William Becket may be most famous for being the front-man for Chicago
William will be playing his first UK solo sets at Slam Dunk this weekend and took time out to talk to us about the release of his debut album, getting creative and who he's looking forward to seeing over the weekend...
Hi William. You’re in the UK
Honestly, I can't wait! Its been far too long and
I miss my UK
There’s such a varied line-up at Slam
Dunk, do you enjoy playing shows like this? And I guess catching up with a lot
of acts that you’re friends with?
I love festivals for that exact reason.
Diversity in music is essential and Slam Dunk really did a great job putting this
lineup together. I am definitely looking forward to catching up with
All Time Low and Andrew McMahon to name a couple.
Fans have been excitedly waiting for
your return; what can we expect from your Slam Dunk shows?
I'll be playing some of my favorite solo songs
and debuting a brand new song called "Benny & Joon" that is
on my forthcoming record coming out later this year. Not to mention I'm
bringing my "band in a box"… You'll see.
Your debut album is due out later this
Summer but you’ve had a really busy past year putting out 3 EPs and an acoustic
album; how long have these songs been in the pipeline? Have you always been
writing solo material on the side?
A couple of the songs from the EPs came from some
older writing sessions while I was working on the last TAI record but
most of the songs have been written in the past year.
Your solo music will attract The
Academy Is.. fans as well as picking up new fans. Is it nice having that
opportunity to have a different side to your music?
The best thing about being able to create music
as a solo artist is that I don't have to compromise my vision for the sound
or lyrics. I get to produce exactly what I want without others
weighing in and changing all my ideas. From a writing standpoint, I'm
accomplishing more than I ever have, both in quantity and quality. I'm in a
good place creatively.
So, as we said the album is due out
this Summer, what can we expect from it? Is there anything you can give away
and will you be playing any songs at Slam Dunk?
This album is my crowning achievement. With
my EPs I was exploring and trying different things from a sound
standpoint. With the album, I've pinpointed and honed my sound with the help of
my producer Marc McClusky to create something massive. The performances are
true and dynamic, with layers combining to make something unique and
important. I'll definitely be playing a new song!
And the title, can you reveal that yet
or any collaborations on there?
Unfortunately I can't say too much yet, but there
are a few really cool guests on the album. More information soon!
As well as lots of touring and
releasing the album you’re working on a book. You released the first 2 chapters
of “The Folding” via Buzznet. It’s definitely an intriguing opening. Can you
tell us any more about the story and if/when you are hoping to publish the
rest?
I'm working on the story as I go, so I don't
really know where it's going to end up yet. It's kind of exciting to be
writing as I go without a roadmap. I can say that things are about to get
crazy. When I finish, publishing is certainly a possibility.
To read our live review of Slam Dunk North 2013 [including William Beckett's set] CLICK HERE
