Nashville-by-way-of-Melbourne songstress WILSN has had one hell of a year so far. Kicking off with the release of “Do This,” which launched just ahead of the new year and serves as a middle finger to the industry and those who advised her to mold into the mainstream, WILSN has been consistently releasing new music this year, most recently dropping her self-titled EP in June. With each commanding performance, WILSN proves again and again that she’s a force to be reckoned with, and she’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon.
With her EP out now, WILSN is already looking toward the future with the hope to release a full-length album soon, and more exciting plans in the works. Read more about her and listen to her EP now below.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself for anyone who might be hearing your music for the first time?
I’m a singer/songwriter from Melbourne who loves listening to soul, pop and RnB. I love big, soulful singing voices and have been singing and performing since I was a little girl!
What first inspired you to get involved in music? What is currently inspiring you to keep creating?
I’ve always loved singing and my mum started me in piano lessons when I was 6. Some singers that inspired me a lot when I was younger were Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin, and Etta James. I was and still, am incredibly drawn to their voices and music! Currently, I’m loving listening to Yebba, H.E.R., and Daniel Caesar.
When you first started working on “Home”, did you have any major goals in mind?
Not really, I know it sounds cliche but it sort of wrote itself one day. My friend Jon came up with the keys part a few months before and I was having trouble writing to it so I left it alone for a while. At the time I was living in Nashville and feeling very lost and homesick. So writing to such a happy sounding track wasn’t really what I wanted to do at the time. But one day I happened to Iisten to it again in the car and just sat there and let the whole song come out. Turns out actually writing about how homesick I was feeling is what it needed!
“Home” follows “Do This” which you released before the end of 2018 and serves as a bit of a middle finger to the music industry folks who encouraged you to try to fit the mainstream mold. What would you say you anyone who might end up in that same situation or needs a few words of encouragement to be themselves?
It took me a while to action this for myself but I’d say always listen to your gut and if something feels wrong to you, it probably is, so don’t be afraid to stand your ground! People trying to fit me into a mainstream mold was really holding me back and I wanted to be moving forward, releasing music, and performing, etc. So taking charge and doing things my way was a necessary move for me.
You also just recently released your new single, “Fight Like A Girl.” Can you tell us a little bit about the track? What inspired it?
I wrote this after a spate of male-led writing sessions where I felt like my opinions weren’t being respected or listened to. I had to fight to be heard and fight to show the room what I’m capable of. I knew from the start that I wasn’t alone in feeling like this. It’s, unfortunately, a pretty standard thing for women in any work setting. I needed to get my frustrations out and this song ended up coming out in a writing session with Daniel Ellsworth in Nashville who happened to be one of the most humble and open songwriters I’ve worked with.
How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist with the writing and recording of songs like “Home,” “Do This,” and now “Fight Like A Girl”?
Writing “Do This” was a turning point for me. Talking the issues through with my co-writer Sean Van Vleet was actually cathartic and it helped me see clearly what I needed to do! In terms of sound, I’ve definitely grown into more of a pop-loving music listener which I think has definitely influenced my own music and my most recent EP. When I was younger I hardly ever listened to pop and I pretty much stuck to soul, jazz and RnB. Over the past few years, I’ve grown to like and even love some pop music. Lyrically I feel like I’ve grown more confident in what I want to say and the message I want to convey.
What made now the perfect time to release “Fight Like A Girl” for you?
I don’t think there’s a perfect time to release a song with this message. Especially since the fight for equality is still raging and will be for quite a while!
Do you have any plans to release more new music soon? Maybe another EP or a full length?
I’m working on new music right now! I’d love to release an album so we’ll see what happens!
Do you have any other big plans coming up for 2019?
I do have a few big things coming up but can’t share with the world just yet 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you for chatting with me!
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