elektro exclusive interview with Will Sparks

Tell us a little about how you first got started.

Will: “I’ve always been a music fanatic and listening to what my dad use to play since I was little. Growing up, I started playing the guitar and listening to heavy metal a lot. I use to find house music not enjoyable, until I somehow got into a club when I was 17, and back then it was the Melbourne sound too, and I fell in love with right there. So I picked up production and not went to school anymore. That’s about it...”

Did your parents play a major roll in either encouraging or discouraging you?

Will: “For sure man... My mom was really supportive and believed everyone is here for a reason and you should do whatever you want. She is an artist and paints a lot so same thing happened to her as she didn’t like school and left. So when I told her she said go ahead leave school who cares, do what makes you happy.”

You basslines is reminiscent of some of the 90s and early 2000s basslines. Was that what you wanted to go for, or was it purely because you wanted a fresh and different sound?

Will: “I was really inspired by guys like Samuel James who were producing these underground Melbourne sounds. So I became friends with them and watched them DJ. Now its become a cross between big room and minimal. Since I picked up production about 3-4 years ago, I guess my sound has involved without me knowing it. I just go with the flow”

Would you have done anything differently in the past?

Will: “You know what man I wouldn’t have anything differently. I’ve had to make a lot of crucial decisions. I guess you need to make the most out of the social media these days. You gotta know where you are and be smart about your decisions. Be nice to everyone, smile and be passionate when making music.”

Which of the younger producers you think is doing really well right now?

Will: “There are so many talented people in Melbourne. Samuel James is gonna be renowned soon. He’s been working for years and hasn’t put anything out. So he’s got all these bombs coming and no one knows about him yet. Joel Fletcher, he is part of the Lucky Crew as well. Scotty Lee is also one of them. All the Lucky Crew pretty much are gonna be huge. In terms of
collaborating...uh man you name it. People like Showtek, Afrojack and Hardwell are like the Gurus.”

Any surprising elements in your future sounds soon?

Will: “Yeah... I already surprised the fans with this track called Crazy. I put it up on Soundcloud. Though it wasn’t my best production, I really tried something different. Ive always had my heart for progressive Deadmau5 kind of stuff, but who knows in 10 years time. You gotta change it up while having your style for sure.

What’s your studio setup and how do prepare mentally for production?

Will: “I tell you everything if you wanna know haha... In my bedroom I have two KRK VXT 6s, a MIDI keyvoard and a Mac, plus the soundcard ofcoarse. A few plugins like like Bassizim for my kicks, Abelton Operator for my basslines and Waves Plugins for tweaking and mastering. But Im always learning and want to eventually get a mixdown like Hardwell. I mean you cant get better than that. Its also pretty hard to know if stuff will sound good in the club when you produce on the laptop, I mean I bounced this track out like 15 times for tonight haha... Mentally, I guess you gotta be weird and prepared. I just dance around and pretend I’m the one in the crowd.”

What do you hate about touring? And where do you look forward to playing next?

Will: “There definitely downsides to touring. Your gonna be away from friends and family, its not normal life. Your always on the road and in hotels. Places that I want to play at; I’m definitely looking forward to playing in all the big festivals too. I’m playing at TomorrowWorld next week, that’s gonna be the first big one I guess. American is just full of festivals, next year I’m gonna at a few big ones like EDC, WMC, Ultra...oh yeah and of course Stereosonic back at home. For all the kids at home that are thinking about producing music, this can happen. Just gotta not think about the future and hat your doing now and you can end up touring around the world.”

Would you produce for other people?

Will: “We’ve been already been asked heaps of time by some of the biggest commercial artists. But we’ve turned it down, because I want my music to have my name on it. Yeah you might get a big check for it, but I don’t care about that. I want to start my history with my stuff, not make history for someone else.”

What’s your favorite food?

Will: “Okay...Well, I’m dieting now so I would say the Ceasar Slad is up there, but im sick of it now haha... I love water. I know its boring but I drink a lot of water. Before dieting I would say, an In-N-Put burger with Pepsi haha...”