What the press is saying about Will Dailey…
““I’m gonna win your heart, one attack at a time,” promises this soulful singer-songwriter. And he does just that on this album.”
PEOPLE MAGAZINE
“Sometimes you don’t even have to turn on a TV to discover the next American Idol…Forget the last five months of force-fed artificial pop music on TV…Will Dailey is the real deal.”
NEW YORK POST
“Dailey’s sumptuously clever lyrics take the spotlight…Dailey’s troubadour persona proves effective.”
MUSIC CONNECTION
“Dailey’s melodious, Petty-like approach combines riffs and roots-pop flair, with a touch more crooner soul.”
BOSTON METRO
“Now more than ever, his productivity is a step above the rest…With his vocals reminiscent of Jason Mraz and John Mayer, Dailey is popular because of his acoustic guitar and piano concoctions…and the popularity is steadily on the rise.”
THE AQUARIAN WEEKLY
“Opener “Peace of Mind” not only swings and sways like a sapling in the cool breeze, but it includes Roger McGuinn…This album is really two separate EPs, and perhaps its defining trait is that both releases are strong enough to stand on their own…a tremendous talent has arrived.”
BOSTON’S WEEKLY DIG
“Dailey’s the kind of singer/songwriter who grows on you, the kind of singer/songwriter who will go far.”
AMERICANSONGWRITER.COM
“Dailey gives classic rock a contemporary feel, making his music not only compelling but also extremely relevant…while redefining and reconfiguring the fundamentals of what it takes to make a great album.”
ELMOREMAGAZINE.COM
“This Boston-based singer-songwriter has been racking up fans the old-fashioned way: strong tunes and crowd-pleasing shows…say you were there when he’s the next big thing that your friends won’t shut up about.”
METROMIX
Al-The first time I interviewed you was a few days before Back Flipping Forward was re-released by CBS and we talked about what it’s like to know that your music is available in stores (and on the web) all over the country. Is it different this time around? Are there still some sort of butterflies? What do you have planned for the day’s activities?
Will- I don’t even know what day it is today to tell you the truth. I have flight schedules and interviews. I don’t do much of anything special. I celebrate it at the shows and when I pen something new. There is a lot of hard work building up to a release and just as much following it that it all blurs into one large experience. Back Flipping Forward was a long drawn out experience because it was released independently and then again through CBS. I designed TORRENT so that it would be more conducive to the creative process and a true window into my pace and how I do thinks. People can really come along for the ride with Torrent. I am currently working out the songs for Vol. 3 and looking at getting that out online in the fall.
Al- Sometimes you hear performers talk about how their new album is intensely personal, about a break up or maybe about a new love? Others say, “this is my socially conscious album – I couldn’t ignore what was going on in the world around me.” You even hear a few, “I went back to my roots for this batch of songs.” How would you describe “Torrent, Volume 1 + 2″?
Will- Aren’t all song personal, conscious, a result of positive and negative influences? That always bugs me when people say that. That is the machine behind it all trying to find a “hook”. Torrent, for me, starts with a rule: I’m doing it my way. What makes me happiest in life is writing songs and playing them for people. I didn’t want to end up working one album for 2 years. That doesn’t always make sense with the speed the world currently operates. TORRENT allows me to keep it flowing, which ended up sharpening creative direction. With Vol. 1 (Fashion of Distraction) I took a group of songs that I believed were the result of my Byrd’s influence. In Vol. 2 (By The Blue Hills) I took some songs influenced by experiences in Boston and we (my band, myself and my producer) focused on dialing in the “Boston Sounds” especially on songs like “The Right One” and “Tomorrow Still Comes”.
Al- Assuming your broke the two batch of songs up into their EP’s for specific reasons, was there more thought than usual to selecting track order when they came together to form “Torrent”?, making sure they flowed?
Will- Not really but I love listening to the end of “Allston”, hearing the record player flip over and then the piano intro for “Down The Drain”. I do think they flow nicely but we didn’t lose sleep on a master plan. There is an organic flow to the whole project so far. I also hold tightly to the fact that if you are being true to yourself it should flow on its own. The whole concept of Torrent was created so that I could to be true to myself first.
Al- I know asking a songwriter about their favorite songs on a CD is like asking a parent about their favorite kids (since it’s not my CD, allow me to weigh in and say Peace of Mind, Never Be Your Baby, Down the Drain, and Love is on the Way) but there must be a couple you are especially proud of, right? Did you listen to any of the finished products and think (in a good way, of course), “wow, I wrote that?”
Will- I definitely listened to “Love is on the way” and was pretty surprised. I knew the song was supposed to be fun but I was worried about getting across the story of an a washed up middle aged man being happy for the first time in his life because he just ordered a bride. The twisted fun in the song adds an unnerving quality to the story for me. And lately I have loved playing “Keep You A Mystery” live. That surprised me. I was in love with the recording but worried that I wouldn’t translate live but the Rivals have been killing it.
Al- In 100 words or less (actually, take more if you need it), tell fans who bought the two EP’s on their own why they’d want to own Torrent, too (Editor’s note- because the sound is AMAZING!!!!)
Will- One: because you get to actually hold what you own. But the MAIN REASON is the sound. T Bone Burnett designed CODE so that people who care about the quality of the sound get the best sound yet to be delivered to the consumer. I am honored and proud that T Bone selected Torrent 1 & 2 for CODE and that fans get that choice.