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The Sydney-based maestro has copped nods from the likes of Golden Features, Flume, Willaris K. and more…
There are few who’ve had a 2022 like Willo. With two EPs under her belt, support slots for the likes of Flume, HAAi and DJ Seinfeld, as well as potentially the greatest love story in the history of Aussie music (we’re looking at you, Red Bull), she’s emerged as a frontrunner for the homegrown dance scene in the past year. Her artistry is characterised by a heartfelt balance between melancholic electronica and high energy house, and has resulted in her amassing a dedicated legion of fans from all across the world. She’s the embodiment of the ethos that if you work hard, stay dedicated and remain true to your passion, your flowers will come, and believe me when I say that Willo’s garden is in full bloom right now.
Her latest single, ‘Rush (Blush)’ serves as a spellbinding incarnation of the dualities of her sound, with euphoric, ember-like production layers grounded in the chasm of dance. The result is a captivating sonic tapestry bursting with emotion and nostalgia, and luckily, she has another EP in the works, so rest assured that there’s plenty more on the way. To top things off, she’s also just announced a headline show at Oxford Art Factory next month, which you can cop tickets to here.
In light of the breakout year she’s just had, we caught up with Willo to get the drop on her music, her busy NYE and what corporation she’s currently got in her sights (watch out 7-Eleven):
Recently, you’ve supported Flume, played a summer tour and put a new song out in ‘Rush (Blush)’. Crazy times. How are you feeling?
I’m feeling good! The new year was a lot of fun but it’s nice to get back into a routine. I also think releasing music the second week into 2023 was a good idea because we are all on that NYE motivation thing.
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It was your first time doing that festival run over New Years Eve? What was it like?
That run was so intense. It was probably the best thing I’ve ever done. It was so fun but so exhausting.
Have you recovered yet?
Sort of [laughs]. I’m trying to get back into the flow of things right now. The travelling aspect was the hardest part but getting to a new festival every day was so fun because it would be a new energy every time. And I kept thinking something would go wrong with a flight or a transfer but I made it to every set in one piece, surprisingly [laughs].
Did you have a favourite festival out of those shows?
My highlight was Lost Paradise for sure. To play that sunset slot was a dream of mine. I remember being there for the last one in 2018 and thinking, “What a dream it would be to play here.” I had such a wholesome time just reflecting on how far we’ve all come and it was so lovely overall, so that was definitely my highlight. A close second would be Beyond the Valley, just the whole vibe there was incredible. The stage design was crazy and the people were so fun as well. All the doof sticks were mental as well.
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Any doof sticks in particular that stood out to you?
This is such a hard question. They were all so good. The ketamine doof sticks always just hit though, I don’t know what it is about them [laughs]. Festivals are so fun partly because of the doof sticks. It’s like a dress-up party and everyone is getting in theme. When everyone dresses up, it’s so much more fun.
You’ve talked about how ‘Rush (Blush)’ is about the initial feelings of a romantic relationship. Did writing about that in a musical sense come easy or did that take time?
It’s actually really easy for me. I naturally like writing about deep stuff because whenever I sit down and make music, it’s really hard for me to make a club banger straight away.
I’m usually in my feels or am processing my feelings about life, and then I just add the electronic elements after. I think it’s because I’ve really tapped into that vulnerable side over the last 12 months. Before I released my first EP, Past Time, I was making a lot of club tracks and I thought that was the route I was going to go down. It was only by chance that I chucked in the title single and another emotional track and my manager was like, “This is sick.”
So, having that validation since my first release has allowed me to tap into that more and be even more vulnerable when making music, so that’s what I’m doing now. Even the next few tracks after ‘Rush’ are really sick and feel very me.
The production for ‘Rush (Blush)’ has this lead vocal that sings “Take your time/ I’m taking it”, which blends really nicely with the vibrant synths and little bits of ornamentation you’ve created throughout. How does having a singer to collaborate with change your writing process?
It changes heaps. You really have to get the vocal in straight away and build it from there or else the track gets too busy. I gave the vocalist, Nina, as little as possible to work with, just some drums and a chord progression so they didn’t feel restricted creatively. I then worked around their vocals, particularly in the breakdown.
You’ve done a lot over this past year and have had a lot of crazy experiences. In 2023, what still gives you a rush?
What gives me a rush? Every time I play I still get a rush and I feel very present. I get a rush from meeting new people when I’m out. I really love the little dance music community we have. I used to get a rush from my vape but I’m trying to quit. It’s been really hard. I’ve been missing that rush of dopamine I would get though because I’m addicted [laughs].
I’m trying to get a new addiction so lately I’ve been trying to swap it out for something healthy. Like yesterday, it was 9pm at night and I was really craving a vape, but then I went down to the park and just had a swing on a swing set.
It was so much fun. I was healing my inner child and I got my dopamine rush. So yeah, maybe that’s where I’ll get my rush from [laughs].
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What can you tell us about the new batch of tracks you’re working on and the upcoming EP?
The next single is a really fun dance track. It’s 130 BPM, so it’s a lot quicker than my usual music. I also did some vocal stuff on it that I’m really keen to share.
I’m just super excited because when I made it, I was probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my life and it’s just such a vibe of a song. I was having a session with Duskus and the next day, I was so inspired and I made the song. I was locked in the studio for 12 hours, and I didn’t leave until I finished it.
I’m so excited for it to come out because it’s still melancholic like ‘Rush’ but you could easily play it in a set.
It’s really cool how your productions are more on the melancholic side of electronica, but then you have this crazy range with your DJ sets where you can go hard and fast just as easily. Do you have a preference between the two? And how do those different parts of your sound inform the other?
I think it’s all about emotion for me. That’s why I love the melancholic stuff. There are highs, lows, breakdowns and just moments where you can chill. It’s the same with the heavier stuff as well. It sounds like a bit of a clichè, but I like to go on a bit of a journey with my sets. I love being able to just go really high and then come back down and chill. I love experimenting as well just in terms of reading a room, especially in terms of being able to tell when people want something a bit heavier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6EzGm49zB0
I also want to talk about your many sponsorships. You’re basically the darling of Red Bull now. Do you have any more corporations in your sights? Any you want to put on notice right now?
I’ve actually been trying to reach out to 7-Eleven. I think they’re playing hard to get. At my old studio there was a 7-Eleven right downstairs, and I’d just be able to go there at any time of the day. And I ironically got into egg and lettuce sandwiches. But it was so ironic to the point that I really liked them by the end. Now, I just want them to reply to a DM and I’ll be happy. I’ll be starstruck.
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You’re also originally from the suburbs of Sydney. For anyone from the big smoke who’s yet to venture past Sash in North Sydney, what can you tell them about suburbia?
It’s very chill. A lot of families, beautiful trees and bush walks. That’s how I made the first EP. It was during lockdown and I would just go for these massive walks and then I’d come home and make music. It was the best routine ever. But yeah, there are no cafès you can walk down to and it’s just so far from everything. The Ubers are brutal as well. I’ve put way too much trust in Uber drivers on nights out. I would fall asleep and wake up and be like, “Thank God I’m not dead right now.”
You’ve also touched on our dance scene and the community that is building in Australia. Do you have any Aussie producers that you’re really vibing at the moment? Any you’d be keen to collaborate with?
1tbsp is my favourite producer out of Australia at the moment. Everything he releases is golddddd. I’ve also been loving Pretty Girl, Skeleten, Sam Alfred, Rino & SWIM for a while now. All I’d be keen to collaborate with!
I was looking at old event lineups the other day and saw your name on a Chinese Laundry poster from 2019. After having hustled in the scene for years on end, what was it like to see it all come to fruition over this past year?
It’s been unreal. It’s funny that you brought up Chinese Laundry because I was looking for a photo from years ago on my phone last night and I saw this Chinese Laundry lineup I was on in like 2017. I remember supporting Dom Dolla there back in the day as well. It’s just insane because I’ve been DJing for like six years and this past year is when it’s all really taken off and I’ve been able to make a living out of it. She’s ballin’ [laughs]. But yeah, all my money goes toward buying drinks, egg and lettuce sandwiches and vapes [laughs].
It’s been such a wild ride but it’s really nice to feel valued now. And my DJ sets are so much better now because I don’t have to warm up for someone or follow their vibe. I can just do my own thing and it’s been really nice to explore that.
I don’t know how to exactly say it, but it’s been a hard road. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing though. I love that it’s been a long process because that means that I really want to do it. If things happen too quickly then it’s always like, “Do you really want to do this?” Whereas I definitely know that this is what I wanna do. I definitely have my 10,000 hours now, and where I feel the most comfortable now is behind the decks and making music.
Willo’s new single ‘Rush (Blush)’ is out now. You can buy/stream it here. You can also cop tickets to her upcoming show at Oxford Art Factory here.
