A Conversation with Daphne Willis – HuffPost 4.29.11
Mike Ragogna: Hi Daphne, you have a new album.
Daphne Willis: I do. It’s called, Because I Can.
MR: Was it just the right time to do the second album?
DW: I was so ready, and this whole year has been a lot about growth for me on a musical level, and on a writing level. I really felt like there was a lot of empowerment–self-empowerment–and positive energy that went into it, and that’s kind of where the title came from.
MR: Very nice, and you’re coming off your debut album, What To Say.
DW: Yes.
MR: That had a couple of songs on there such as “Bluff ” and “Jim Thornton,” the latter being one of the more popular tracks on there too, right?
DW: It was, actually, which was great.
MR: You also get a lot of critical acclaim, and there were some comparisons to Ricky Lee Jones, and all sorts of names out there. Can you tell us about how you got signed?
DW: On a side note, it’s very flattering to be even put on the same playing field as people as talented as that–I’m a huge Rickie Lee Jones fan. The actual signing is quite a story. I had this little acoustic EP that I had made, and it got licensed on American Airlines flights. The president of Vanguard Records was on a flight, and his batteries on his iPhone or iPod died, and he just happened to plug his earphones into the armrest, my song was playing, and he just decided to look me up, saw that I was unsigned, and things happened pretty quickly from there. It was really serendipitous, how the whole thing unfolded.
MR: Nice. What was the song he heard?
DW: It was “No Difference,” off of the first EP that I ever did.
MR: So, now you’ve put out an album, you’re critically acclaimed–I have your press kit here, and it lists all these different magazines and all the different accolades that were showered on you. A lot of people put out their debut albums, and even if they’re on major labels, sometimes they go under the radar, but yours got a lot of attention. When that happened, did it take you by surprise, and did you feel like you suddenly had to kick things into a higher gear?
DW: You know, I think so on a certain level. It’s definitely motivating, and it’s encouraging to have that kind of support. People obviously got a lot of enjoyment out of the first one, and the whole reason I write is to connect with people, and people were really connecting with the music and the lyrics, so it really kept me motivated. I’ve just been writing like crazy, and this whole year, I’ve been working like crazy, and I’m really loving it.
MR: So, now you have your second album, Because I Can. What went into creating the songs and what went into the production?
DW: Well, I actually got into co-writing this year, which in Chicago, they don’t do a whole lot of–I actually just moved to Nashville in December because I was getting really into co-writing, and a lot of people that I like to write with are in Nashville. The writing process, for me, switched from more of a solo thing, and something that I only did alone, to something that became more of a social thing. I think the content of the songs switched from being a little more introverted to being extroverted and really looking at lyrics that everybody can kind of relate to. I definitely wanted to write about topics that make you feel better about things. When I listen to music, I want to be inspired and motivated in a positive way, so I think a lot of the lyrical content is all about self-empowerment, getting motivated, and getting things done. Also, I touch on some relationship struggles that I went through in the last year that everybody goes through–the ups and downs of being in a relationship. So, that’s kind of where the lyrical content came from, and where the writing took me on this process.
MR: You feature a couple of guest artists, like “Circumstances” features Trevor Hall.
DW: Yes, Trevor is a great friend of mine. Megan McCormick is on another track, and they are just dear friends of mine. I really wanted this whole project to be a collaborative effort. It’s art, and the more people that get involved with it, the more fun it becomes, and I’m a very social person, so the more the merrier. I just wanted to involve as many people as I could.
MR: Megan being on the track, “Weatherman.”
DW: Yes.
MR: Daphne, can you go into any behind the scenes stories of songs on this album?
DW: A lot of it is autobiographical, and some of it is not, since some of the songs are co-written. There is one track that I do feel is really strongly related with the overall vibe that I wanted this record to have, and that’s “Do What You Want.” I think it’s just a fun, playful track. I did a lot of soul searching in this past year–I moved, and I went through a breakup. Although there were hard times and stuff entwined in my experiences, I feel like I took everything in a positive light, made the most of it, and really came out on top. I think “Do What You Want” is a really fun way of looking at all kinds of things that you face in any situation, and in any life, no matter who you are. That song, I think, is the closest to what I want the listener to take away from this record.
MR: Sweet. Can you just take us through how you got interested in music and how your career was shaped through the years up until you got signed?
DW: Sure. I grew up in a very musical family. Both of my parents went to The University of Texas, in Austin, so instead of watching TV, I grew up playing music and doing sing-a-longs in the living room. My mom was a vocal major, so she had me singing since I was a little youngin’. I’ve actually never had any training, and I’m pretty much self-taught on guitar, which I started playing in high school. Then, I went to DePaul University, in Chicago, and I did a lot of open mics, hooked up with a lot of musicians, and just basically played every day. I’ve always been into literature and writing, so after I got comfortable on guitar, it kind of just came naturally to try and write some things. So, as I started getting more into the open mic scene, I started writing more and more, and then I made this EP that I talked about earlier, and I got signed by Vanguard. So, it’s really just been a great ride for me, to just continuously get more and more support and encouragement for something that has always been a great passion in my life, and something that I’ve grown up with. I’m excited to see what the rest of my life holds for this music.
MR: What does the future bring for you, touring or otherwise?
DW: I love to be on the road, I’m actually on the road right now. We left Nashville and we’re going to be on the road for five weeks. We will be on the road for the whole year, pretty much. I think we’ve only got a couple of days off here and there, and I’ve got a couple of writing trips scheduled to go out to L.A. and write. Most of what we’re doing is going up and down the East Coast and through the Midwest, and then, I’ve got a few days on the West Coast, but it’s harder to get out there from where I’m at. We’re trying like hell to get out there, though. Yeah, we’re just basically through the Midwest, Chicago, out to the Northeast, where we’ll hit New York and Boston. We’re down South right now, in Florida, and we’ll be coming back in June, then over to Austin. So, I’m pretty much going to be everywhere, and you can check out the dates on my website, daphnewillis.com–all the info is on there, as well as some of my other shenanigans.daphnewillis.com
MR: Speaking of Austin, you were at SXSW this year, weren’t you?
DW: I was. It was my third time down there, and I always have fun when I go down there. It’s getting crazy! From the first time I went down there to now, it’s just more and more craziness. The “people watching” never ceases to amaze me, either. I love people watching, so it’s always fun to go down there and just watch all the people.
MR: You’re right, it was impossible to keep up with all the things you wanted to see down there. Actually, I was supposed to meet up with you, but it was just impossible due to the craziness that you were talking about. It was the biggest congregation of music and people who want to hear music that I’ve seen in a long time.
DW: Yeah, it’s pretty overwhelming. If anybody reading this hasn’t been, you should definitely go if you’re a music lover. But you kind of have to be totally in it to win it, you know what I mean? If you go but you only kind of want to be there, then don’t go. You have to really be ready to immerse yourself in that community. It’s a crowd, you know? It’s a constant parade of people just hustling and bustling around, trying to see as much as they can. It’s inspiring, you know? It’s inspiring.
MR: And thoroughly overwhelming, but in a good way. Now, you’re still kind of a new artist, but I think you’ll have some good insight into this. What advice do you have for new artists?
DW: Well, I think I am a new artist (laughs). I guess this is my second album, so technically, I’m not a new artist. I certainly do feel as though I’m still getting my feet wet, so to speak. I guess I would say that being on the road is an important part of making music. Being there, physically present with the people that you’re impacting with your music is so important, and that’s probably one of my favorite parts about it–just being on the road. I think you just have to be open to traveling, connecting with your fans, and connecting with people on a deeper level than just a handshake or something. That’s probably the biggest thing for me, just connecting with people.
Transcribed by Ryan Gaffney