The Will Clarke Podcast

I’m stoked to have Kyle Watson on the show this week to talk about the reality of what an artist and producer actually needs to do to build a full album. In this episode, we get right into the weeds of writing against a time crunch and how to tell a genuine story with a record. It is never just about writing music in isolation; it’s about figuring out how to make sure that sonic narrative connects from the first track to the last, even when the clock is ticking.Because making the tracks is only half the battle, we also break down how to tie that story directly into your marketing and branding. Kyle shares some incredible insights on the visual side of the industry and why great social assets can absolutely make or break an album release today. If you are trying to figure out how to cut through the noise online while staying entirely true to your sound, there is a lot to take away from this chat.This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...Toneframer - Head to www.toneframer.com/will and code WILL gets you 50% off your first three months.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke

This week’s episode features an absolute pioneer of electronic music: the legendary Etienne de Crécy. Sitting down with the architect of the French House scene was incredibly inspiring, especially as we dive into the raw, early days of the Parisian underground. We talk about his groundbreaking duo Motorbass, formed alongside his partner and friend, the late Philippe Zdar, and what it was actually like laying the foundational blueprint for French house before Daft Punk took the sound global.We also celebrate 30 years of his iconic Super Discount project! But what blew me away the most during our chat was Etienne's relentless drive to create the music of the future. He is a producer who refuses to rely on 90s nostalgia and is constantly searching for the next sonic boundary to push. Whether you are a massive fan of classic French house or just love hearing the passion behind what Etienne took to get here, you are going to love this one.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@willclarkedj?sub_confirmation=1This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s…⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke#WillClarke #ÉtienneDeCrécy

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Rules has a record with 81 million streams. In this episode we sat down and worked out, live, roughly what a number like that actually pays once the label split, the co-writer split, management and three years of waiting have taken their turn. The answer surprised both of us.We also get into why a sold out London show still lost money, the two producers who both told him not to do a live tour, driving his own van and roping his dad in to help, why he bought a camera and taught himself videography rather than do TikTok dances, the ad lib that became a whole record, why a re-sung sample never has the same soul as the original, whether streaming numbers convert to ticket sales at all, and why artist pages on Spotify should be able to carry sponsors the way podcasts do.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...A country of 27 million people has given dance music Fisher, Rufus Du Sol, Dom Dolla, Sonny Fodera, Cassian and Golden Features. Jesabel grew up in that scene, toured it for a decade, then left it all behind at 28 to move to the UK with no contacts and no plan B. She has a theory about why Australians keep winning, and it is not talent.We get into the Sydney scene before the government killed it, tall poppy syndrome and why nobody there wanted to see you rise, mixing the Ministry of Sound Clubbers Guide CDs, playing commercial sets in open format clubs to survive, and what it actually costs to leave your family and friends behind to chase it. Plus the hole of doubt nobody sees, why she blocked social media the day before we recorded, what a manager is really for now the gatekeepers are gone, and the honest conversation about putting your career ahead of everything else.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Rossi has had a mad three years.High On Me blew up. He closed the Circoloco Terrace at DC10, played Coachella, sold out an all-night-long at Fabric, built one of the hottest labels in house music, and discovered that success never feels quite the way you imagine it will.In this episode we talk about the sober stints and 75 Hard routine that keep him sane on tour, why he nearly didn’t back High On Me, the fear of “selling out” and the advice that completely changed his perspective, how Acting Tough was discovered on TikTok before becoming a massive record on Homegrown, writing with topliners for the first time, why the six months before a release matter more than release day itself, and what success actually means once you’ve ticked every box.This is one of my favourite conversations in a long time. It’s honest, funny and full of lessons for anyone building a career in music—or chasing any ambitious goal.If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment/review and let me know who you’d like to hear on the podcast next.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Morgan Seatree heard the Calvin Harris remix of "Say My Name" in the gym, found the original vocal on a Russian website, split it with AI, and made the edit fast. The TikTok did 30K. Then Marlon Hoffstadt closed Creamfields with it, a raw iPhone crowd clip went everywhere, and Florence and the Machine cleared a track for the first time in her life.We get into the full story behind the record: the Radio 1 moment that got it over the line, two major labels fighting with "checkbooks flying", releasing it while the offices were closed, and what nobody tells you about the aftermath, when a song doing half a million streams a day makes everything you release next feel like failure. Plus meeting Calvin Harris, the 6am prison routine, touring with his wife Hayley, Patrick Topping and Warehouse Project, paying it forward on Unfussy, and building an artist-led festival at Gateshead Stadium.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuewhttps://www.instagram.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.facebook.com/willclarkedjhttps://twitter.com/djwillclarkehttps://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Fleur Shore posted a reel every single day for five months. Then one video from Destino hit 12 million views, added 250,000 followers in two weeks, doubled her fees overnight, and brought a wave of hate and accusations she never saw coming.We get into what virality actually did to her career and her head, why female DJs get it worse online, the industry whispers that she'd bought it all, losing her manager and her best friend three weeks apart and having to choose sink or swim, the mushroom trip that sparked her For Sure clothing brand, why she builds new avenues before the plateau hits, running Undergrowth, prank calling butchers, and the three wheeler.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuew https://www.instagram.com/djwillclarke https://www.facebook.com/willclarkedj https://twitter.com/djwillclarke https://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke

This episode is sponsored by the following:Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-play...intellijend - use code WILL for 30% off Lifetime Subscription https://go.intellijend.com/will-clarkeN.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...Hayla sits down with Will Clarke for a deep conversation about building a real artist career beyond being known as the voice on some of dance music’s biggest records.In this episode, Hayla talks about the challenge of stepping out as a live vocalist in electronic music, creating her own world as an artist, the importance of fashion and visual identity, and how her sold-out solo shows helped her realise this could become something much bigger.She also opens up about writing her new album, why the music feels more personal than ever, how “Escape” changed the direction of her career, and the pressure artists feel to chase trends instead of trusting their own voice.A proper conversation about confidence, self-expression, live music, songwriting, identity, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱https://willclarke.komi.io/https://djwillclarke.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OmOdgwIzub8DYPxQYbbbi?si=hEx8GCJAR3mhhhWd_iSuew https://www.instagram.com/djwillclarke https://www.facebook.com/willclarkedj https://twitter.com/djwillclarke https://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke