Can't let Go - 15 minutes with Will Young - Will Young Interview

Will Young

Image: Press Association link

Interview

To mark the release of his fourth album, "Let It Go", Will Young gave a delightful showcase of it at the ultra slick venue, the Cadogan Hall in Chelsea, on 25th September.

The next day, I caught up with him at one of his (very enviable) locals, to talk Soul, genius and else....

Will looks relaxed and content of his performance. He thinks "that was a good gig for great venue", where he'd want to play again as it is intimate and perfectly fit for acoustic sets, which he'd like to do more of.

Will is happy to talk about "anything I'd want to talk about" (how tempting... but I conscious I'd need to go through this much-sought-after 15 minutes of 'intimacy', I'd rather not dare him...). So we talk music (and his manager seems to approve that someone like Allgigs is showing interest in Will's, rather than chasing bits of useless gossip on his bedroom antics...).

So we crack on, with me asking Will what influenced his new album, which he describes as "concise Pop Soul". Will says "everything from life experiences, to musical tastes, to the people he was writing with". Who are they? Well, Eg White (known for his work with Adele, Duffy and Sam Sparro), and Stephen Lipson (who produced records for Grace Jones and Annie Lennox), among others. With such heavyweights at work on his opus, is it easy or even possible to name a favourite track? "Yes, 'You Don't Know'. It's a beautiful song, very honest. I love the lyrics. I just think it's very simple and I really enjoy performing it. It's the kind of the song I'd like someone to sing to me." OK... The album, to date, has earned accolades as being of great soul calibre, with comparisons to George Michael's "Older". But what was on Will's record player at the time of recording it? "Loads: Joni Mitchell, The Foals, Martha Wainwright, Aretha Franklin...." Savvy! ... And the lyrics, what are they about? "Most are matters of the heart. A lot of it has to do with love". So would Will see himself as a crooner? "Not really, because when you say crooner, you think Bing Crosby or something. I'm more of a Soul singer." Let's talk soul matters then: What was he letting go of with this album? "A lot of fear. But I'm no longer scared. I do lots of things now. It's an evolution. This album is a snapshot of where I am now. The next one will probably be different. But for now, I'm very proud of this album. I love the work and the writing achieved on it."

And indeed, it's a very fulfilled Will who showed up on stage the night before, delivering tune after tune, accompanied with a funkier and rockier band than ever. So any chance for a pop rock collaboration with someone like Bryan Adams (for example) in future? "Bryan Adams? I'd like him to take my picture. He's a very good photographer. But I'm not very rocky, I don't think. I'd rather go down the Nashville folk route. I really wanna do some writing in Nashville. I love acoustic songs, that's why I'm so fond of "You Don't Know". I love that simplicity and all that space to find melodies and words."

Ok, so what's on his Ipod at the mo'? "The Verve's new album, Beck's "Modem Guilt" (anything with Danger Mouse on it, "cause I think he's a little bit of a genius") . Oh, and The Raconteurs." If that's not rock, not sure what he is, but let's move on.... What does Will make of newcomers like Bryn Christopher (nu Soul sensation, whose single Smilin' has been burning up the airwaves of late)? "I think he's amazing. I briefly saw him at Glastonbury this summer and he's got an amazing voice. He's like the new Terence Trent D'Arby and that's what we need." Let's keep the focus on sweet Will- what's in the pipeline for next three months? "Touring, a bit more acting (a play in the talks for next year), horse riding, surfing and finishing my Brighton flat."

On touring, any plans tour to do so internationally? It's with candid lucidity, that Will admits himself as still being 'only' a national phenomenon, and that this established, he'll be "focusing on his next single "Grace" (due out in December) and his UK tour, launching in November".

Internationally renowned or not, Will has proved he deserved his Pop Idol crown in 2002. But who is, according to him, the ultimate Pop Idol? While I expect the predictable Madonna, Michael Jackson or maybe more locally George Michael, here's what I get: "It has to be Stevie Wonder. He's one of THE best songwriters along with Lennon and McCartney and maybe Prince. An amazing singer and musician, who plays every instrument, writes beautiful melodies and lyrics, I just think he's a genius...."

Time's up, game over, and I find it hard to let it go, because independently, from the fact that he "loves my eye shadow and that was it for him", Will Young is a rather nice piece of work....

Solange Moffi