Ian Wills returns with ‘Another Long Week’, his fifth studio album under the banner of Wills & the Willing. The album is a profound exploration of human experience, weaving stark, brutal, and confrontational themes with a deeply humane touch. Wills’ lyrics echo the vulnerability of his own health and the inherent value of life. In this conversation with Ian, Jason Barnard finds out the story behind an artist hailed by The Times as the ‘Ian Dury of the 21st century’.
‘Another Long Week’ is described as capturing the rhythms of our lives, both the highs and the lows. How do you manage to balance honesty and vulnerability in your songwriting?
Balancing between honesty and vulnerability within the song always starts by my recognising that by my leaning on honesty it naturally exposes my emotions of vulnerability, by disguising my own failings within the journey of the song , it enables me to capture the feeling of being vulnerable, treading gently outside the fault line I am able to walk away or turn around with equal measure of honesty and humility.
The album reflects your current life, darting between England and Arizona, and your health struggles. How has this geographical and health journey influenced the sound and themes of the album?
Americana, Folk and Country music have been in my musical DNA for many years. Arizona & Indiana brought new influences of life, art, and music; my lust and thirst for originality whilst not in any way quenched has been fed and watered, the deep, literal physical pain I experience every day continually reminds me that music is a blessing and a gift and that health is the true wealth. I have become a student learning how precious time really is – navigating the art of how to spend what time remains is a huge influence and I believe reflected in ‘Another Long Week’.
With your life and health being precarious, how does it feel to release an album under such circumstances? Has it changed your perspective on your music and its impact?
To me personally – and despite the challenges – failing health is a positive gift. Knowing that my light is fading at a pace not yet determined naturally feels like a song that in real life I am living. My perspective of both my life and music remains totally unchanged. In 2006 when I released my debut album ‘Kerbside’ I was clear in my thoughts: it might be the only album I ever get to release so make the most of every single moment. ‘Another Long Week’ is now my fifth album and nothing has changed in the way I approach my life and music; the impact and importance of music to me has not in any way become jaded or diluted.
How do you approach writing such raw and honest songs?
In all my songs I always want to be a better version of myself and within that process I metaphorically unfold my life’s crinkled shirt – no matter how hard I scrub I never can quite get the dirt off the collar or cuffs and in my attempts to iron out the reasons for the creases I never forget the causes for the dirt.
Could you delve into the creative process behind ‘Another Long Week’? How do you typically go about crafting a song, from inception to completion?
The cornerstone of “Another Long Week” is the opening track “Bone Marrow”, written in 2016. I kept it back from inclusion on my fourth album, “London Country”. The tracks “Bone Marrow” and “Verse 2” became the initial platform that inspired the first ten songs I took into the studio; Sean Genockey and Charlie Morton co-produced the music. Sean has worked on all Wills & The Willing albums since 2007 when he produced my second album “Hero’s & Villains”. Charlie previously worked with me on “Hero’s & Villains” and my third album, “Dream In Colour”.
Once the music was produced I went to Dublin to record the vocals with Ruadhri Cushnan. Ruadhri has previously mixed various Wills & The Willing tracks, working with us over the past 20 years – in fact, we started working together in 2003 on my first commercial project pre-Wills & The Willing. Ruadhri has won two Grammys for his mixing of Mumford & Sons’ first two albums – I knew it was vital to the finished sound to have him recording and producing my vocals.
A good example of inception-to-completion is “Pop Queen”. I was deeply saddened last year by the passing of Sinead O’Connor. A few days after she’d passed in early August I was watching her 1991 appearance on Arsenio Hall on YouTube. She was as inspiring as ever and I picked up the guitar. Within an hour “Pop queen” was born and six weeks later I was performing it acoustically as part of a session for Radio WigWam. After that appearance, feeling the power of the song, I reached out to Adj who had previously been part of Wills & The Willing and worked with me in the initial songwriting of ‘Hero’s & Villains’. I asked if he was up for producing the track. By the end of November we had recorded it, and in early January 2024 we had “Pop Queen”, mixed by Adj & Ruadhri.
Your journey from a tumultuous childhood to a successful businessman to a musician is remarkable. How do you feel your early experiences have shaped your music and lyrics?
Without any doubt my early years deeply influenced me – they continually provide strong emotions when I reflect, and try to deal with the many buried feelings. If I had lived a different life – an easier one – I know I would not have written the poetry, lyrics and music that I have. Travelling during Covid a TSA guard shouted out: “If you don’t read the news, you’re uninformed; if you do watch the news you’re misinformed”. I went up and said: “However, my friend, if you make the journey you’re always far better informed”.
Your vocals are unmistakably South London-tinged. How do you feel your roots influence your musical style, especially considering your time spent in both England and the United States?
My love affair with music really started with Elvis Presley’s “In the Ghetto”. When I was seven my dad played it continuously on his 8 track as my brother, sister and I sat in silence in the back of his Ford Zephyr. The glory of that song always reminds me that tragedy and music are inseparable. Springsteen consumed me in 1975 with ‘Born To Run’. The energy of the “Sex Pistols” made sense to me same way Barry Manilow did with “Trying to get that feeling again”. Growing up in poverty, poetry became my weapon of choice and being a large part of the spoken word revolution since 2003 I felt I could take my music only so far. Those early days I was ridiculed. Can you imagine my first commercial recording was with Trevor Morais and Alvin Lee, and perceived as a joke. The juice and energy we had was for sure part of the roots I have since cultivated.
After Janice Long broke me on BBC Radio 2, doors very slightly started to open, and since that time I have taught myself to play guitar, spending day after day creating tunings that only to my ear make sense. As I started singing I was trying to hide my South London accent but then realised that to be true to the music, and to the lyric, I had to start to be true to myself. America has always been part of my musical landscape and journey -Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Glen Campbell are just a few artists that I never stop listening to. And now you can say “Alexa, play Wills & The Willing for 3 hours” and hear my South London accent when I sing – you can take to boy out of South London but you can never take South London out of the boy.
‘Another Long Week’ is heavily influenced by Americana and country music. What draws you to these genres, and how do you incorporate their elements into your own sound?
It may seem bizarre to say this but my guitars seem to pull me in the direction they want me to play. Many of my guitars are American-made. I have a very special Preston Thompson – much to my surprise they made me part of the Thompson guitar family when I was invited to join their list of endorsed artists. In addition I have a 1943 Gibson SJ Banner head, several Taylors, a bright red 1990 Collins, a Santa Cruz and not to ever forget my Rockbridge SJ that was made for me personally. These guitars just naturally lead me in the direction of Americana & Country, and were pivotal in writing “Another Long Week”. Being a recovered drug addict and alcoholic, guitars are the only addiction I have had which can’t get you arrested, only booed off stage!
What has been the most rewarding aspect of working with your band, Wills & The Willing, since its inception in 2004?
The most rewarding aspect is that all the musicians that have been part of the “Willing” over the past 20 years have individually and collectively helped me grow and mature as a musician. The fact that I can pick up the phone and talk to any of them is a true testament that even though they’re no longer bandmates we all stayed good mates. (Or so I am lead to believe!)
‘Kerbside’ was a breakthrough album for Wills & The Willing, winning accolades such as pick of the fringe at the Edinburgh festival. How do you feel your music has evolved since then.
Recording your debut album at 42 years old is both a challenge and a triumph. 20 years later my evolvement as a human being still means every day I want to be better than the day before. That same ethos is etched into my music. I never stop evolving: tomorrow is a gift we are yet to unwrap and yesterday is a gift we have already spent, the only day that counts is the one you are living. Every time I sit down to write I move my personal bar six inches higher – so I never feel I have touched the complete song, and as importantly never stop trying to be a kinder or better person.
As you reflect on your journey from addiction and hardship to success and creativity, what advice would you give to others facing their own challenges?
There is always someone worse off than you; there is also someone better off than you. Most important is without failure you will never know success. I have been asked many times why do I continue to make music. My response is always the same: I do not have the courage to stop. I do though have the strength, faith and belief to continue. No matter what life-challenges you have, look over your shoulder. If you see someone falling, reach out and offer your hand, for as you are helping another, another is waiting to help you.
Further information
Willis & The Willing’s new album ‘Another Long Week’ is released on Friday 5 July 2024.
