Article/Interview By: Lisa Occhino
He’s won “Best Singer/Songwriter” at the Boston Music Awards twice. His music has been featured in over 50 TV shows and movies. He’s performed with legends such as Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Willie Nelson, and John Mellencamp.
His name is Will Dailey, and he’s on a mission to bring the edge back to the male singer/songwriter sound with his latest album, Will Dailey and the Rivals.
Born and raised in Boston, Dailey started out as a hardworking independent artist who gradually built his fanbase, and eventually attracted major label attention. One of his biggest challenges was self-releasing his first record at a time when couldn’t afford it. He ended up selling his car so he would have enough money to mix it. When asked how he worked his way up to his current level of success, he responded, “Really just by following through, and getting up every day and doing it. There was no magic button. You have to actually enjoy getting back up when you get kicked down. Musicians have to be into eating bread and water for five years if you want to get somewhere. Nowadays the path is not defined as much, which is part of the fun, but also part of the danger.”
Dailey describes his music as “one foot in the past, and one stepping forward.” He says it’s “rock ‘n’ roll for sure, but also has a lot of folk rock and pop influences.” He claims musical influences such as James Taylor, U2, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, and Tom Petty, whose elements you can find weaved into his recorded music as well as his live performances.
As for his songwriting process, he explains that he doesn’t have any one particular procedure: “I try to stay open, and on my toes. I’m open to any way it might come to me. The most important thing is that you don’t stop. You really need to pay attention to your toolbox of techniques. You can deal with getting stuck by either digging deeper or walking away, and that’s all part of your toolbox.”
Dailey is excited about all of the opportunities arising in today’s music industry, but he acknowledges that there are many new obstacles springing up as well. “It’s getting to be an open playing field, and it’s exciting… it’s a great time to be an independent artist, but there are also a lot of traps. There are a lot more distractions for artists now. Artists just need to play their music to the best of their ability, and make sure they have a good product… What’s best for the artist is to focus on their craft, record the song well, and please themselves first.”
Even in this era of distractions for artists, Dailey remains optimistic about the present as well as the future. He’s “excited to get on the road with the Rivals” towards the end of the year and for most of 2012.
“I’m excited for tomorrow, for everything that’s coming next,” Dailey says. “I’m excited about this record. Just being in the now, this album is the highlight. Every show is another show to get better for the next one. It’s just kind of this ride, you know?”
You can visit his website, willdailey.com, to check out the album and upcoming tour dates.
