Introducing Will Cherry — an artist/producer hailing from Cleveland, Ohio who recently released his new project ‘ULTRAVIOLET.’
“The title is inspired by the idea of an ultraviolet ray being invisible to the human eye, but still existing within our world,” Cherry says. “Anything that you can’t see but still believe in requires some sort of faith or belief. And that’s what my journey has been about so far.”
Throughout the project, he raps about his journey as an artist, taking trips around the country and finding his rhythm and my voice.
“The drive to pursue that is completely based on my faith that I’ll make it,” he says. “Because I didn’t walk in the door with a cousin in some high place to put me on immediately, I’m just hoping to make something iconic and beat the odds.”
The album as a whole tells the story of Will Cherry finding love and the relationship falling apart as he finds success in music. Will’s energy and presence throughout each track can be described as extraterrestrial, having a sound that’s out of this world.
Keep reading to learn more about Will Cherry and be sure to stream ‘ULTRAVIOLET’ below.
What city are you from/ Where are you based now?
I’m from Cleveland, specifically a town 25 minutes west of downtown Cleveland called Elyria. I still live in Elyria, and it’s definitely had a noticeable influence on my visuals because I shoot and direct most of them here.
What is your artist name? What is your real name? How did you get your artist name?
Will Cherry is my stage name, Will Lampley is my government. I started off creating everything with the name Will C. when I was like seven years old, but a couple of years ago I wanted to expand on the C. I chose cherry because it is a real last name, and it has so many different meanings, as well as an influence in pop culture. The imagery of a couple cherries on a stem is inescapable. And that’s how I want my music to be.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
My sound is a combination of heavy and powerful drums, sweet melodies and harmony, and a ton of versatility. I came up in the church so gospel chords are at the core of everything I do, it’s hard for me to make a song and it not eventually reach an emotional place in the production. I produce and mix my own music so I really focus on channeling my true emotions into the songs so people can feel something. I feel like my expression is at its purest place so far, but I want to push that farther.
What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you?
I’m passionate about it because I truly love to create. And I love to give it to people and get their reactions and see how it affects them. I’m the type of artist that loves to go to a studio session and play my music just to hopefully shock or impact whoever’s in the room. On my album I say “every time I play a song, they make me play it again”. That’s real and it’s definitely one of my goals. An even bigger goal is for me to just make something that someone can relate to emotionally and identify with. So they know whatever specific feelings they’re dealing with, Will Cherry is right there with them. And not just for the sad tracks. I feel that way about the happy moments too. I want people to make memories to my music. Rodeo by Travis Scott soundtracked a whole year for me. There are so many memories directly tied to that album and when I listen to it, the music takes me to those times. I want ULTRAVIOLET to be that same sort of time capsule for my fans.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
Marvin Gaye, Thundercat, Travis Scott, Jodeci, Kendrick Lamar, PJ Morton and Tyler, the Creator definitely influenced my worldview as a musician.
Tell us the name of the project you are currently promoting? What inspired this project?
ULTRAVIOLET is my new album. The title is inspired by the idea of an ultraviolet ray being invisible to the human eye, but still existing within our world. Anything that you can’t see but still believe in requires some sort of faith or belief. And that’s what my journey has been about so far.
Date that this project dropped or is set to drop?
October 13th. It’s 2:47 AM on October 13th as I write this and I’m feeling really excited about how it will impact my city and my world, and eventually the world at large. I think there’s something special about those moment-in-time type interviews so I just wanted to throw those feelings in there.
What is this project about in your own words?
On the album, I’m rapping about my journey as an artist, taking trips around the country and finding my rhythm and my voice. The drive to pursue that is completely based on my faith that I’ll make it. Because I didn’t walk in the door with a cousin in some high place to put me on immediately, I’m just hoping to make something iconic and beat the odds. Aside from the music, the album tells a story of me finding love and then the relationship starting to fall apart as I get closer to success in music. With relationships, there are so many things that may not be seen openly or communicated, it can only be felt. From the beautiful energy in the beginning to the sourness in the end, it’s felt and understood, Kind of like ultraviolet rays.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for? Include some dates if you have them.
After this, I’m going to be performing the album in a few different cities, rolling out some merch and my band STARLITE will be releasing an album this winter. I produced the album and really cared for the project as if it were my own, so if you like this album, you’ll definitely like that one as well.
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from this project?
I want people to feel happy, rejuvenated, inspired and I’d love for them to walk away from songs like “Brawl”, “Southside” or “Hold Me Down” with a different type of lens on their own relationships, mental health or goals. It’s fun music but I do want people to think a little bit and feel something.
Where can we follow you on social media? Include links.
http://instagram.com/willcherrry
http://twitter.com/willcherrry
