The Will Clarke Podcast

I am so pumped to have Dillon Francis on the podcast this week. In this episode, we dive deep into his wild rise to fame in the music industry. Dillon is known for constantly pushing boundaries, and we talk about how he often finds himself creating the most random music across entirely different genres, almost intentionally steering away from the formulas that are already working for him. It is a fascinating look into a creative mind that completely refuses to be boxed in by expectations and thrives on experimentation.

We also get incredibly real about the everyday reality of the struggling artist. We break down what it actually takes to catch that elusive break, get lucky, and have a record go truly viral in today's saturated landscape. On a more personal note, Dillon opens up about the business side of the industry and explains why moving on from a management team you’ve been with for years feels exactly like going through a painful breakup, even when there is absolutely no bad blood between anyone. There are so many valuable gems in this conversation for producers at any stage of their career and I hope you enjoy.

This episode is sponsored by the following:
Toneframer - Head to https://www.toneframer.com/will and code WILL gets you 50% off your first three months.
Playlist Push - use code WILLPUSH for 15% off at checkout https://playlistpush.com/spotify-playlists-promotion

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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_iSuew
https://www.instagram.com/djwillclarke
https://www.facebook.com/willclarkedj
https://twitter.com/djwillclarke
https://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke

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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.

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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-clarke
N.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_iSuew
https://www.instagram.com/djwillclarke
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https://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke

#WillClarke #ÉtienneDeCrécy
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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-clarke
N.A.P - use code WILL at checkout for Free Shipping & 2 Discovery Sets https://www.notanotherperfume.co.uk?s...

Mista Jam has been on national radio for 21 years, which makes him one of the few people who can answer this properly: why does everything in dance music sound the same now? His answer isn't that producers got lazy. It's that the music was born from struggle, and the people who can afford to make it now never had any.

We get into no new genre in a decade and whether that's even a fair claim, the free community studios that don't exist any more, what a ten grand booking fee actually leaves an artist once everyone else has been paid, why he calls it attention media rather than social media, the difference between integrity and credibility, the record that got ripped from SoundCloud and released as an edit before the original, the health journey behind "operation see my kids get old", getting dropped by a major last year, and the line that reframed his whole career: you can stop begging for a seat at the table and go build your own restaurant.

⏲ Follow Will Clarke ⏱
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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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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-clarke
N.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_iSuew
https://www.instagram.com/djwillclarke
https://www.facebook.com/willclarkedj
https://twitter.com/djwillclarke
https://www.tiktok.com/@djwillclarke
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.