New Principles

Cuts of Willis Earl Beal's outsider soul, folk and blues, recorded live in his bedroom, were released as his debut LP Acousmatic Sourcery through the taste making XL Recordings early this year. Fascinating tales from his past surfaced in the music media; he had been homeless, in the army and he'd sing to anyone who called him and draw pictures to anyone who'd write.

But now, as he's about to make his first ever trip to Australia, Beal's true feelings about his debut album and the way his past has been perceived are starting to bug him. “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; while promoting himself throughout Chicago's streets as a singer you could call for a song and an artist to whom you could write for a picture was an effort to gain popularity, Beal is worried that the novelty has perhaps clouded the true essence of his art. “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.”

He does not blame his record label for the path he has gone down since signing with them, he just wishes that he had have taken more time to plot the best way to reveal himself to the public. “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.

Which is largely why he has re-recorded a number of his songs for the Principles Of A Protagonist EP; the new renditions slicker and showcasing Beal's gorgeously soulful voice with more clarity. “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.”

Willis Earl Beal will be playing the following dates:

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