Hello and welcome to episode 173 of the ACPG Podcast.
This week Ben is zooming with the delightful Willie J Healey. They talk about his new album Bunny, touring with the Arctic Monkeys and Jamie T, working with Yala records and more.
Thank you to Jay for setting up the interview. And thank you to Willie for his time and rearranging time for a clash in Ben's diary.
We have a special artist in Willie and, as I mention, new album ‘Bunny’ is something of a new dawn for him. Recorded in NYC with producer Loren Humphrey (Florence + The Machine, Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey) he stepped out of his comfort zone, pushed himself to be more honest with what he wanted to do, and ultimately discovered that there was a freedom to be found in embracing that honesty. There is a maturity and warmth to the songs here, whether he’s pondering the cost of ambition (‘Dreams’) or revisiting themes of love (‘Sure Feels Good’), contentment (‘Woke Up Smiling’) and appreciation (‘Thank You’). It’s the sound of Willie at the happiest he’s been in a while, and I think this comes from being able to strike a perfect balance between determination to create what he wants, and knowing when to accept that – whatever style of album he makes – it will always have signposts to the parts of himself that he can’t change.
Sliding into new musical territory, he welcomes hypnotic grooves, gospel harmonies and brass flourishes to support his own organic, understated falsetto. Fusing soul, rock and R&B, ‘Bunny’ is Willie J Healey waking up a dormant side of his musical world and rolling with it.
ACPG 157: Matt Corby
ACPG 156: DMA'S Interview (and Season Five Intro)
ACPG 155: Season Four outro with Ben and James
ACPG 154: Jackson Mico Milas
ACPG 153: Tara Divina Interview
ACPG 152: TV Priest
ACPG 151: The Luka State
ACPG 150: DC Gore
ACPG 149: Flasher
ACPG 148: Rory (Roxanne Emery)
ACPG 147: Phil Thornalley
ACPG 146: GUN & Ewan Macfarlane
ACPG 145: Crows
ACPG 144: Keith Duffy (Boyzlife/ Boyzone)
ACPG 143: Tony Briggs
ACPG 142: Jesse Wood (Reef) Interview
ACPG 141: Less Than Jake (Buddy Schaub)
ACPG 140: Russell Lissack (Bloc Party)
ACPG 139: Rews
ACPG 138: The Amazons
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Superfancast
Derringer Discoveries - A Music Adventure Podcast
One Song
Bandsplain
Every Single Album