He is known for his spontaneity, energy and antics during live performances and is the younger brother of Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler.

Born in Truckee, California, United States,[3] and raised in The Woodlands, Texas, Will is the son of Liza Rey, a classical musician, and Edwin Farnham Butler II, a geologist.

He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 2001, where he lived in Abbot Hall, and subsequently attended Northwestern University, majoring in Poetry and Slavic studies.

An excerpt of a poem from his senior thesis is quoted in Brian Bouldrey's book, Honorable Bandit: A Walk Across Corsica.

[11] On March 3, 2015, Butler's debut solo album Policy was released under Merge Records, accompanied by an international tour alongside Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara.

Butler's song "Sun Comes Up" from the 2016 solo album Friday Night caught the ear of DJ B-Roc of The Knocks, and subsequently the Knocks-produced remix of the song was released alongside a video directed by Butler, filmed in part on the New York City subway system.