The Sit Down with William Prince
Juno Award winning artist William Prince has been a regular visitor to the British Isles having performed at UK Americana Music Week, Black Deer Festival and at The Royal Albert Hall during Highways Festival. Just before recently joining Midland for dates on this side of the pond he announced his fifth studio album “Further From the Country” will be released via Six Shooter Records this Friday on October 17 (pre-save/pre-add HERE) which we got all the details about when we caught up with William when he was in the UK last month.
It’s great to see you and really nice to hang out in person because we’ve been Zoom friends for some time now. I think we last spoke around “Stand In The Joy” coming out so it's been two and a bit years since you've put a body of work out but it’s finally coming, have you been working solidly towards that since the last record?
“Yeah, you know, I'm always working on the next thing. It's like a TV writer, prepping the next season of the show or the next play or something, but yeah, I've managed to do a few things since then. I did a session for a local streamer, I did that Backstreet Boys cover and I put out some original Christmas music which was great. Then it’s pretty much been getting all the songs together. We recorded 17 or 18 for this record and was working with Liam Duncan, growing that relationship over the past couple years has been very special for me to get to this place with a new record.”
With the nine on the project, you sort of said you recorded and cut quite a few more. How was it that you settled on those because I think you've got quite a lot of different sounds going on in there.
“Yeah, you know, the songs all fit the mood and what I was trying to say for this. I don't know if it's a completely new sound, but it's amping things up a little bit more. This is the year of Highway 61 revisited, you know Dylan Goes Electric. I wanted a bit more of that punch for my live show. Playing bigger gigs, festivals and slots that require a little more jam now, it inspired me to fire it up a little more.”
It’s great to see you and really nice to hang out in person because we’ve been Zoom friends for some time now. I think we last spoke around “Stand In The Joy” coming out so it's been two and a bit years since you've put a body of work out but it’s finally coming, have you been working solidly towards that since the last record?
“Yeah, you know, I'm always working on the next thing. It's like a TV writer, prepping the next season of the show or the next play or something, but yeah, I've managed to do a few things since then. I did a session for a local streamer, I did that Backstreet Boys cover and I put out some original Christmas music which was great. Then it’s pretty much been getting all the songs together. We recorded 17 or 18 for this record and was working with Liam Duncan, growing that relationship over the past couple years has been very special for me to get to this place with a new record.”
With the nine on the project, you sort of said you recorded and cut quite a few more. How was it that you settled on those because I think you've got quite a lot of different sounds going on in there.
“Yeah, you know, the songs all fit the mood and what I was trying to say for this. I don't know if it's a completely new sound, but it's amping things up a little bit more. This is the year of Highway 61 revisited, you know Dylan Goes Electric. I wanted a bit more of that punch for my live show. Playing bigger gigs, festivals and slots that require a little more jam now, it inspired me to fire it up a little more.”
The first track you put out from it is “On Rolls the Wheel” which is very up-tempo. It's very rocky compared to a lot of things on your previous recordings. Where did that one come from and obviously it's a big track but why did you feel that was the right fit to lead into the new album?
“Well, you know, I was actually going to pick a more gentler transition, but everybody around me said, let's use this one. This one feels great and you know, why not? Why not reveal it all in a way? It’s about as heavy as it's going to get on the record. I was talking about how this record leans into all my influences rather than shuddering them or shying away from them because I come from rock and roll. I come from country rock bands and all that kind of stuff, so it's easy for me. You know, this is basically helping my geography, I want to be more in the realm of the peers that I love like the Jason Isbell’s and Tyler Childers. Tyler is a great example of taking his own lived experiences where he's from and really putting it to record and that's what I've done here.”
Some of my notes across the songs are like “Flowers on the Dash” is a proper honky-tonk song, then “A Thousand Miles of Chain” has like a real Johnny Cash type feel to it and “More of the Same” at the end of the album has that sort of Californian, Fleetwood kind of Laurel Canyon vibe, so you hear a lot of influences coming through and it really fits together nicely. Did you have all the songs when you started going in with Liam to work on it, or did it sort of flow where it was like, actually, this one will fit with the other eight?
“Yeah, you know, we just started crossing them off and the thing about a brilliant producer is that you can live with these songs that at your table for ages and then you get another mind, another heart in there and it just transforms a little bit. I had a general idea for what I wanted it to feel like and sound like where my only real notions were speed and volume a little bit and trying to like add that punch as I was saying, but the title track, funny enough, like a lot of records, I'm often handed a song in the weeks leading into the studio and it's the last song I completed. It just kind of surmised what I was trying to say, this record talks about origins and where I come from on a very, a very humble reserve and the Peguis First Nation. Even though we've toured and done these great slots, been over here a couple times, played the Opry now and I've had these great successes, there's still so much further to go before I'm at the place where I feel I will have the true power through the music and my voice can make any real changes. None of these fucking millionaire kids are doing any of it, they’re sitting around on their asses and just letting it all pour in, but I often wonder what I would do if I had more reach, more influence and more of a voice. I use the voice I have now, as honestly as I can just being genuine and saying, hey, I'm really working on this thing all the time. I'm still planting an orchard, not a bag of oranges here, so it's a bit like making whiskey.”
You’re playing a lot of cool places each time you head over, last time you were here was for Highways which obviously must be a really cool one to be part of that festival and play that beautiful room but also get in front of a lot of people who probably didn't know who you were, then similarly when you’ll get to play the Roundhouse with those naughty Midland boys who will definitely bring it and put on a rowdy night.
“Oh, great, I welcome every new audience as a new opportunity like that to try something and I haven't met a room that I couldn't quieten yet, so I'm just kind of approaching it that same way and looking forward to meeting them, seeing their show. I love that “Drinkin’ Problem” song and everybody does. It's interesting how you end up in these spots with people you're just listening to on the radio and then all of a sudden you're there helping out with the show. I love UTA for that, Sarah Casey and everybody that brings me over here all the time.”
“Well, you know, I was actually going to pick a more gentler transition, but everybody around me said, let's use this one. This one feels great and you know, why not? Why not reveal it all in a way? It’s about as heavy as it's going to get on the record. I was talking about how this record leans into all my influences rather than shuddering them or shying away from them because I come from rock and roll. I come from country rock bands and all that kind of stuff, so it's easy for me. You know, this is basically helping my geography, I want to be more in the realm of the peers that I love like the Jason Isbell’s and Tyler Childers. Tyler is a great example of taking his own lived experiences where he's from and really putting it to record and that's what I've done here.”
Some of my notes across the songs are like “Flowers on the Dash” is a proper honky-tonk song, then “A Thousand Miles of Chain” has like a real Johnny Cash type feel to it and “More of the Same” at the end of the album has that sort of Californian, Fleetwood kind of Laurel Canyon vibe, so you hear a lot of influences coming through and it really fits together nicely. Did you have all the songs when you started going in with Liam to work on it, or did it sort of flow where it was like, actually, this one will fit with the other eight?
“Yeah, you know, we just started crossing them off and the thing about a brilliant producer is that you can live with these songs that at your table for ages and then you get another mind, another heart in there and it just transforms a little bit. I had a general idea for what I wanted it to feel like and sound like where my only real notions were speed and volume a little bit and trying to like add that punch as I was saying, but the title track, funny enough, like a lot of records, I'm often handed a song in the weeks leading into the studio and it's the last song I completed. It just kind of surmised what I was trying to say, this record talks about origins and where I come from on a very, a very humble reserve and the Peguis First Nation. Even though we've toured and done these great slots, been over here a couple times, played the Opry now and I've had these great successes, there's still so much further to go before I'm at the place where I feel I will have the true power through the music and my voice can make any real changes. None of these fucking millionaire kids are doing any of it, they’re sitting around on their asses and just letting it all pour in, but I often wonder what I would do if I had more reach, more influence and more of a voice. I use the voice I have now, as honestly as I can just being genuine and saying, hey, I'm really working on this thing all the time. I'm still planting an orchard, not a bag of oranges here, so it's a bit like making whiskey.”
You’re playing a lot of cool places each time you head over, last time you were here was for Highways which obviously must be a really cool one to be part of that festival and play that beautiful room but also get in front of a lot of people who probably didn't know who you were, then similarly when you’ll get to play the Roundhouse with those naughty Midland boys who will definitely bring it and put on a rowdy night.
“Oh, great, I welcome every new audience as a new opportunity like that to try something and I haven't met a room that I couldn't quieten yet, so I'm just kind of approaching it that same way and looking forward to meeting them, seeing their show. I love that “Drinkin’ Problem” song and everybody does. It's interesting how you end up in these spots with people you're just listening to on the radio and then all of a sudden you're there helping out with the show. I love UTA for that, Sarah Casey and everybody that brings me over here all the time.”
You’re ticking off a lot of venues over here and it’s not just the case of ticket sales or the metrics that you see, people really connect to make it worthwhile and keep coming back. I think people here really respect that and enjoy being part of people's story a lot more.
“Yeah, the origin here in London and I always love the crowds, too. I always have attentive, loving crowds, so that's the best part of London, you' great listeners over here. That's what I appreciate but yeah, that's the thing, you just stay dedicated to this and keep working on it and eventually it's like, oh gosh, I've heard that name half a dozen times, you must be doing something right. I'm still waiting for that moment but most of all, I just still love it.”
In terms of the crowds and throwing a bit of a curved ball here, we were chatting before we started about you going to Coldplay last night and I saw you went to Oasis back at home. How does being part of a big crowd here compare to being part of that huge crowd back home? Are they very comparable and similar?
“They're great. It's nice to take in those shows, catch myself looking the other way, you know, just seeing how songs are so powerful. They'll always kind of have that magic in them, human written songs are of course, are very powerful and they interest me still, so catching those epic shows and seeing kind of the last of the real rock stars and icons in a world where it feels like, you know, every morning there's a new TikTok star that's being born or a new freshly entitled internet rock star is born every hour and it kind of bores me. So, I'm happy to go see the people that are foundational to the music that I love and I hope it brings this resurgence of guitar, rock and roll bands, you know, you see all these fifteen year olds in the crowd seeing Noel and Liam for the first time, which could have been never again. I remember being inspired by moments like that to play music and I think it's only going to lead to more good stuff but yeah, it's special to be there and to see that many people, you think ten nights at Wembley and it's like, that's just one zone where your songs have that profound of an effect and that's what “Further From the Country” is about. Can I ever imagine myself playing an arena show? I don't know if I'll ever end up at Wembley, truthfully, but if you're not wishing on that, if you're not working towards something like that, what's the point, really? We're always just trying to grow in an authentic way and “Further From the Country” is very much about that. It's about even levelling up my expectations now because I could almost call it a day after the Grand Ole Opry if not for that pesky needing money thing, I wouldn't even be here right now ha-ha.”
Think of all the golf you could be playing!.
“I do think about it, even right now. No, this is great, I love coming over here and I'm at a place where like you say there are lots of people left out there to discover me. One thing about the internet and this stuff is that it gives me a hope that every single day, you can find your million people. I've been really working on it, I've been trying to contribute more to being a content person and you know, the content and all that is such a big part of how people see you.”
Yeah we know that feeling, it's all about hashtag content!
“It’s like the Album is great but what kind of content are you going to have around this?”
“Yeah, the origin here in London and I always love the crowds, too. I always have attentive, loving crowds, so that's the best part of London, you' great listeners over here. That's what I appreciate but yeah, that's the thing, you just stay dedicated to this and keep working on it and eventually it's like, oh gosh, I've heard that name half a dozen times, you must be doing something right. I'm still waiting for that moment but most of all, I just still love it.”
In terms of the crowds and throwing a bit of a curved ball here, we were chatting before we started about you going to Coldplay last night and I saw you went to Oasis back at home. How does being part of a big crowd here compare to being part of that huge crowd back home? Are they very comparable and similar?
“They're great. It's nice to take in those shows, catch myself looking the other way, you know, just seeing how songs are so powerful. They'll always kind of have that magic in them, human written songs are of course, are very powerful and they interest me still, so catching those epic shows and seeing kind of the last of the real rock stars and icons in a world where it feels like, you know, every morning there's a new TikTok star that's being born or a new freshly entitled internet rock star is born every hour and it kind of bores me. So, I'm happy to go see the people that are foundational to the music that I love and I hope it brings this resurgence of guitar, rock and roll bands, you know, you see all these fifteen year olds in the crowd seeing Noel and Liam for the first time, which could have been never again. I remember being inspired by moments like that to play music and I think it's only going to lead to more good stuff but yeah, it's special to be there and to see that many people, you think ten nights at Wembley and it's like, that's just one zone where your songs have that profound of an effect and that's what “Further From the Country” is about. Can I ever imagine myself playing an arena show? I don't know if I'll ever end up at Wembley, truthfully, but if you're not wishing on that, if you're not working towards something like that, what's the point, really? We're always just trying to grow in an authentic way and “Further From the Country” is very much about that. It's about even levelling up my expectations now because I could almost call it a day after the Grand Ole Opry if not for that pesky needing money thing, I wouldn't even be here right now ha-ha.”
Think of all the golf you could be playing!.
“I do think about it, even right now. No, this is great, I love coming over here and I'm at a place where like you say there are lots of people left out there to discover me. One thing about the internet and this stuff is that it gives me a hope that every single day, you can find your million people. I've been really working on it, I've been trying to contribute more to being a content person and you know, the content and all that is such a big part of how people see you.”
Yeah we know that feeling, it's all about hashtag content!
“It’s like the Album is great but what kind of content are you going to have around this?”
Totally, it's really cool to meet you in person. I really like this record, I've always liked everything you've done before too but I think this showcases so much. It's like, yeah, you know, you're a guy with a great voice, this real sense of soul and a great storyteller, but actually like we said, there is this rock and roll background that is coming through and people get to see that. Also, this is the last project you worked on before you became a married man, even though you are now. Should probably have said congratulations a lot sooner but as the next life chapter in life has just begun, the next chapter of music beyond this is probably going to be a bit different too.
“Yeah, Alyshia sings on the record too and it's very, very natural. I was writing these songs, anticipating getting married and I don't know if there's a Bruno Mars album coming next or something now that I'm a married man but I think it'll stay the same and only motivate me to look at it through different lenses again, you know? Being with Alyshia, having a partner for such a long time and now getting married, it's such a great calibration, I feel like we're growing together in a really special way. Joni Mitchell said, if you want to do the same thing over and over again, have many lovers and if you want to grow and experience what people are like in their realness and see a different side of this person and sides of people, then it's kind of worth hanging in there. I like that, I like that idea of having a partner who helps me and honestly the greatest joy of my life is having a family these days, so more motivating than ever for them. I want to bring my son here and I want to bring my band here. I always said I would go ahead and make a path so that when they come, it's a great time.”
Well, that's the other way of seeing growth, isn't it? You start off just playing on your own, then do I bring one player with me? Do we add someone with a box and go semi acoustic? A band comes next and keep building so why can it not be, you know, William Prince playing ten nights at Wembley Stadium?
“Gosh, see, that's the kind of thinking that's really rooted in this record. If you think of the vastness of the universe and just how many light years there are in that direction, it's like, we can follow that too. I never thought I'd be playing shows in London once and we've surpassed that by half a dozen times now, so again, that was a young state of thinking then and look where we are now. I had zero fandom, I had zero records, I had really no following and I thought I would do the things I'm doing now. It's like, how do you re-up your dreams in a sense? It's not really a sense of wanting more things or anything like that, I just want more time, more opportunity and it's going to take these trips to make all that happen. I'm appreciative for all of them, because it'll be no good for the big thing if you're not enjoying the small steps along the way.”
“Further From the Country” Track List:
The new album “Further From the Country” from William Prince will be released through Six Shooter Records on October 17th and is available to pre-save/pre-add HERE. You can find full details of any future dates on his WEBSITE whilst you can keep up to date with William socially through INSTAGRAM X & FACEBOOK.
“Yeah, Alyshia sings on the record too and it's very, very natural. I was writing these songs, anticipating getting married and I don't know if there's a Bruno Mars album coming next or something now that I'm a married man but I think it'll stay the same and only motivate me to look at it through different lenses again, you know? Being with Alyshia, having a partner for such a long time and now getting married, it's such a great calibration, I feel like we're growing together in a really special way. Joni Mitchell said, if you want to do the same thing over and over again, have many lovers and if you want to grow and experience what people are like in their realness and see a different side of this person and sides of people, then it's kind of worth hanging in there. I like that, I like that idea of having a partner who helps me and honestly the greatest joy of my life is having a family these days, so more motivating than ever for them. I want to bring my son here and I want to bring my band here. I always said I would go ahead and make a path so that when they come, it's a great time.”
Well, that's the other way of seeing growth, isn't it? You start off just playing on your own, then do I bring one player with me? Do we add someone with a box and go semi acoustic? A band comes next and keep building so why can it not be, you know, William Prince playing ten nights at Wembley Stadium?
“Gosh, see, that's the kind of thinking that's really rooted in this record. If you think of the vastness of the universe and just how many light years there are in that direction, it's like, we can follow that too. I never thought I'd be playing shows in London once and we've surpassed that by half a dozen times now, so again, that was a young state of thinking then and look where we are now. I had zero fandom, I had zero records, I had really no following and I thought I would do the things I'm doing now. It's like, how do you re-up your dreams in a sense? It's not really a sense of wanting more things or anything like that, I just want more time, more opportunity and it's going to take these trips to make all that happen. I'm appreciative for all of them, because it'll be no good for the big thing if you're not enjoying the small steps along the way.”
“Further From the Country” Track List:
- Further From the Country
- For the First Time
- All the Same
- Damn
- Flowers on the Dash
- Thousand Miles of Chain
- On Rolls the Wheel
- The Charmer
- More of the Same
The new album “Further From the Country” from William Prince will be released through Six Shooter Records on October 17th and is available to pre-save/pre-add HERE. You can find full details of any future dates on his WEBSITE whilst you can keep up to date with William socially through INSTAGRAM X & FACEBOOK.
