I got the opportunity to sit down with William Beckett, the former frontman of The Academy Is… Beckett constantly exudes confidence and has been making music for years. I'd seen him live about four or five times before, and I'm a huge fan of his work.
We took a seat at a table in The Space, a fantastic venue in Hamden, CT. Amongst the light buzz of the managers and those in charge setting up for the evening's gig, I had Beckett's full attention.
Will said that this tour is what he's always wanted it to be. "To do really intimate shows, get back to my roots…reconnecting with other people- that's what it's all about." He was entirely genuine in this; I understand why. Seeing him in a larger venue takes away a bit more from being able to connect rather than small venues. Touring solo, he says, after being interrupted by some loud background music that "Dennis" started playing, means "less moving parts…to tour with a full band is what I'm ultimately going to be doing." Now he's got it all under control, and he seems relieved about this.
Starting anew, Beckett says that in a band "you're a bit tethered to what you've done before." Now that he's solo, he's able to "focus it all in, and hone it and follow my instincts." He's doing it how he wants, free from the reigns of other's input.
He stated won't cave in- "'Whatever you guys want…tell me what songs you want me to sing and I'll sing them…' That's not why I'm doing this." Walk The Talk is all about that. Him being proud of what he's doing, and who he is.
We were shortly interrupted by a woman who told Beckett where his greenroom is and some information about the venue, and Will was polite and very considerate of our interview, which I appreciated.
He's released three EPs this year- a 12 song record all broken up. "To release music in a more exciting, frequent way." This way, no songs get lost and they're all exactly what he wants to be heard.
When asking him to describe himself in three words, we got "Goofy, tall, and individual."
His guilty pleasure tune? "Part of that World", from Disney's Little Mermaid, though he does have "over a million" silly songs. He even sang a bit of it in his best Ariel voice, "You want thingamabombs? I got twenty!"
I love his personality, and I'm glad he's embracing his individuality. He's a renaissance man now, and there's nowhere for him to go but up.