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Journal RSS journal posts · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · {and before that} 

Wilhelm

Una charla agradable con Guille

https://www.inkoma.com/k/4515

..a soya milkshake with monster, redbull, ...and human blood.

 | pall youhideme
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You know, it's a three or more months ago I started learning spanish. I mean, and I'm having fun with it, but, wait, I'm not yet exactly able to have a proper talking with someone.. from Pamplona? Like Guille Fernández Mutiloa, in our case. Luckily, he speaks English. Luckily, because I wanted so bad to have an interview with him about his amazing band Wilhelm, which just released last January their new full length record How high Lily?, via the Madrid indie label Origami rec: caffeine-loaded indie pop, sort of Clara Clara vs Deerhoof, in my humble opinion. A bomb blasting sound, filling tuneful, swirling songs, leaded by boy (Guille) and girl (Helen Ágreda) vocals. Vibrant and melodious music, richly crafted and delivered to the listener. Press play below, and read what follows.

***



komakino: hi there guys, no more dancing animals? The whole How High Lily? is fully danceable! People will dance like animals to these tracks, I'm sure. Where did you get inspiration for these songs?

Will: No more animals, just in my house (I've got 3 cats :))
Inspiration comes from how I feel when I play live. I want energy, motion, excitement so I need songs that they let me feel like that. We're not good musicians but we're good transmitters. We started like an acoustic band but it made no sense when we played live.
I jumped and spun my head like I was playing in a metal band... it did not fit at all! I prefer to change the music style I play instead of emotions that I feel.

komakino: It seems to me to understand that the core members are Guille and Helen (Guill y Hel = Will + Heln, right? (I'm not that smart, ­ thank you Google)), so, what's your story together?

Will: This band started when I met Helen 4 years ago. I used to play drums in a posthardcore band (AntiguayBarbuda) but I needed a change so I started composing my own songs in our living room and Helen helped me with lyrics and some keys. It was just our hobby, we did it for pleasure with no intention in playing live, having label contracts, or answering interviews. It was our project Will and Hel, Wilhelm and our cats. Wilhelm is also my name Guille, in German and Nordic languages. We love many bands from there like Lukestar, Jr. Ewing, C. Armée... it's like a tribute to these countries because of its huge contribution to the music.



komakino: I watched a couple of vids, live performances of yours, where you played a bunch of instruments at the same time.. Now are you a full band? Forgive me, but, frankly, I'm neophyte to your band.



Will: Yes, we're 5 people playing live. Helen and me and a couple of friends who help us. We usually record many instruments, more than that we can actually play so we need more people. I play guitar and vocals, Helen plays synths and vocals, and the rest are a drummer, bassguitar and a second guitar.

komakino: If your Music was a movie, I'd think of The Royal Tenenbaums: actually, the photography of your videos is pretty à la Wes Anderson, that sort of sip of 70s, and bitter hilarity. Are you aware of being in 2015?

Will: hahaha. We usually work with low budget, so we do what we could. I try to find people with something different to offer, so that our videos were't another boring video. We just trust in them and we let them take the path they want as long as it's inspired by our music. This is "art" so it's necessary to express something. Having a perfect image, a correct storyboard, or good flashlight isn't enough.



komakino: The whole tracklist is restless, densly energetic vocals (almost all potential sing-alongs), it is a sort of audio energy drink, auditive propeller.. how would you tag your music?

Will: Hyperenergetic indiepoppunk. I love rock, screamo, part of the modern indie wave, mainstream pop, blackmetal... It's an all­in­one style. It's a soya milkshake with monster, redbull, coca­cola, morphine, valium, valerian and human blood.

komakino: Are you going on tour to promote How High Lily? Did you already hit Italy in last years for a show?

Will: No, we don't have an European booking agent so we've never gone there. We're working on it, we'd hit Europe in 2015 but... Bookers! where're you? I've sent like 1 thousand mails. 890 didn't answer, 100 "were't able to deliver the message", 8 were full booked and 2 would be interested, but one was from Russia and the other from Slovenia.
Two many km for two shows hahaha.

komakino: That's a shame! -- What is the recording process? How long did it take to finish this record? Sounds pretty laborious, such it's rich of sounds. Where did you record these songs? 

Will: I've got my own studio so I can spend a lot of time playing with plugging, gear, instruments... It took me a year to compose the album. Once I had each project finished I went to a professional studio (Montreal Studios) and I recorded drums with better sound.
Mixes where made among Montreal Studios and mine. I like to have full control of what it's sounding. Maybe the project has 150 tracks, nobody except, me, knows how they are meant to sound, in which position, and level. Maybe I don't know either.

komakino: Do the final version of songs change significantly in comparison with the original demos?

Will: It depends. Most of them are simply more professional with no apparent changes, but in that song for example, the change was huge.




That it was firstly an original idea of Iñigo (guitarist) and then my changes in studio.

komakino: So, Wilhelm is a full time thing in your life, or you have an'ordinary', daily job?

Will: I used to sell wine in a wine store (familiar business). I had to quit cause my mind where away all the time, thinking in riffs, videos, pictures, etc. Now I spend the time in promoting Wilhelm, sending CDs, composing, designing and running my own studio (MOTUS studios). I'm actually producing local bands. I don't know how, but I'd like to live off music.

komakino: Do you remember being a teenager? What did mean Music to you then, and so, now?

Will: The same. The only thing that differs is that when I was young everything were more effuse, I mean. I loved Pantera so much and the day before I watched them live at first time, I could't sleep. Now, nothing keeps me awake, and they are a few bands that I like to see them live. The same happens with friends, weekends, love, sex... everything was more intense. It might seem sad but not totally, now I fell much better than before.


/// February 2015, - support Wilhelm and send them gold here.
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