Billy Raffoul

Born in Leamington, Ontario, Billy Raffoul grew up in a family of musicians alongside his father, rock singer Jody Raffoul, and developed songwriting focused on voice and guitar. Straddling rock, folk and singer-songwriter pop, he came to attention in the mid-2010s with a series of intimate tracks defined by a raspy timbre and introspective lyrics. Signed to Interscope, he released the single “Driver” in 2017, the EP “1975” in 2018 and “Running Wild” in 2019, during which his writing sharpened around slow ballads and more pop-oriented formats. His appearance as vocalist on Avicii’s “You Be Love” (2017) broadened his audience beyond rock and folk circles. The 2020 album “International Hotel” extended this blend of stripped-back songs and more expansive choruses, and “For All These Years” (2023) confirmed an approach rooted in the North American songwriter tradition—personal narratives, melancholic melodies and spare arrangements built for the stage.