter and musician from South Riding, Virginia.
Tapley made his way to the Classic City in 2021 after deciding to try college for a year. For him, it was either a school like the University of Georgia with an established music scene or a traditional music school.
In a city of approximately 123,000 residents that houses students of the University of Georgia, it is local artists such as R.E.M., Widespread Panic, and The B–52's who have kept Athens on the music map for decades.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) published a Music Tourism Report in 2018 for Athens-Clarke County. In the report, the department lists a few of its initiatives including shaping the future of the city by growing business, incubating talent and embracing diversity.
The city honors its musical heritage and local artists by hosting festivals such as Athfest and installing landmarks such as the Athens Hall of Fame.
As much as he loved college, it wasn’t long before Tapley gravitated towards being a full-time musician and playing a part in revitalizing the music scene.
“My big dream is just to see this city get its flowers again for something other than football,” said Tapley, “I love the Dawgs, but there’s so much more to Athens than that and I feel like we could be one of the bands to kind of usher in that new golden age.”
On his last album, “The Woodlands”, Tapley played every instrument, sang vocals and co-produced the record. Tapley enjoyed the craft so much, he migrated from recording in his bedroom to starting his own record label called Cannon Records.
Pictured is William Cannon Tapley, an emerging artist from Virginia who is paving the way for other artists in Athens. This photo captures him backstage before a show while his band sets up on stage. (Photo/ Grace Farmer)
Pictured is William Cannon Tapley, an emerging artist from Virginia who is paving the way for other artists in Athens. This photo captures him backstage before a show while his band sets up on stage. (Photo/ Grace Farmer)
While his Spotify and website remain under his solo artist nickname, Wim Tapley plays with a backing band known as the Cannons.
As part of his growth, Tapley decided to share the spotlight by performing as Wim Tapley & the Cannons.
Unlike many young college bands, they perform original songs influenced by Motown classics, as well as, more modern artists such as Amy Winehouse.
Wim Tapley & the Cannons also separate themselves from typical college bands by adding saxophone and trumpet to the standard guitar, bass and drums format.
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Recently, Tapley and the band have been playing shows in college towns outside of Athens such as Clemson, SC and Tallahassee, FL.
According to Tapley’s bassist Garrett Gray, “It’s beautiful getting to bring Wim’s original music to a new crowd and see people’s eyes light up like, "Wow, this is somebody who’s got it.”
The more Tapley gets his name out, the more he captivates the attention of fans beyond Athens. He recently expanded his audience to Tik Tok where he began posting videos every day of him, an acoustic guitar and a few lines from his original songs.
What started as experimental, has turned into a viral moment for the artist. On Nov. 11, Tapley posted a video captioned “Writing on a rainy day.”
The video has received over 100,000 likes and over a thousand comments; many of which are from other musicians and writers interested in working with Tapley.
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Why I Wrote the Story
I chose to write a profile on Wim Tapley because he has become a well-known artist in Athens who in the past year has rapidly expanded his career beyond playing small gigs at bars and restaurants. This was the first profile story I've written. I learned that research before interviewing a profile subject is important for shaping a story angle. Research helps form meaningful questions and shows engagement with the profile subject. This often makes the interview more personable and yields responses that show more than what people can observe from the outside.
The year 2023 is expected to be busy as Wim Tapley & the Cannons are on an “upward trajectory” that “doesn't seem to have a ceiling,” according to Gray.
It’s in moments like this where the 20-year-old finds himself “more humbled than anything” and unable to show “anything but gratitude” for his bandmates, fans, and management team.
Whether he’s recording in a backyard shed or performing under the bright lights, Tapley is at home playing and singing with his band. No matter where they land their next gig, Wim Tapley & the Canons is a band ready to pick up the torch and carry it forward.