{"id":20190,"date":"2021-10-27T12:00:08","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T19:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=20190"},"modified":"2021-10-27T12:14:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-27T19:14:46","slug":"willy-porter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2021\/10\/willy-porter\/","title":{"rendered":"WILLY PORTER VIDEO PREMIERE"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Musician: WILLY PORTER<br \/>\nVideo: \u201cAngry Words\u201d<\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZaAUvethKfg\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>WILLY PORTER FEATURED AT BLUE ROCK\u2019S COOL NIGHTS 21 THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28<\/h3>\n<p>Willy Porter will be featured at Blue Rock aLive! Cool Nights 21 livestreaming concert series\u2014this Thursday, October 28. His music spans over two decades, 11 albums and multiple continents with a journey defined by an inquisitive love for humanity and the language that describes what we all hold to be true. Porter\u2019s songs weave a universal perspective about the questions, struggles and triumphs of human existence. His live shows are guitar-driven grit, soul, silence and muscle\u2014at times electrifying, dynamic and unique in the way that Porter\u2019s voice blends and fuses with his fret work.<br \/>\nIn 1990, he released his first full-length independent album,\u00a0The Trees Have Soul, and the touring life has flowed steadily ever since. He has toured in support of artists like Tori Amos, Paul Simon, Jethro Tull, Sting and Jeff Beck.<br \/>\nPorter\u2019s breakthrough album,\u00a0Dog Eared Dream, was released in 1994, and the song \u201cAngry Words\u201d quickly became a staple on AAA radio. In addition to making a life in music, Porter finds ways to make an impact on local and international levels. He is an active supporter of Advocates of Ozaukee, a shelter and treatment facility for victims of domestic violence and abuse in Mequon, Wisconsin. His annual benefit concerts have raised more than $100,000 for this organization. He is also an Ambassador for Guitars for Vets, a Milwaukee-based international organization improving the lives of veterans by providing them with guitars and music lessons.\u2028\u2028Willy Porter has mastered the intricate balance of using the full tonal palette of the guitar to enhance his carefully crafted lyrics. His songs ring with the power of truth that he hopes will tap into our human kindness, asking us to question and change our path toward the available light of a new day.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20201\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-04.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-04-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In \u201cChange Your Mind\u201d he asks \u201cCan you forgive the heart of a stranger letting you down out of fear\u201d\u2014wishing us \u201cnot to live in fear\u2014and let the music to change our mind.\u201d He elicits the names of some amazing truth leaders who let us know that \u201cthe biggest fight of your life will be you versus you.\u201d<br \/>\nWe talked with Willy Porter about his journey over the past three decades of writing songs and touring, how his approach to songwriting has evolved with time, how the journey of creating has become the destination\u2014giving himself permission to just have fun and how he hopes we can all work together to help make a difference.<\/p>\n<p>Check out his livestream this Thursday, October 28, at Blue Rock Texas\u2014where innovation, quality and creativity are evidenced in concerts produced with broadcast quality audio-video from their renowned Texas room\u2014streamed straight to you. What\u2019s unique about the Season Pass ($105) is that you can have a seat in the house by sending in your headshot. They will place your headshot on a seat, so you will literally be sitting in the room. Go to: https:\/\/bluerocktexas.com\/events<\/p>\n<h2>WILLY PORTER Interview<br \/>\nwith\u00a0M Music &amp; Musicians\u00a0magazine publisher, Merlin David<\/h2>\n<p>Tell us the story behind one of the songs you will play at Blue Rock\u2019s Cool Nights 21 (for your October 28 performance).<br \/>\n\u201cChange Your Mind\u201d is a new song that weaves through some of the beliefs and mythologies we humans cling to as we fall prey to algorithm-inspired tribalism.\u00a0It\u2019s a lot of fun to play on the guitar and seems to chug along in agreement with itself fairly well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which song are you especially glad made it onto your most recent album mnemonic?<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201cBears Ears &amp; the Great Law\u201d is the most fulfilling piece on this record.\u00a0It was inspired by the environmental wonder of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah established by President Obama in 2016, as well as the Great Law of Peace put forward by the Iroquois Confederacy. I was inspired to work on it when the next president reduced the size of Bears Ears dramatically after also offending the Native American Code Talkers during a White House visit in their honor.\u00a0The song took a few months to finish, but it really is the cornerstone of that recording project.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Willy Porter has mastered the intricate balance of using the full tonal palette of the guitar to enhance his carefully crafted lyrics. His songs ring with the power of truth that he hopes will tap into our human kindness, asking us to question and change our path toward the available light of a new day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>What did you learn about yourself after recording this album?<\/strong><br \/>\nI came away from the mnemonic project realizing that song forms don\u2019t really matter to me as much as they used to.\u00a0Singer-songwriters, me included, can fall prey to the rules they hear applied in others\u2019 work\u2014and feel compelled to write and arrange under those linear constraints. I do love a 3-minute song that sets the world alight.\u00a0But I am equally happy writing a 9-minute piece\u2014if it holds together as a composition and feels more like a ride.\u00a0This has been liberating. In this way, the journey of creating for me has become the destination. I am working on a new studio record now for release in 2022.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20202\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-05.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-05.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-05-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-05-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who originally inspired you to write songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nI helped run the coffeehouse and book bands at my college in the 80s. Through that experience, I came into contact with some great writers\u2014Bill Miller, L.J. Booth and Johnsmith. Through the years, they all became friends and their work continues to inspire me today.<\/p>\n<p>What songwriting tip would you like to offer?<br \/>\nSuspend judgement on yourself. You are trying to create a safe space within which this piece of art can live. When you\u2019re writing, remember that you\u2019re writing for you first. Don\u2019t overjudge it. Let it sit for a couple of days\u2014let it live and breathe for a little while\u2014and then come back to it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did the idea for \u201cAngry Words\u201d come to you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI was happy for the way that song was received. If it wasn\u2019t for that experience, I never would have believed. The song started as a letter I was writing to someone\u2014our relationship had failed. As I wrote, the couplets started to feel like stanzas. From there, it just evolved into the song. The guitar part was turning in my mind. I was working with cut capos\u2014finding different voicings on the guitar. That led to this groove that I had in this fleabag apartment in Milwaukee\u2019s eastside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you ever feel restricted by a song that becomes popular?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt\u2019s nothing short of a blessing when a song resonates with your audience. I\u2019m always shocked when an artist doesn\u2019t want to play an older song. While Joe Walsh was introducing \u201cRocky Mountain Way\u201d he said, \u201cIf someone would have told me I\u2019d have to play this song for the rest of my life, I would have written a better one.\u201d (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20200\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-03-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-03-2.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-03-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What instruments\/equipment can you not live without?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy first Gordon Bischoff six-string is one I got from him back in the 80s. It has a warm, dark rosewood tone. It holds a groove. It\u2019s not the loudest voice in the room, but it\u2019s the voice you want to hear. So I\u2019m always drawn back to it.\u00a0I don\u2019t tour with those guitars anymore, as the airlines have tried to destroy them on several occasions. Currently, they seem to be the haunted ones that have tunes rattling around inside.\u00a0That\u2019s the guitar I would run into the house to grab, if there was a fire. I also write a lot on my two Jason Kostal Guitars. They brought me \u201cBears Ears\u201d and \u201cThe Ravine.\u201d The voicings and intonation allow me to do things that I can\u2019t do on other instruments. On the road I rely on my Kevin Muiderman six-string.\u00a0He\u2019s in North Dakota and he\u2019s building these incredible sounding guitars. They are structurally robust and can be put through many different tunings in a show\u2014while remaining stable. He\u2019s making guitars for Leo Kottke. I have several of his instruments and they are amazing\u2014they\u2019re so balanced that you can play on them in any register. Those guitars also have tunes in them. They\u2019re all different. It\u2019s wonderful to have a little collection of guitars.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Any accessories?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019ve been using a Neumann KMS 105 vocal mic for 20 years. I love it. For the guitar, I\u2019ve discovered Grace Design\u2014FELiX preamp and ALiX\u2014both are liberating and excellent pieces. That works well with Fishman electronics in the guitars. I use a ton of Kyser capos that are either modified or third-hand that they have. I certainly wouldn\u2019t have written so many songs without those capos. Back in the day, Harvey Reid and Tom Pirozzoli were modifying the regular Kyser to make an Esus capo. We were cutting them off and modifying them\u2014and we had fun doing that. I probably still have some of those old capos. Then Kyser started producing them\u2014which is nice. I also use Shubb capos.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which Top 5 Musicians\u00a0inspired you to become a musician?<\/strong><br \/>\nLeo Kottke, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Michael Hedges and Marvin Gaye.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are your Top 5 favorite albums of all time?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Dark Side of the Moon (1973) \u2014 Pink Floyd<br \/>\nAnimals (1977) \u2014 Pink Floyd<br \/>\nOK Computer (1997) \u2014 Radiohead<br \/>\nWired (1976) \u2014 Jeff Beck<br \/>\nSeven Heaven (1987) \u2014 Glen Velez<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20199\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"989\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-02.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-02-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-02-300x450.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us a \u201cpinch me\u201d moment when you thought \u201cWow, this is really happening to me!\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nHanging out with Jeff Beck backstage, while he played through a little vintage Fender Pro Junior amp and talked about getting a sound out of that amp\u2014that was absolutely surreal for me. Also singing \u2018Gas Her Up\u2019 on stage with Sting during his Brand New Day tour\u2014that was also a very bright moment.<br \/>\nWhat is the best advice someone has given to you?\u2028When I failed the sight-reading test, my classical guitar teacher said \u201cYou know, you can be a good classical guitarist, if you wanted to. What music do you listen to at home?\u201d I said, \u201cJoe Walsh and the James Gang\u2014rock \u2019n\u2019 roll.\u201d He leaned in and said, \u201cI\u2019ll tell you a secret. Play the music you love. It\u2019ll be easier for you and it\u2019ll carry you much further.\u201d<br \/>\nBest advice you\u2019d like to give upcoming musicians?<br \/>\nAfter each show, first write down three things you got right\u2014then review what you need to improve.\u00a0Never put business before music; it\u2019s the music business, in that order, for a reason.\u00a0Always strive to play with musicians who are better than you (that has been relatively easy for me), who you respect as humans and who are in music for the music.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why do you think it\u2019s important for musicians to be involved with things more than music\u2014like your involvement in Advocates of Ozaukee and being an Ambassador for Guitars for Vets?<\/strong><br \/>\nI have found that helping organizations and people I believe in\u2014adds fuel to the \u2018why\u2019 of my own existence.\u00a0It\u2019s easier to face the valleys of this life knowing that you may have made someone else\u2019s journey a little bit easier.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20198\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-01.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-01-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Why is playing at Blue Rock Texas so special?\u2028<\/strong><br \/>\nBilly Crockett is a great artist himself. He understands what it means to travel, stay integrated with your music and embrace a community at that moment that you\u2019re traveling through. All that knowledge and wisdom from his career\u2014has filtered into Blue Rock\u2019s promotions and production. They make their artists feel grounded. The facilities they\u2019ve created are world class, but their patience and the way they are as people\u2014is integrated into the shows they produce.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is there a song you\u2019ve written that you are glad resonated with people?<\/strong><br \/>\nOne More September\u201d from my album Available Light is a statement about reclaiming what September 11th could be. In all this loss, in all this pain\u2014there is always hope. We can retain that hope. We can reserve the right to hold it. People responded to that song in a very positive way\u2014and it was gratifying.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you remain hopeful in this strange and unique socio-political time?<\/strong><br \/>\nI work on my faith and try to be as present in the moment as I can be. I also talk to the friends I don\u2019t agree with and try to focus on the vast amount we hold in common in our lives\u2014not the differences in our opinions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where can new fans get more info and stay updated?<\/strong><br \/>\nwww.WillyPorter.com<br \/>\nInstagram: @willyportermusic<br \/>\nTwitter: @WillyPorter<br \/>\nFacebook: @willyportermusic<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20197\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"592\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-06.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Willy-Porter-06-300x269.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Musician: WILLY PORTER Video: \u201cAngry Words\u201d WILLY PORTER FEATURED AT BLUE ROCK\u2019S COOL NIGHTS 21 THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28 Willy Porter will be featured at Blue Rock aLive! Cool Nights 21 livestreaming concert series\u2014this Thursday, October 28. His music spans over two decades, 11 albums and multiple continents with a journey defined by an inquisitive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20193,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[12894,12893,12895,12896,12897,12898,12899,3604,8271,12900,12901,11644,11616,9481,11385,3592,12869,9490,12902,12903,12904,12905,12906,3235,1796,3244,12907,12908,11810,12909,12910,11812,12911,12912,12913,12914,11646,12915,12916,12917,12918,12919,12920,12921,272,3811,26,12922,991,12923,12924,12925,10386,9850,12926,12927,7376,7566,1022,3010,11402,7978,12928,12929,12930,12931,12932,12933,12934,1857,1185,8540,1186,12935,10405,9869,620,12936,2508,12937,12938,12939,12940,12941],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20190"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20190"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20205,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20190\/revisions\/20205"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}