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.

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.

“Three years ago, I was trying my best to convince my parents to let me drop out of university,” he says. Now? He’s about to leave for his second headline tour in Europe. Tell me that isn’t wild.

He was just a 21-year-old oke playing guitar and hoping someone in the back row was listening. And look now, stadiums, streams and stamps in his passport.

“Truthfully, it's kind of crazy looking back on things. I was just this 21-year-old kid who loved playing my music for people.”

He still remembers the tiny beginnings, too.

“I remember the first pop I ever played at Stellenbosch University, or my first headline show that I played with my brother.”

Those moments were the seeds. His love for music and the people who showed up to listen built the rest.

He’s also been open about how surreal some dream-come-true moments have been. Performing at Calabash in front of 40 000 people? Massive. And I was there, it was lit, inspiring, and a reminder that dreams aren’t silly, they’re seeds.

As someone who sometimes wonders what life would've looked like if I’d chased my creativity harder, seeing stories like his hits different. It’s not just about the big moment; it’s the grind with heart. And like he says, “I've fallen in love with every single aspect of what I do.”

Being a musician rarely starts with fireworks (unless you sell your soul, shame). It starts with singing at a cousin’s birthday, doing gigs that pay you in compliments, and performing for three people like it’s three thousand.

The emotional toll can be heavy too, doubt, rejection, and wondering if your passion is worth the sacrifice. But it’s exactly in those messy, uncertain moments that the fire for your craft either dies out or grows stronger.

That’s passion. That’s art. And that’s exactly why parents’ support can be the difference between “I wish I tried” and “look how far I’ve come.”

Dreaming big doesn’t require permission, just a little faith and someone cheering you on, and Will is proof of that.