As Will Young prepares to perform at Kew the Music, he tells Will Gadsby Peet (@wgpjournalism) about his musical future, becoming a shaman and why his latest album is like a radiator
Will Young is the very rarest of mythical creatures: a pop-show winner whose career has lasted more than a month. Indeed it’s been almost 15 years since the charming young Will wooed the British public with his rendition of Light my Fire to beat Gareth Gates in the inaugural season of Pop Idol.
After an extended hiatus from the music industry, Will returned last year with his latest album 85% Proof. Luckily this new lease of life has resulted in some tour dates, and he will be playing at Kew the Music on July 13.
Chatting to him on the phone I am immediately struck by his warm and friendly manner. After 10 minutes of nattering away we had established that I should “change my name to Will Redchurch” if I was going to be taken seriously as a journalist, that we were both glad to see Will’s song Joy as the soundtrack to Morrisons because “nothing says ‘joy’ like a reasonably priced quiche” and that Will was “a little bit psychic, a little bit witchy”, seeing his post-music career path to include being “a shaman or witch doctor.”
I was about a third of the way into the interview time when I realized I should probably try something drastic, like asking an actual question. Fortunately Will had a lot to say about his return to music and upcoming performance.
“I loved coming back with the record last year because it means I get to do the summer shows again. I love outdoor gigs, they feel like more of an occasion, and having done Kew Gardens before, I’m doubly excited because I know what I’ve got to look forward to.”
Well, what do we have to look forward to, I wonder?
“It’s all about getting messy, nothing mental, the audience won’t need to worry about paint getting thrown at them or anything. I just love the idea of deconstructing a show; it’s like when you’re a kid and you have a flour fight and you just mess around, kids just run around going ‘Raaaaaar!’ (Will Young genuinely roared down the phone at this point) and it’s that kind of energy that I’m hoping to bring to the show.
“Music-wise it’ll be a really eclectic mix from my career. There will be some of my old stuff, some covers and plenty of material from the latest album.”
The album, 85% Proof, has gone down well with critics, many remarking that it’s the most experimental of Will’s albums to date. People might be surprised then to find out about the creative process involved.
“I got told off the other day when I was doing an interview, because I kept on saying there wasn’t really much thought that went in to the album, but I deliberately didn’t over think it. Our thoughts can get in the way and create barriers, so in the studio I purposefully tried not to over think it, I wanted to keep it organic and from the soul.
“So that’s where the album came from and that’s why it was written very quickly, in only 10 days. It’s like my bathroom; I’m doing it up at the moment and I’ve been having all these arguments in my head about radiators until I thought: ‘bugger it! I just need to stop being silly and buy a bloody radiator’.”
It’s incredible to think that 15 years on from Pop Idol, Will Young is still going strong and writing chart-topping albums at will, he attests his longevity to a genuine love of music.
“I’ve just always reminded myself it’s all about the music. I remember auditioning for Pop Idol, being in a room with about 100 people and we all had to do a little speech about why we wanted to win. Everyone said, ‘I want to be famous’ and I remember I said, ‘I just want to sing’. If you’re in it for the music that’s great because I think it sort of stabilizes you, if you’re in it for the fame then I think you’re in for quite a roller coaster.”
“I much prefer people who have things actually going on as opposed to people who are just famous for being famous. It’s just a bit like ‘who are you?’ and I worry for their sanity.”
If you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should grab a ticket to see Will Young at Kew the Music, then I imagine this wonderful story, proving he already has some experience in tropical jungle environments, might change your mind.
“At the premiere for Mrs Henderson Presents, I got rather drunk partying with the cast and crew etc. I woke up the next day with actress Kelly Reilly in one of the beds and about 12 pot plants. I thought to myself, ‘why the hell are there 12 pot plants in my room?’ until Kelly remembered that the night before we’d snuck around the Four Seasons hotel stealing every pot plant from every corridor. The funniest thing was the next day we had to put them all back, so we were creeping around each floor apologising and returning the plants. I woke up with a roaring hangover in a rainforest, but it was hilarious!”
Whilst Will certainly seems to have followed the Hubbard/Van Wilder school of thought "Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive", in dealing with his celebrity, he has also used his platform to campaign for LGBT rights. If you're looking for a truly enjoyable 10 minutes, I'd recommend watching Will Young team up with Eric Pickles to defend same sex marriage on Question Time.
Things have certainly changed for the better in the time Will has been a pop star.
"We've come on in leaps and bounds even just with myself and music, I was somewhat forced by the media to come out as gay, even though, for me, it wasn’t a big deal or anything. Nowadays people don't have to come 'out' they're just there as people doing their thing. Sam Smith is gay and no one gives a s***, they just enjoy the music and I think that's a great change. It's not as segregating and divisive as it once was in music. Civil partnerships and marriage have also given a greater feeling of equality and legal standing, it wasn't that long ago that if one half of a gay couple died the other wouldn't be entitled to any of their partners estate, which is incredible to think of now."
However Will still thinks there is a long way to go before we start congratulating ourselves.
"Where I do think we're failing significantly is our approach to young people. We've concentrated – rightly so – on setting up these legal structures for when you become an adult, but I think that young members of the LGBT community are suffering, as people think that's the whole job done. I was reading a report this morning on the LGBT suicide rate for young people (under the age of 26) and the suicide rate of young gay men, woman and trans people is massively higher than their straight counterparts. These are people, actually trying to kill themselves because of how bad they feel about their identity, and I don't feel like this message is getting through to our government."
Indeed Will Young has had a number of colourful clashes with The Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, describing her as "dead in the eyes" and accusing her of "not giving a s***" about the young LGBT community.
"Yes I've had my clashes with the education department and my god have they shown their true colours by putting out petty statements. 2 million pounds isn't enough to help young LGBT people in schools and that's where all the damage is done. Educating people about the importance of language and how it can transform the shameful hetronormative environment that a lot of these kids are unfortunately experiencing in school is vitally important. I get very frustrated about it and sometimes have to reign myself in."
Whilst Will is certainly passionate about encouraging change for the better in our society, he laughs long and hard when I suggest the possibility of MP Young.
"Oh no people would hate me! I just want honesty from people and I wrote an article after the whole thing with Nicky Morgan, after she'd released some rather nasty statements about me. I don't care, I just want to see passion. I can understand why politicians are quite robotic in their responses, they don’t want to provide fodder for a headline, but stand for something and if you get it wrong say 'I got it wrong'. Some politicians do that and it's why I like Jeremy Corbyn, I think he can be a bit unrealistic and make some rather sweeping statements, but at least he has passion and actually cares."
"We have this sort of reactionary government with politicians that are so terrified of offending someone, or making a mistake, that they don't say anything and that really upsets me, I think it's really sad actually, so no, I wouldn't run for office for one second. I think I'm too honest and it wouldn't work out. It's so much better to have the courage of your convictions, so even if I look like a d*** on stage at Kew I'll be having a right laugh; and people will be able to tell that I'm fully committed to looking like a d***, if your going to be a d*** at least have the courtesy to commit properly to it."
I don't think it would be possible for me to come up with a better conclusion to an article than that, so there it is: "if you're going to be a d***, at least have the courtesy to commit properly to it."
Will Redchurch out.
For more information and to buy tickets visit www.kew.org
For more great interviews, click here, like our article with The Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick about his upcoming music festival One Live
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