9+1 Q&A with Will Wander

What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

Will Wander is a Nashville-based songwriter, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He blends musical genres pop, folk, jazz, and classical music to create a unique and compelling sound to establish his own genre which he likes to refer as “Adventure Pop.”

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

My latest release, “Moon Station, Vol. I,” is an album about transcending the mundane and getting lost in a dream. The first part of a two-part series, this set of songs contains short and sweet pop music with themes of adventure, positivity, love, magic, and space travel.

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

My musical influences are Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Joanna Newsom, Animal Collective, Regina Spektor, and Bjork just to name a few. My non-musical influences are David Lynch, Hayao Miyazaki, Terry Gilliam, Pete Docter, Richard Linklater, Tomm Moore, and Terrence Malick.

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

For “Moon Station, Vol. I” I coined my own genre, which is called “adventure pop.” Adventure pop is different from other artists/bands working today in its dedication to concise songs and catchy melodies, positive messages, a storybook feel, and retro sound.

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

Desert stuff
a. Movies
i. Pan’s Labyrinth
ii. Song of the Sea
iii. Mulholland Drive

b. Albums
i. The White Album, the Beatles
ii. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel
iii. Bookends, Simon and Garfunkel

c. Books
i. Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes
ii. Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins
iii. The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

d. TV Shows (is that cool if i do that?? I just like picking these)
i. Twin Peaks
ii. Batman: the Animated Series
iii. Avatar the Last Airbender

Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

I much prefer studio recording instead of playing live, because I can dream the song up easier if I’m not restricted to worrying about how I’m going to perform it live. You can take your time and make sure everything is just the way you want it in the studio, where performing is much more athletic in nature to make sure everything is perfect.

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

Although “Moon Station, Vol. I” is my first official release through conventional platforms, over the past 5 years I have actually recorded 13 albums previously at my home, consisting of around 225 songs.

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

The track that is most unique on my record is “I Love You to the Moon, but I’m Not Coming Back.” This track is a medley of all the songs that came before it, all over the same repeating chord pattern. Being the last track on the album, it is also the one that gives Vol. I its conceptual backbone. The songs that come before this work well together, but they are not truly united until you reach the end song. There are also a few glimpses into the next volume of Moon Station, serving as the bridge between the two. It also doesn’t follow the same verse-chorus structures like the others.

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

At the beginning of 2019, my team and I are going to be releasing a vinyl edition of “Moon Station, Vol. I,” which you will be able to order through our website.

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

Which artform would you like to try other than music?

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to be a writer of fiction. When I started learning music at 12, it became less and less relevant in my life. However, I think at some point in the future, it would be really amazing to work on a piece of literature that was thematically tied to one of my albums.

Photo credits: Aden Drolsum (1st one)

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

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