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 137: Zuzu Interview
ACPG 136: Robocobra Quartet Interview
ACPG 135: The Subways (Billy Lunn) - Part Two
ACPG 134: The Subways (Billy Lunn)
ACPG 133: Lanterns on the Lake (Hazel Wilde)
ACPG 132: The Lighthouse Family
ACPG 131: Ash
ACPG 130: Rodrigo y Gabriela
ACPG 129: Feeder (Grant Nicholas)
ACPG 128: The Mysterines
ACPG 127: Jake Bugg
ACPG 126: Miles Kane
ACPG 125: Season Four Intro
ACPG 124: Season Outro
ACPG 123: The Zombies (Colin Blunstone) Interview
ACPG 122: The Rigg (Part Two) Interview
ACPG 121: The Rigg (Part One) - Interview
ACPG 120: They Might Be Giants (John Flansburgh) Interview
ACPG 119: Ewan MacFarlane (Apollo 440, The Grim Northern Social)
ACPG 118: Jonas Bjerre (MEW/Tachys) Interview
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