(Capitol) On his brand new single, "Walls," rising singer-songwriter Will Swinton sounds like he's singing from the other side of a smoke-filled bar and a jug's worth of whiskey. The New Zealand artist has a growing gift for emotion-spilling Americana - as proven by his recent run of releases - and this might be his rawest yet.
Reeling from heartbreak, Will feels the "Walls" closing in on him, voice cracking and quavering as he sings, "Forty nights of me still not sleeping / Forty days with a hole inside my head / I was lost when you lost all feeling / So hold on, don't you run, I need you here." The intimate instrumentation gradually gets bigger, louder, and more insistent, building to a driving beat and a ragged guitar solo.
Only a week ago, Will shared the live performance video for his previous single, "Where I Belong," showcasing the power of his expressive voice and vivid storytelling. Before that came the darkly gripping "Flames," which reached #9 on the Hot 20 NZ singles chart, and the heartfelt "Fall Apart," which inspired POPCULTR to praise "his evocative lyrics and distinctive sound," and declare that "[Swinton's] not just making waves - he's creating a tidal surge of emotion and connection."
With these moving songs at his back, Will is currently touring as direct support on BabyJake's hotly tipped 25-date Beautiful Blue Collar Boy Tour. The tour wraps in Nashville on November 16.
Will's been on a tear this year. Back in July, he released "Can't Let Go," an undeniable folk-pop gem that came with a video directed by the artist himself. The song also climbed to #7 on the Hot 20 New Zealand Singles Chart and garnered praise from Sweety High who shouted out Will's rousing, folksy sound." And in June, he shared "Letting Me Down" which piled up hundreds of thousands of streams and considerable critical acclaim. The Honey Pop raved, "It's raw and emotional, and we can't help but feel as if we're going through the situation right alongside him," while UPROXX placed the song on its "All The Best New Pop Music" list. Prior, he made waves with "Harmless," inspiring Happy Mag to declare, "Will Swinton cements his place among music's upper echelons."
All of that (and more) was in 2024 alone. Will closed out 2023 by opening for Dermot Kennedy and releasing "Daydream," which clocked millions of streams, hit #5 on the Hot 20 New Zealand Singles Chart, and scored more press love, including a Rolling Stone plug. That followed the October 2023 release of Will's debut EP Better Days, which itself capped a flurry of momentum for the then fresh face - in 2022, his independent single "All for You" cracked the Top 10 of the Hot 20 New Zealand Singles Chart, while "Better Days," "Wasted You," and "Leave in the Morning" all hit the Top 15.
Beautiful Blue Collar Boy Tour Dates:
11/11 - St Louis, MO - Duck Room at Blueberry Hill
11/12 - Indianapolis, IN - Turntable
11/13 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar
11/14 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Purgatory)
11/16 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
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