Winyah

Winyah, based out of South Carolina, made their California debut at The Observatory in Santa Ana on November 5th. Their sound effortlessly fit in with SoCal’s laid-back energy, a mix of southern indie-rock and west coast tunes that immediately resonated with the audience. They set the stage for headliner WILLIS, a match made in music heaven. 

Frontman Thomas Rowland wasn't afraid to get up close and personal with the crowd, jumping up onto the lip of the stage multiple times to connect with his audience. Behind him, drummer Jacob Riley was sharp, powerful, and completely dialed in. The rest of the band, Luke Gordon (lead guitar), Stephen Russel (bass), and Robert Buffington Jr. (keyboard), delivered the remaining puzzle pieces to build a sound that was far beyond what you’d expect from an opener.

Winyah’s set featured many songs from their debut album Lot to Learn, while also giving the crowd a sneak peek of what’s to come. Songs like “Thread” and “Lot to Learn”, released earlier this year, were incredibly well received by the audience, the latter turning into a full sing-along by the final notes. They even slipped in a cover of Tame Impala’s “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” reworking it in a way that was undeniably unique. 

The currently unreleased material they performed included “Rat Race”, which began with a heavy intro that transitioned beautifully into a softer emotional tone, and “Lust”, which gave a spotlight moment to drummer Jacob Riley. Each transition from track to track felt intentional, the energy of the set climbing until the explosive finale. 

When Winyah asked if anyone had heard of them before, the crowd erupted with cheers and shouts, making it obvious this wasn’t a room of first-time listeners. The band engaged with the crowd in a personal way between songs, wishing a member of the audience a happy birthday and joking with Luke to take his shirt off for the crowd. Their banter added to that genuine chemistry that made it feel like an intimate experience despite the thousands of fans in attendance.

Winyah released their first full album Lot to Learn back in February of this year, and are already close to the release of their second. They’re in a pivotal moment as a band, standing in the doorway of their next era. They also just announced their own headlining tour, titled There’s No Place Winyah Would Rather Be. They will be traveling all across the US, joined by band Edgehill through the rest of 2025. 

The night closed with a guitar solo that had the whole room in disbelief. It felt like the perfect ending, a release of the energy they’d built throughout their set, surely leaving the crowd wishing they had one more song left. For their first California show, Winyah couldn’t have made a stronger impression. They left The Observatory with an entire room of new fans, and when they return to California in the spring, there’s no doubt the crowd will be even louder