Al: Since it’s a new year, let’s change things up a bit – I’m opening with a tip as opposed to a question; IFC’s “Spectacle, Elvis Costello with…” is as good a show about music as I have seen. Using Costello as the interviewer was a stroke of genius as it allows his fellow musicians to relax and talk openly about their craft, using their own language instead of dumbing it down like they might for a segment on The Tonight Show. Guests have included Elton John, James Taylor, Tony Bennett, and The Police, and all have given incredible insight into how they created their many classic recordings. Also, the live performances aren’t too shabby, either. Upcoming episodes feature Rufus Wainwright, Herbie Hancock, Kris Kristofferson, and Smokey Robinson. Spectacle airs Tuesdays at 10 pm on IFC.

Ok, now on to the questions…2009 is upon us! Taking for granted that you are chomping at the bit for the upcoming premieres of Battlestar Galactica and Lost, what are the things you are most looking forward to in the new year, both personally and professionally?

WIll: It all comes down to The Torrents. That is the source of my excitement. Vol. 1, Fashion of Distraction, is now out and that is a cause for celebration. By The Blue Hills, Vol. 2, will be out in April. It has been a while since I released new music and this year will make up for all that time. It is going to be an exciting ride. We are slated to release an EP every 3-4 months. With all these releases will be many appearances and tours and adventure. It is fair to say I am looking forward to 2009.

Al: Your first concert of the year was January 17th at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA…Did those lucky enough to get tickets get to hear all the tracks from your upcoming release? Are there some new covers to look forward to? When will a full set of tour dates be announced?

Will: The Lizard show was unexpected. I did not think there would be a line out the door and all those people getting turned away. Thankfully we have another Boston area show for Feb 14th. TICKETS I know it is a good problem to have when people get turned away the door but I end up feeling bad. Funny. Those who did get in heard all of the tracks off of Fashion of Distraction and some of the tracks from Vol. 2: By The Blue Hills.
We are working on some new covers. A Dylan tune and a Joe Jackson tune. We’ll see when they show their face. Hopefully on the 14th. And other tour dates are coming in. Slower than I’d like but they are coming. So hang in there.

So now, in no particular order and, my list of things I liked in 2008. See you in 2009.
W
*small disclaimer: not all items where created or released in 2008 but that is when i took them in so don’t get mad at me.

ALBUMS:
David Byrne & Brian Eno- everything that happens will happen today
Dr. Dog- fate
Fleet Foxes- fleet foxes
Bon Iver- for emma, forever ago
Crazy Horse-Scratchy
Bob Dylan- live at gaslight 1962

SONGS:
King Khan and the shrines- welfare bread
The Avett brothers- Murder in the city
Spiritualized- soul on fire
Hayden- Where and When
Adele- Cold shoulder
Black Crowes- josephine
death cab for cutie- No Sunlight & Cath…
Elbow- weather to fly

BOOKS:
guided by voices: A brief history
the execution of willie francis
extremely loud and incredibly close
the mayor of casterbridge
watchmen
the book thief
middlesex
the road

MOVIES:
lars and the real girl
before the devil knows you’re dead
the dark knight
rocketscience
redbelt
son of rambow
eagle vs. shark

THINGS THAT HAPPENED THAT WERE GREAT:
Farm Aid 2009
Sundance Film Festival
Summer Tour
Planning, Writing, Recording Torrent Vol. 1 & 2
The Election happening and The Election being over

…and so I will continue as we all must; one foot in front of the other.

WILL DAILEY ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF TORRENT Music Series’ First EP Fashion of Distraction to be Digitally Released on January 20th with Second EP By the Blue Hills to Follow in March Physical Release of Torrent 1 & 2 on March 17th

Special Guest Appearances include Roger McGuinn of The Byrds & Many of Boston’s Top Musicians Including Elliot Easton of The Cars, Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo, Tim Brennan from the Dropkick Murphys and Tanya Donelly of Belly

BOSTON, MA- December 18, 2008- Acclaimed, emerging singer-songwriter Will Dailey is back with his soulful blend of emotional resonance and finely spun melodies via a series of releases-tdeja a Torrent – to commence on January 20th via CBS Records. The artist’s first EP, entitled Fashion of Distraction, will make its digital debut on that day and be followed by the release of a second EP, By The Blue Hills, in March. Both albums will be available together and released physically on March 17th with additional bonus tracks. Dailey plans to tour in support of the release with details to be announced in January.

Writing constantly over the past year, Dailey was struck with an uncomfortable sense of deja vu when faced with having to head down that well-worn path that most artists never deviate from: pick your 10 to 12 best songs and go make a record. Will’s current mode of songwriting, however, wasn’t suited to that creative constraint; he had no shortage of songs, but they were written in batches that each explored a common theme and didn’t necessarily all belong on the same disk. This became the concept behind Will’s adventurous project, Torrent, which he will release as multiple music volumes throughout 2009. Instead of waiting 2-3 years for a new album, he will be launching bursts of new music every 2-3 months.

The first volume of Will Dailey’s Torrent is the EP, Fashion of Distraction, which contains five songs thematically linked by Dailey’s source of inspiration while writing them. The tracks were written when Dailey was listening to a lot of Byrds’ albums that were coincidentally deeply rooted in his early decision to pursue music as his life’s work. The first track, “Peace of Mind,” opens with the immediately identifiable sound of an electric 12-string and explodes in the first chorus with five-part harmonies that would have been right at home on a classic Byrds record, courtesy of a guest appearance by the group’s lead singer and guitarist Roger McGuinn on Rickenbacker 12-string and backing vocals.

Other standouts on the EP are “Keep You a Mystery,” “Never Be Your Baby,” and “Allston,” a grand epic that ends the first part of this musical journey and further defines Dailey’s range as a musician and writer. The track foreshadows the next volume of Torrent, entitled By The Blue Hills, which will be released on March 17th. This time Dailey’s major influence is the landscape, and unique energy of his hometown of Boston. By the Blue Hills was recorded solely in the city and features fellow Boston musicians such as Elliot Easton (The Cars), Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo), Tim Brennan (Dropkick Murphys) and Tanya Donelly (Belly).

Starting his career at just 12 years old, Will Dailey used his own savings to buy a small guitar and amp. By age 16, he completed his first public performance on stage at a pub. Since then, he has graced the halls of theaters, clubs, and bars throughout the United States, which culminated in a 2006 Boston Music Award for Best Male Artist.

After a year in Los Angeles, the artist returned to Boston and recorded his 2007 album Back Flipping Forward (CBS Records) and embarked on a series of US tours, including a performance at Farm Aid 2008. His music was recently featured on the new CW hit, 90210, and Will appeared on camera, performing his song “Rise,” on a recent episode of CSI: NY.

The next chapter of Torrent will chronicle it all…

Release Schedule for the Four-Part Album, Torrent
January 20th Digital Release of EP, Fashion of Distraction
March 17th Digital Release of EP, By The Blue Hills
March 17th Physical Release of Torrent 1 & 2, combining the EP’s, Fashion of Distraction and By The Blue Hills, along with bonus tracks
For more information www.willdailey.com OR www.cbsrecords.com

Welcome to the latest installment of The Dailey Weekly, the new feature at www.willdailey.com. Each week Will talks with pop culture writer Al Norton about what ever crosses his mind. Ok, well maybe not each week but close enough. So please don’t get mad and send emails letting us know where late on a Dailey Weekly. We know. It’s just tough some times…

Al: Seeing as we are all inundated by holiday music these days – two radio stations in Boston went all-Holiday music the first week in November!!! – I thought it a good time to see what some of your favorite seasonal classic were, both the songs themselves as well as the versions you enjoy the most. If you had to pick one to record yourself, what would it be?

Will:
Two Albums:
1. A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector
2. Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Al: I am reaching into my “Obvious Questions” file for this one but hey, there is a reason they become cliches; if you weren’t making music for a living, what kind of career path do you think you’d be on?

Will:
I’d probably being doing something that involved breaking down sonic frequencies into a time table of sorts and then commingling them with other frequencies that have been broken up in slightly different time tables. I would vary further with different timbres so that they would each sound good independently but really make one whole that is very enticing.
If, on occasion, I was feeling adventurous I would take any one of the hundreds of human languages and assemble the words in to meaningful (at least meaningful to me) passages that I could delicately intersperse with the plethora of frequencies I have already combined together. I would, with my best efforts, aim to make sure these words too adhere to the pattern of sonic frequencies already established.
I would create these works multiple times just as a painter would work on many different canvases with varying results. I would try to sell them as best I could but understand that people mainly take copies of copies of stuff like this now and would instead focus my attention on bake sales for monetary income. (Mainly in the cookie department unless I take the time to learn how to make baklava. I really love baklava) Other than that there isn’t really anything else I could imagine myself doing for a living. Maybe work at a dog shelter with a good sound system.

You can read Al Norton’s Two Tivos To Paradise every Friday at 411mania.com

Will’s Link of the week: Weird Science.
Will’s Video of the week:Totally Undone

Welcome to the latest installment of The Dailey Weekly, the newest feature at www.willdailey.com. Each week Will talks with pop culture writer Al Norton about what ever crosses his mind, from radio to guitars to space to favorite movies to stories from the road to how he chooses with what song to close a show.

Al: If you can think all the way back to Goodbye Red Bullet and then compare it to your most recent time in the studio, how has your approach to recording changed, both in terms of performance and production?

Will: Well, with GoodbyeredbulletI recorded in the studio when I had money to record. So it took me over a year to get it done. It was also recorded with 16 track analogue tape and no automation in the mix. Hands on to say the least. With GBRB there were a lot of first takes. It was a cathartic and educational process. I haven’t really used tape since. It has been all Pro-tools/computers. I look forward to getting back to some tape soon. Now that I have some backing for recording and working with CBS records we have the ability to buy out a studio for a length of time. We usually get a song done a day. That is what we’ve been doing for the material coming out in 09.
I love to read biographies and whenever I am reading a bands bio there are all these stories about re-tracking tunes. Trying it different ways and spending a week or more on one song. That blows my mind. I have never had the opportunity to do that but I would be interested in seeing how that would come out.
But there is something to say about having a day to track one song and having to make definitive decisions. You make some of your best choices when time and money aren’t on your side. I think Axl Rose should record his next album that way.

Al: So it is time for Thanksgiving. What are 3 things you are thankful for this year?
Will:
1. Tina Fey
2. Neil Young Archives coming out
3. That we won’t have to hear about Chinese Democracy being released anymore. The album marks the death of decadence and gross overspending in album production (I am at least declaring that is does). This hopefully means more artist development and less dropping/ignoring new talented artists. (Ya, I’m talking about you GS)
*those are the simple things I am thankful for.

You can read Al Norton’s Two Tivos To Paradise every Friday at 411mania.com

Will’s Link of the week: Neil Young saves more than music.
Will’s Video of the week:The Chicken Police

But First!

Welcome to The Dailey Weekly, the newest feature at www.willdailey.com. Each week Will will talk with pop culture writer Al Norton about what ever crosses his mind, from television to the musician lifestyle to plants to favorite songs to stories from the stage to how he chooses what to obsess over.

Al: I know it’s got to be difficult to answer this in a few sentences, but can you give me a idea of what your typical day in the studio is? Do you spend more time recording or mixing? Do you do the vocal tracks with the band playing live or does everyone record separately?


Will: I would have to say all of the above. We have done songs live in the studio and we have done them by building up one track at a time. Usually starts by deciding which songs would be best to track live and which ones would benefit from the microscope. They first two days are dedicated to Dave Brophy (drums) and Joe McMahon (bass) and making sure the basic tracks are solid which is never a problem with those two. Though they might be done after those two days they usually stay in the studio the rest of the time and will put down some percussion (tambourine etc) at the end, along with some vocal harmonies. We’ve recorded every which way but the path is dictated by the song. On Back Flipping Forward, for example, the song Good To Me was tracked live while Hollywood Hills was tracked one instrument at a time. On Goodbyeredbullet I recorded the opening acoustic guitar to Casual Friday first by itself for the whole 7 minutes and then added one thing at a time.

Al: We talked a couple of weeks back about song writing but I am curious as to how the process continues once words and music are on the page; how much can a song change once you get in studio and hear it? Can you give an example of a song from Back Flipping Forward that came out of the studio much different than how it came in? Maybe some info about a new song?


Will: The most exciting part of the evolution is when a song, going in, isn’t the general focus of the session, people on the whole aren’t as excited about it and then by the end of the session it is a stand out track and everyone is flipping out. On Back Flipping Forward the song Eliza is a perfect example of that. It went in as a little folk song and by the last night in the studio we were all sitting around listening to it over and over. On this last session a song that went through a lot of transformation before we settled on how to do it is a track called “So Many Wrong Ways”. Once we found the right way to record it it was immediately apparent to everyone and it is a gorgeous song that I am very excited for everyone to hear.

You can read Al Norton’s Two Tivos To Paradise every Friday at 411mania.com

Will’s Link of the week: Actual food for thought.

Welcome to The Dailey Weekly, the newest feature at www.willdailey.com. Each week Will will talk with pop culture writer Al Norton about what ever crosses his mind, from the economy of the music industry to wild animals to favorite movies to stories from the studio to how he chooses what songs to record.

Al: Got your Halloween costume picked out? What are some of your favorite memories from Halloweens past?

Will: For this Halloween I will be dressed as a recording artist in a studio in Cambridge MA. I found the outfit in my closet. It is basically made up of jeans that I can wear for 14 hours straight and possibly sleep in. A couple layers of shirts: one short, one long and some sort of sweater with a hood. No make up and I do my hair in a bed-head style so it looks good when I am rocking out and also easy to pull when an amplifier craps out.
One of my best Halloweens was when I dress up as a nurse and we had to ride the T (Boston subway) to a party with my other friends dressed as nurses. There is a picture of us on the T somewhere in a shoebox. I was just glad there wasn’t a medical emergency that Halloween because I know CPR but I don’t think anybody would have let me perform it with the outfit I had on.

Al: The election is right around the corner and as has been the case in recent history many in the entertainment industry have used their celebrity to help push their candidate of choice. What’s your feeling on this – is it inappropriate to do so, a privilege that comes with success, or is it perhaps a right that more should take advantage of in order to push the country into thoughtful dialogue?

Will: Good question. Stumping for politicians it isn’t my style but I think it is great when people find something that they believe in strongly enough to throw all their effort behind. My personal belief is to advocate and support people and ideas. Being a part of Farm Aid is the perfect example. We are advocating for farmers, agriculture and quality food and the idea that if the family farm goes so goes our economy and health. I would stump for that cause any day because I can participate, see and celebrate the direct positive results. The results being the allocation of funds to farms that create jobs while at the same time distributing healthy food in an environmental sound way and raising the awareness for the importance of this particular issue.
On that same principal I appreciate musicians like Tom Morello and Serj Tankian who created www.axisofjustice.org to broadcast social and economic issues that they see as important. They are fighting for people and holding a lot of events that shine a light on issues often over looked by political leaders.
Now, it is well within everyone’s right to campaign for a candidate running for political office and I don’t have a huge problem with it. My opinion however is that the people we elect work for us. We fire and hire. The election process is out of control when we consider the time and money spent campaigning vs. actual governing. I have a hard time giving money or time to a candidate or party. I instead prefer to give my money and time to my neighbors, to ideas and to causes that result in policies and a culture that I believe in.
I take nothing away from people like Springsteen, a hero of mine, who is following his beliefs when he campaigns for Obama. He, throughout his career, has been a champion of the people in his songs and does a lot of philanthropic work beyond campaigning. And he believes that the election is paramount to endure those values. Most people, myself included, believe that we are in a dire state and will do what they believe will best elevate out of the situation. I believe the best way to do that is by investing in people not politicians. I endorse politicians with my vote and let them know how I feel about their job performance in calls, letters and mails.
That being said, I endorse Farm Aid, Habitat For Humanity and The Humane Society. Dailey & The Rivals 2009!

You can read Al Norton’s Two Tivos To Paradise every Friday at 411mania.com

Will’s Link of the week: Thoughs?

Welcome to The Dailey Weekly, the newest feature at www.willdailey.com. Each week Will will talk with pop culture writer Al Norton about what ever crosses his mind, from rock n roll to baseball to favorite books to stories from the road to how he chooses what song to close a show with.

Al: What’s a song of yours that ended up sounding much different that you originally expected?
Will: There are a bunch that surprise me. Hopefully they all surprise me a little from each recording to each performance. The one song that did a 180 on “Back Flipping Forward” and put a smile on my face was “Bi-Polar Baby”. It was originally a tiny little acoustic song and I loved the demo I made. Then we got in the studio and it turned into this glorious pop adventure. And live it has turned into quite a large song. We often open or close a set with it. I didn’t see that coming originally. It always a good lesson. You never know what a song will become before you toss it out to the world.
There is a new song that we are playing, recording and is going to reach ears soon that has gone through a bunch of adventures since called “So Many Wrong Ways”. Through the evolution it has become more and more specular and fantastical.

Al: Since we are on the subject of Will Dailey songs, when can we expect to hear some new music from you?
Will: Real soon. Working on that right now. Actually I am taking a break from it to type this. I should be able to answer in great detail in the next Dailey Weekly. Until then I am Will Dailey saying, “Stay classy San Diego.”

You can read Al Norton’s Two Tivos To Paradise every Friday at 411mania.com

Will’s Link of the week: Finally.

Welcome to The Dailey Weekly, the newest feature at www.willdailey.com. Each week Will will talk with pop culture writer Al Norton about what ever crosses his mind, from pigs wearing lipstick to Lost to favorite restaurants to eat at on the road to how he chooses what song to open a show with.

Al: Now that you’ve appeared on both nighttime (CSI: NY), daytime (last Friday’s episode of As The World Turns) and morning (The Early Show), what are the differences you noticed in the way the shows are put together? Do you think it’s easier to do a show you don’t personally watch, so you don’t feel totally overwhelmed? I mean, how could you possibly stay in character if you were playing “Piece of Mind” on the deck of the Galactica?
Will: Well, the morning show was intense because it was very early in the morning and singing at that time isn’t the most natural thing to do. And you’re live, to millions of people. It can either get in your head or just be another day at the “office”. The CSI gig was a little surreal because I hadn’t done anything like that and never aspired to play music on a crime drama. The experience was fascinating and a lot of fun. You do 30+ takes of your song blasting out of speakers and you can sing along if you want to because it is so loud. The whole experience was extremely foreign to me so I had no idea if was was doing anything wrong. Also Gary Sinise is right beside you and if you let him down then you’ll feel like a chump.
The ATWT gig was amazing. It is an pop institution that has been part of our culture for 50+ years. And it was too perfect getting asked to do a scene to save a farm while also getting asked to do Farm Aid. Having never really watched a soap, I was stunned by the level of work that goes into doing one show (and they do one show a day!). It was a unique experience. However, you only get one or two takes in daytime television which I found out after the first take. I am basically playing myself but I usually feel like I am on a high school field trip and checking out how “things work” in the world of television.

Al: Assuming that you weren’t playing live on at least one of the two shows, is lipsynching a skill? Growing up watching Puttin’ On The Hits I thought it was easy but something tells me it’s a lot harder than it looks.
Will: For Me lip synching is a lot harder than singing. It’s certainly a skill but I wouldn’t call it a musical skill.

You can read Al Norton’s Two Tivos To Paradise every Friday at 411mania.com

Will’s Link of the week: Election Shmershmection

Welcome to The Dailey Weekly, the newest feature at www.willdailey.com. Each week Will will talk with pop culture writer Al Norton about what ever crosses his mind, from pigs wearing lipstick to Lost to favorite restaurants to eat at on the road to how he chooses what song to open a show with.

Al: I am not sure if you know but Darius Rucker – AKA Hootie -released a country CD last week, with it’s first single (Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It) rising the charts. What struck me as I was listening to it is how much it sounded like a contemporary country album and not like a guy trying to sound country. When you write songs, do you have certain styles in your head or does the song steer itself? Do you have a set way the creative process works? Lyrics before music?
Will: I did not know that but, I’ve heard this question before. I know because while contemplating the answer I’ve ended up thinking to much and breaking a sweat. I worried about what was about to come out of my mouth because I really didn’t know the answer. But I’ve always known the question. I suppose it is the question that has kept me writing. I usually say something like, “all of the above”, when asked and the style or purpose of a song is provided in the end.
It makes me think of Eddie Vedder and Gertrude Stein. They both said something about questions vs. answers. Which then prompted me look up quotes (hours of fun) and I find these from Stein and she wraps it up nicely:
“One of the pleasant things those of us who write or paint do is to have the daily miracle. It does come.”-GS
But this is the best answer to this question I believe:
“I have always noticed that in portraits of really great writers the mouth is always firmly closed.”-GS
Enough said.;)

Al: Do you write on a schedule, with set time every day? I am assuming you don’t operate like Greg Brady, locking yourself in a room until you come up with “Time To Change”.
Will: No, but I heard that J.K. Rowling did that to get the first Harry Potter written. She would wake up every morning before her kids and write for and hour before she had to get them ready for school. That is the legend anyway. I suppose that would be a plan. But I am more scatter brained. I should try it though. I let you know. Maybe I work on one song every day at 7:35 for 20 minutes no matter what state I’m in. I’ll let you know if I do that. For now I will follow Ms. Stein’s advice…
“To write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write.”-GS

You can read Al Norton’s Two Tivos To Paradise every Friday at 411mania.com

Will’s Link of the week: “While eating a hamburger I found this and got really confused.”