A Real Sense of Joy: This Is Will Linley
Check out my first interview with Will here!
For Will Linley, it’s always been about one thing: authenticity.
Since sitting down with Will in October of last year before his show in New York, so many things have changed. After releasing his sophomore EP, featuring the perfect mixture of nostalgic, feel-good pop music, Will set out to bring that exact energy to his audience and beyond. He took on festivals, headlining shows, and opener slots all around the world - from South Africa, to the UK and Europe, and then stateside. Now, he’s making waves on a US headlining tour and gearing up to play at Lollapalooza in Chicago as he continues to grow the family of listeners he has amassed thus far, all while working on creating the Will Linley brand.
So much has changed since October, but Will’s authenticity sure hasn’t.
The balance of authenticity and growth is one which with Will has become increasingly familiar. His development as an artist has been crystal clear over the better part of the last year, with a focus on reaching new audiences at the forefront. Will opened for Em Beihold’s “Maybe Life is Good Tour”, traveling to new areas around the US and seeing new (and familiar) faces in the process. His first ever US headline tour that he finds himself on currently is all leading up to two sets at Lollapalooza, arguably one of the biggest names in festivals. Will’s desire to push the needle and continue making a name for himself is so evident, and he knows sets like these will do just that.
“The Nashville show was the wildest thing. I asked whose first Will Linley show it was and who saw me open for Em, and it was basically the whole room. [That turnout] is such a testament to the beauty and joy of being able to open for someone [and] how lucky we were to have that opportunity.”
With new shows comes new music, and Will’s got just that on the docket. His next single “Just Because I Called You” will grace our ears on August 16th, once again showcasing that feel-good pop music that we know and love from Will. Only this time, it’s that much more elevated. “JBICY” has been an idea for years and a song Will holds very dearly. After countless versions of just-not-quite-right demos, he landed on this final version that is everything and more his audience would want. Between “JBICY”, his last release “Blame”, and one more single to come, Will plans on wrapping the “Magic” + Co. space in a beautiful little bow just in time to keep building towards what’s next.
“Right now, we’re capping off the “Magic” space with “Blame”, “Just Because I Called You”, and one other that will kind of round out [this chapter], and then we’ll move into the new world. I’m always writing for a bigger project [and] right now, it’s a matter of trying to find the right time within that. We’ll slowly build towards hopefully [having] a project out at the end of next year. I think it’s important to do that right and I want to create a good moment for that. I want to make a statement as an artist. I feel like you never really put your flag in the ground until you put out your first album. Whether or not it goes buck wild viral is not the point. I want to be able to put out music that is real and honest, an album that is a statement. Like ‘here we go: this is Will Linley’.”
It’s a beautiful balance of living in the moment and working towards what’s to come with Will. He’s writing songs all over the world, from Europe to Los Angeles and back home in Cape Town. He’s back in South Africa, developing his merch and creating the company behind it. He’s looking to make his live shows bigger and better with each passing day. An already impressively cohesive discography is just waiting to be expanded and explored as Will grows more and more into himself in all of these ways. And yet, at the forefront once again, is that authenticity.
“How do we take this into a new world but keep it in the world of Will Linley? I’m asking myself that. I think part of testing that was releasing “Blame” [because] it’s a little bit different, but it’s still me. I think it’s just figuring out my sound. With folk being the thing right now…I’m not a folk artist and I’m not wanting to just do a whole bunch of folk and wear a flannel shirt. It would feel forced if I did that. For me, what I realized is that the word I want to describe me is “nostalgic”. [My music is] euphoric, it’s joyous and honest, and I think as soon as it’s real to [me], that’s when it will translate to everyone and [allow] people to connect.”
And those themes go beyond the music, translating past the studio and into real life moments that Will makes for his fans. From creating touch points and handing out newspapers bright and early in the morning to promote “Just Because I Called You” to really honing in on the energy surrounding his live shows, Will is constantly thinking about the fan experience of his brand and music.
“When you play your own shows [rather than opening slots], there’s a little bit of pressure on wanting to create the space that you want at your shows. That’s such a real thing for me, making sure that when people come into my shows, there’s a real sense of joy and love in that room. And it’s so much fun but there’s pressure in that.”
But what Will hopefully does realize now is that he is so successful in doing that. His shows feel like home, a place where people can go to make memories with old friends and make new ones. They’re electric, feel-good, and euphoric, just like he wants his music to be. The atmosphere Will, his band, and the crew create is nothing sort of, you guessed it, magic.
So, when reminiscing on the show in DC, I can’t help but think of the words of fans around me in that crowd as we danced and sang our hearts out with the future of pop music. “Elation, euphoria, buzzing, like positivity and happiness are the only two feelings in the world”. It’s indescribable, and it’s a disservice to give you any take away other than that you have to experience it for yourself.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. And again. And again. Until the world listens, I’ll be metaphorically (and maybe actually) screaming from every rooftop. Will Linley is the future of pop music, and boy, is pop music in good hands.
Presave "Just Because I Called You", Out August 16th
By Amanda Kolar
@amanda_kolar
