Willis Earl Beal Announces New Album, Slams His Debut Record

Chicago based artist Willis Earl Beal was the talk of the indie underground at the beginning of the year as his intimate brand of outsider soul, folk and blues was captured and released on his debut LP Acousmatic Sourcery through UK-based taste-makers XL Recordings and fascinating tales from his past began surfacing in media reports across the UK and United States.

In the lead up to his first ever trip to Australia, Beal spoke with theMusic.com.au's Dan Condon, where he opened up about the true feelings he has for his debut album and the awkward position he finds himself in with regards to how his career thus far has come about.

“I have extreme trepidation about it,” he says of his first Australian visit, before admitting it might be different if he was proud of more of his achievements this year.

“If I had done something that I was proud of this year, with the exception of maybe the music video for Evening's Kiss and the [Principles Of A Protagonist] EP... I'm coming to Australia with some nervousness, because I don't really feel like I deserve it right now.”

He also feels at odds with the way he has been promoted in the media – his homelessness, his stint in the military and his propensity to connect with the public through drawing personalised pictures and singing over the phone to anyone who would call given plenty of mileage in the press over the past 12 months.

“I feel like the way I came on to the scene was not the way I would have done it if it was just by myself,” Beal considers. “I felt like my back story was promoted entirely too much and I don't feel like people have a clear idea of what my aesthetic is and what I can do musically and artistically.

“I think people have their ideas all based on what they read on the internet. You're always going to be your own biggest critic, but I just feel like I haven't done what I really wanted to do. I have enjoyed myself a lot at the same time – I've travelled a lot – but I'm still kind of in this state of self-doubt and I'm trying to get out of that dark tunnel and it's hard when you're exposed to a bunch of strangers and they tell you whether you're valid or whether you're not valid – it's frustrating.”

Beal revealed he has finished recording his second album, that he will take a band on the road next year (though wouldn't divulge who its members are) and intimates that he wants people to cease looking back at his debut and look to the future.

“With respect to the people at XL Records – whom I really love and who've been really integral in helping me to grow as a person and as an artist, especially since I just finished recording my new record – I wish that I had taken a step up and taken a bit more time before I released anything to the public.

"I wish I hadn't released my home recordings. I really love those songs and I feel that releasing them to the public… I don't feel like it's a smart move to release outsider music to a commercial audience but at the same time, like my agent always tells me, it's an unorthodox risky thing in today's industry so it's been working out surprisingly well.

“I want people to watch the YouTube videos and come to the live show and download the EP for free, because the EP has my full voice on it and it's got a better quality of recording than my first record. And wait for my new CD Nobody Knows.”

By Beal's description of his second record, which will be released in 2013, it sounds like a particularly considered affair with a strong narrative.

“There's this protagonist that I've created, kind of a representation of myself, and it tells a story, a very existential kind of internal struggle, it bridges the gap between sex, insanity, delusion, salvation and futility. And it's 14 tracks long.”

Stay tuned for our full interview with Willis Earl Beal in the coming weeks. He plays the following shows while in Australia.

Friday 28 December – Tuesday 1 January – Falls Festival, Lorne
Wednesday 2 January – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Thursday 3 January – Goodgod Small Club, Sydney