Louder Than The Music caught up with Willie Weeks to chat about his latest EP Let's Pretend.
Tell us a little bit about this new EP of yours?
Well it has been a long time coming, and I've been sitting on a few of the song ideas for years, but have always been writing/producing for other people! So when finally a few of the songs seemed to line up conceptually and also stylistically then it seemed like the timing was right to put something out. I've also had friends/family asking for music of my own for a long time so now finally... Read MoreLouder Than The Music caught up with Willie Weeks to chat about his latest EP Let's Pretend.
Tell us a little bit about this new EP of yours?
Well it has been a long time coming, and I've been sitting on a few of the song ideas for years, but have always been writing/producing for other people! So when finally a few of the songs seemed to line up conceptually and also stylistically then it seemed like the timing was right to put something out. I've also had friends/family asking for music of my own for a long time so now finally they do!
Which is your favourite track on the album and why?
I think The Outsider...although Let's Pretend is perhaps the more obvious single track, I really like the story and angle of the lyrics which (I think!) carry a bit more depth than the others. It also sums up the main themes the best.
The themes of the EP are big themes. Did this make the song hard to write?
Surprisingly not, after travelling a fair bit with LZ7 and playing in schools and festivals for kids around the world it became so obvious how common and rife depression, lack of self-confidence and fear is amongst many of them, so it was a strong inspiration and I knew what I wanted to say after thinking on it a few months.
If you could work with any songwriter, who would it be and why?
Any songwriter....the mood I'm in now, I've always admired the way James Taylor writes and would love to share a writing room with him, his chord progressions are classy and his melodies are timeless!...but I love so many styles of music and artists it's impossible to choose!
Do you prefer playing live or working in the studio?
Probably studio...for the freedom and endless creative possibilities that usually shape the live moments...but live is great for so many different reasons...
How would you describe your style of music and what are your influences?
Indie pop? Only because of the heavy guitar/bass element used in a bandy way, big influences on this EP were N*E*R*D and FUN (all the capital letter bands), I love the way they mash the two worlds together.
What is your favorite album of all time?
Impossible....I've tried before. I usually end up fighting between a Stevie Wonder, Sting or a Steely Dan album, but even then I can't choose which one of their own I'd pick!
You're stuck on an island, it's hot, you only have enough battery life left to listen to one song on your mp3 player. What track is it?
Nocturnal (feat. The Wknd) by Disclosure - get the island party started!
What does the next year hold for Willie Weeks.
Well, a few releases to get underway first, albums I've produced for Bailey (Sam Bailey) and ZANNA (Susie Woodbridge) that I'm proper excited about...some fresh angles from them both. Then the writing starts again with a few UK pop artists and then Germany for a week to get Good Weather Forecast's next album started. That's January anyway...I haven't gotten my head further than that yet!
