Following on from his highly-praised EP 'Growing Pains' earlier this year, British singer-songwriter Will Knox is back on the grind once again to deliver his vibrant new single 'Pillow Scream'.
Lifted from his forthcoming new album 'English Silence', which is set to arrive on the 27th September, 'Pillow Scream' makes for a beautifully rich and endearing return from the frontman. Honing more of that sweet and immersive acoustic-led aesthetic he is known for, he is certainly looking to pull on our heartstrings with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Clarinet.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I didn’t love listening to music until I was 11 or 12. But then I got into a bit of everything. My friend got me into bands like Pantera, Def Leppard, Jimi Hendrix. I got into a lot of music that was popular in the UK during the 90s - Oasis, Blur, Ocean Colour Scene, The Verve, Radiohead and some 2-step garage like Todd Edwards. When I was 18 or so I got more into acoustic guitar based music like the Guitar Trio (Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin), and singer-songwriters like Ben Harper, Tracy Chapman, John Mayer.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I bought two at the same time… Fugees - The Score, and Spice Girls - Spice.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Yesterday.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I’m trying to take 15 minutes every day in the morning to come up with new ideas. It doesn’t matter how finished they are, I just want to pick my favourite ideas to work on later when I’ve got enough together.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Adrianne Lenker, John Martyn, Declan McKenna, Charlie Cunningham, Fink, Scott Matthews, Mitski, The Japanese House.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Last year I opened for one of my heroes, Scott Matthews, that was a wonderful experience. I really admire Fink, Adrianne Lenker, Charlie Cunningham as singer songwriters, it would be an honour to open for them.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Finishing songs and listening back to them. It’s like doing a magic trick without knowing how you did it, the process still amazes me.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Not finishing songs! Trying to figure out what’s missing in a song can be a little frustrating, especially when you spend a lot of time on something you don’t like in the end. I’ve come to peace with it over the years, you’ve got to go through a lot of things you don’t like to get to the good stuff, it’s all part of the process. Aside from creative frustrations, I think a lot of musicians/songwriters/artists are getting frustrated with the industry. The royalty system is unsustainable for most songwriters, and touring (especially for a band) tends to cost more money that it makes. There is also an incredible lack of diversity in terms of gender and ethnicity, which hasn’t shifted much in the last few years. So we have a lot of work to do.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
A publisher once told me when I was starting out, “cream rises”. I think he could see I was able to write but I had no songs that were generating income, so it was hard for a publisher to take a chance with offering advances etc. It took a few years from then to get my first publishing deal, but I held to that advice like a mantra.
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Will Knox's new single 'Pillow Scream' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.