Written by Marilù Ciabattoni
Discovered via Musosoup
Meet William Sanford, the enigmatic Dance/Electronic musician whose artistry defies conventional boundaries. Hailing from NW Indiana/Chicago-land, William's music reflects a fusion of eclectic influences and maximalist tendencies, born out of a mid-life crisis and existential reflection. Drawing inspiration from icons like Boards of Canada, Ween, and Prince, William's sonic journey evolves with each project, from the narrative-rich "Hallothanksmas Soundscapes" to the deep-sea exploration of "Deep Mollusca." As a sole producer and performer, William's compositions mirror his messy, eclectic persona, embracing experimentation and welcoming diverse genres into his realm. With dreams of collaborating with visionaries like Boards of Canada and Nala Sinephro, William's musical odyssey promises endless innovation and artistic growth.
Introduce yourself: Who is William Sanford? How and when was the project born?
According to the Google knowledge panel, William Sanford “was” a Dance/Electronic musician who lived from 1764 to 1837. William’s website and press releases originally stated that William “is” an eclectic, eccentric and electronic musician from the NW Indiana/ Chicago-land area with working-class roots. Almighty Google must be the true version; obviously. However, regardless of whether or not William is a working-class, hobbyist musician or is actually a long-deceased vampire, William thrives on the juxtaposition of seemingly incompatible contradictions. This obviously leads to Maximalist tendencies.
As far as why William started doing this? The “real” answer is much less sexy. He did it because of a mid-life crisis and the “existential dread” of slipping away into irrelevance as he ages. It’s been five years since then, so… the clock’s ticking.
How has your music changed in the past few years?
William is always attempting new things, but one thing that remains consistent is that each work strives to be its own world. There has been obvious growth in production skill and technique and this is glaringly evident when one listens to “Hallothanksmas Soundscapes” next to William’s latest “Deep Mollusca”. But… the eclecticism has been there from the beginning. The projects are just maturing, getting tighter, and the seemingly disparate song choices are becoming better glued together with clever narrative and sonic elements.
Who inspired your music? Who are your biggest influences?
William’s foundational inspirations remain the same- Boards of Canada, Ween, Prince, Yes, Tori Amos, Queen, Aphex Twin, Pink Floyd, Bill Evans, and The Cure. Beyond that, William is always pulling in new influences from The Beach Boys to Tyler the Creator; from Electric Light Orchestra to SOPHIE. Everything becomes fair game if it catches William’s ear.
Could you introduce your favourite singles you've released so far?
William doesn’t really consider himself a “singles” artist. He still believes wholeheartedly in the album, or at least, the E.P. Even if the production isn’t as tight as some of his later releases, “The Charmingly Boring Lives of Snails” remains a favourite of Williams. The short run-time of that E.P. as well as “Cool Memories” was an attempt to give the “vibe” of a concept album in a time frame compatible with contemporary life. They could be enjoyed while on a “meal” or “vape” break at work. It’s a format William may visit again at some point.
How did you develop this style? Will you experiment with other genres in the future?
William is a messy and eclectic person. This “style” is merely the reflection of that. And it is almost guaranteed that other genres will get mixed in as time goes on and they are discovered and absorbed by William.
Let's talk about "Deep Mollusca:" What inspired it and how did it come to life?
William came across some videos by The Schmidt Ocean Institute and EVNautilus that features deep sea creatures and environments. This prompted a deep dive and obsession and over the course of a year, a concept album was built around the knowledge and inspiration gained from this. No joke, William went so far as to purchase and “attempt” to read Biology and Evolution of the Mollusca by David R. Lindberg, Juliet Mary Ponder, and W. F. Ponder. While William has a degree in Philosophy and is no stranger to long, dry texts, a graduate level Biology text was a bit beyond him. Although, William can tell you that the Aplacophora posses aragonite spicules as opposed to a calcareous shell and that their “mantle” is rudimentary compared to other Mollusks. So, there’s that.
Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
William is the sole producer and performer on most tracks. William would love to watch someone like Brian Eno work when it comes to his production of other bands, but as far a collaborating, it is unlikely that William would share production duties, But, who knows?
Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you conciliating your day job with your music career?
Nope. William still pulls pallets for a living. And he still considers himself a hobbyist.
Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one? If yes, tell us about it.
Nope. William recognizes that putting together a live show is probably an important next step, but this still needs to be worked out. William refuses to be a musician who simply presses “play” in a live setting. So, playing certain synth parts and such is a necessity. William has also considered costumes and such; dressing up as some of the weird characters introduced in his music. This is still in the “dream” phase. So, we will see.
Who's your dream feature?
Obvious choices would be the likes of Boards of Canada. William was absolutely blown away by the electronic and contemporary jazz of Nala Sinephro. Collaborating with her and her team would be unbelievable. Beyond music, pairing with some visual artists would be amazing. Brian Calvin’s surrealist and pop-art leaning cubist pieces would make a great visual accompaniment to William’s music. Another obvious visual arts choice would be Jen Stark’s psychedelic installations for the obvious “brand” synergy.
These are dreams pairings of course. And William is absolutely happy working with Emilija Mitchell for all of his art needs. She has done his covers since Boomer Vibe “Sessions” and also created William’s snail logo. Her work has been paramount to furthering William’s vision.
Where do you see yourself in one year as a musician?
Who knows what William will up to in a year? Thanks to Google’s knowledge panel, William has been toying with the idea of building a “concept” around mythology and legend with his “misinterpreted mirror image” as the subject. There’s also the idea of going back to producing “bite-sized” EP’s. Something will materialize at some point. If not, William could always fall back on doing Corey Feldman covers or something.
Discovered via https://app.musosoup.com #sustainablecurator