Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I’m Will aka WCB I’m a singer, songwriter and producer based out of Sydney Australia, originally from Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland) Aotearoa (NZ) and I make kinda dark, alternative pop, with a sexy moody twist haha. I think my childhood impacted my music in a lot of ways, whether it be the whole process of coming out and the unfortunate reality of dealing with bullying or coming from a not so well off family and singing with my grandmother while doing the laundry or listening to my mum belt out UB40 and Ace of Base or my poppa making me listen to Nat King Cole with my ear to the speaker. I think a lot of vocal influences come from my family. Then the kind of darker edge of things comes from my own life experiences and the music is a way to express them.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “WCB”?
A: Oft I guess the social media route is the way forward, but I really enjoy performing live so I’m trying to find a balance between the two in the next year as a means of growing my audience, having an EP out next year will help too I think. I guess my message is to feel the rage haha at least with this song, but also I make music that you can escape into so …give in, feel all the feels.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: I’m really inspired by RAYE and Caroline Polachek, also always FKA Twigs, I tend to gravitate toward femme or female artists as inspiration. My inspiration for my own music is normally my own life experiences or the experiences of friends around me. When I produce it tends to be about the feeling I get while I’m playing with chords or a specific instrument which influences the way the song is gonna go.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “Skyscraper.”?
A: Skyscraper is a sort of “love letter” to men in power. I wrote it in response to how my friends and I were feeling about the state of the world, maybe a year or so ago but it continues to ring true. I am over the idea of wealthy people with no connection to regular people calling the shots on how we live our lives and what deserves our attention, it didn’t come to me as an inherently political idea but it wound up that way haha.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: visceral (but maybe just because I love that word)
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Skyscraper”?
A: As with any song, they end up in a love hate space just before they’re finished. I also make things notoriously hard to sing and with unusual chord structures to keep the listener on their toes. I guess the battle is always for me at least, is what I am making, continuously interesting enough (for me).
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: I think the overarching message is a kind of escapism, I like to live in a slightly delusional fantasy land that is a little dark in places, so escapism and to lean into feeling everything fully. My goals are to continue to make interesting music that I am proud of, to hopefully reach ears that love it, and to play some more festivals in the coming year.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Oft dream would be Portishead OR Sbtrkt oh or Sevdaliza … Can I have all three?
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: My advice would be practice your craft, and don’t beat yourself up over “mistakes” they often are what makes your music unique, oh and not to compare yourself to anyone else, it takes the fun out of everything. Also practicality wise, just do it, carve out time to write and to play and to create, procrastination is a punish (I’m guilty of it too).
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: You’re more than the labels people put on you, you can be anything you want to be and be disciplined.
