Will Dailey

For other people with a similar name, see William Daley (disambiguation)
Will Dailey

Will Dailey in 2013
Background information
Born 1976/1977 (age 38–39)[1]
Origin Boston, Massachusetts
Genres Rock, Roots, pop
Years active 2003–present
Labels Universal Republic, CBS Records, JSM, Wheelkick Records (Current)
Associated acts Will Dailey & The Rivals, Mappari
Website www.willdailey.com

Will Dailey is an American independent, recording/performing artist and producer. His sound has been described as having a rich vintage vibe[2] while having a firm appreciation of AM rock, pop and big hooks.[3] He has released albums with Universal, CBS Records, Wheelkick Records and JS Music Group. Dailey has released three full-length albums since 2004. His last full length album, National Throat, came out on Wheelkick Records, on August 26, 2014. It directly followed Dailey's choice to split with a major label and use Pledge Music to create his album. Based out of Boston, he is notable as being a 5 time winner in the Boston Music Award: Best Male Singer-Songwriter in 2006, again on December 2, 2009 and December 2, 2012 and Album of the Year and Artist of the Year December 14th, 2014. The first single, "Sunken Ship", was a finalist in the 2013 International Songwriting Competition[4] and received heavy radio play. The album was released exclusively on vinyl three month prior to official release date.[5] It premiered on Billboards Heat Seekers chart at #18 and won Album of the Year and Song of the year in the New England Music Awards April 19th, 2015 as well. In 2009 and 2010, Dailey released Torrent, which involved the artist digitally releasing a burst of new music approximately every three months, and then compiling that material, along with bonus material, as a physical and digital audio package twice a year. Dailey is also a part of the John Mellencamp and Stephen King musical project Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.

Career

As of August 24, 2007, it was noted in the biography section of WillDailey.com that he started his professional career early. At age 12, he used his own savings to buy a small guitar and amp. By age 16, he had completed his first public performance on stage at a pub.

Will Dailey performed at the annual Farm Aid benefit concert on September 20, 2008 at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts to raise money for family farmers. Others on the bill included Farm Aid principals Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews along with Kenny Chesney, The Pretenders, Jakob Dylan and The Gold Mountain Rebels and others.

His songs have appeared in a variety of venues, including numerous television shows (see a partial list of Will Dailey's songs featured in television programs).

On May 22, 2009, Dan Aquilante of The New York Post favorably contrasted Will Dailey with the performers on American Idol, writing “Forget the last five months of force-fed artificial pop music on TV that just crowned a king (who I'm betting will be forgotten as quickly as he was created) – Will Dailey is the real deal."[6]

Will made his second appearance at Farm Aid on October 4, 2009, along with his band The Rivals, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis, Missouri, joining headliners Nelson, Young, Mellencamp, and Matthews, as well as Wilco, Jason Mraz and others on the bill. They performed a set that included "Down The Drain," "How Can I Make You Happy" and "Undone." Will Dailey and The Rivals performed for a third time at Farm Aid on August 13, 2011 in Kansas City. This time they did a six stop tour called the Road To Farm Aid (#road2farmaid) highlighting the efforts of the cities they played in to support their family farmers and good food movement. Dailey played his fourth Farm Aid in 2013 on the Homegrown Stage in Saratoga Springs.

GoodbyeRedBullet

Cover image of Will Dailey's GoodbyeRedBullet album.

In 2004, Dailey sold his car to pay for the release of his first full-length solo album, GoodbyeRedBullet. Although the proceeds of the sale were enough to fund the release of his CD, there was not enough surplus to finance a tour. Dailey instead relied upon his family and friends to generate publicity, a tactic which eventually gained him a mailing list of more than 25,000 worldwide. GoodByeRedBullet was released April 20, 2004 and eventually sold more than 10,000 copies.

Rootstime.de called "GoodbyeRedBullet", "Intelligent Songwriting." While Billy Zero of XM Radio Unsigned Radio said of the album, "Songs from the Heart is what you get when you place this order. Simply amazing songwriting and beautiful lyrics."

Following the success of this first album, Dailey began an intensive tour of the West Coast. Stricken with appendicitis and lacking health insurance, he was faced with nearly insurmountable debt. For health and financial reasons, he reluctantly abandoned the tour temporarily, squashing his hopes for a second album and compounding his financial woes. Thereafter, Dailey was able to proceed with his tour for a short while as a means of paying his staggering medical bills.

This situation soon changed when he achieved a record deal from an independent label in Los Angeles, providing him with the financial means to begin recording his second full-length album.

Back Flipping Forward

Cover image of Will Dailey's Back Flipping Forward album.

Back Flipping Forward was released on April 18, 2006.

External video
Will Dailey performs rise on CSI:NY

In late 2006, Will Dailey was among the first artists signed to the newly reformed CBS Records.[7] A large part of the focus for the label will be the promotion of artists who gain notoriety through the media company's own TV programs, whether aired on CBS channels, or made by CBS Paramount Television for broadcast on other networks. The New York Post underscored this agenda, citing appearances of other musicians in CBS programming as a means of promoting upcoming releases and television programs, such as the Grammy Awards.

September 4, 2007 marked the release of a deluxe package of the song Rise exclusively to the Internet music and video download service iTunes. The deluxe edition featured the album version of the track, an acoustic version, and a live in-studio video.

Back Flipping Forward was remixed and re-released October 2, 2007 through CBS Records. Dailey's cover recording of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" was made available as a bonus track to anyone purchasing the re-release of Back Flipping Forward on iTunes. Dailey's version was also used extensively by CBS for on-air promotion of the series, Kid Nation. Dailey appeared in an episode of CSI: NY on October 17, 2007. He was seen and heard performing "Rise" in a club, while Gary Sinise's character Mac Taylor played bass alongside him.

Torrent

Cover image of Will Dailey's Torrent, Volumes 1 & 2 album.

As of 2009, Dailey began releasing a new EP every few months as part of his year-long musical project called Torrent. According to Billboard Magazine,[8] Torrent, Volume 1: Fashion of Distraction, which was inspired by The Byrds and features contributions from Roger McGuinn was released digitally on January 20, 2009.

Torrent, Volume 2: By the Blue Hills, which is dedicated to his hometown Boston and features guests like Elliot Easton of The Cars, Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses and Belly, Kay Hanley of Letters To Cleo and Tim Brennan of Dropkick Murphys was released digitally on March 17, 2009. Dailey's song, "Tomorrow Still Comes" was also featured on NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack, which was released February 10, 2009 and used prominently in the NCIS episode "South By Southwest" on February 24, 2009. Additionally, "Peace Of Mind" from the first Torrent volume was featured in the NCIS episode "Semper Fidelis" on May 12, 2009. Torrent: Volumes 1 & 2 was released on June 9, 2009, combining the previous two EPs into a physical package, along with two bonus tracks.

According to the liner notes found in Torrent, Volumes 1 & 2,[9] there is a reason that the release is being presented on DVD as well as on CD. That reason is ΧΟΔΕ. As written in the package, "Developed by T Bone Burnett and his longtime team of engineers, ΧΟΔΕ is a patent-pending system for creating high-definition sound that is virtually indistinguishable from the master recordings an artist creates in the studio. The result is music exactly as it's meant to be heard, but that does not require the audience to purchase any new or special equipment to play. Anyone with a standard DVD player or one built into their computer system, can play a ΧΟΔΕ DVD and experience recorded music with the resonance, depth, warmth and presence that has only recently become possible in the digital reproduction of sound."

The ΧΟΔΕ DVD also contains all of the Torrent songs in .wav, .aac and .mp3 formats, "to give the listener the ultimate flexibility demanded by today's audio environment". The package also contains a standard CD. According to Billboard,[8] the double-disc will be sold at a single-CD price.

External video
Will Dailey's "Mood Rock" video parody of the Peter Lemongello "Love '76" commercial

In May 2009, Dailey released a video that parodied the famous Love '76 commercial from crooner Peter Lemongello, who sold millions of records through late-night television commercials in the mid- to late-1970s . This video captures the scene of two stereotypical show business managers coercing Dailey to appear in a TV advertisement for his new album, Torrent, so that he can achieve the same level of success as Peter Lemongello, Zamfir and Slim Whitman. The commercial itself is a scene-by-scene recreation of the original Lemongello spot that first aired on television in 1976.


National Throat

National Throat was released worldwide on August 26, 2014. The album was released exclusively on vinyl three months prior to the worldwide release.

The album was inspired by a failing business relationship, wherein Dailey felt like he was a "passenger on a sinking ship." Dailey willingly walked away from one of the largest labels in the world, took charge and involved his fans in a communal creative process through PledgeMusic to make National Throat. [10]

National Throat debuted in the top 20 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. [10] Rock journalist Steve Morse said of National Throat, “Will Dailey’s pop smarts, his dedication to detail, and his soul-inflected voice are just what we need right now to restore belief in music. His new songs are personal epiphanies with a universal appeal.” [11]

External video
Will Dailey's "Sunken Ship" music video

Just before the global release of National Throat, Dailey released his first music video "Sunken Ship." Directed by Joe Carter, Dailey’s physical and mental limitations take shape by way of a bathtub in Duxbury, Massachusetts and a beachfront in Newburyport, Massachusetts. [12] Dailey followed with a lyric music video for "Higher Education" in late September 2014. The song and video were inspired by Dailey's experience at Zumix, a Boston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth and building communities through music and the arts. The music video is dedicated to Zumix and includes several of the children Dailey mentored. [13]

Dailey and National Throat won Album of the Year and Artist of the year in the 2014 Boston Music Awards. [14] The album was listed on many year end lists for best release.

Partial list of Will Dailey's songs featured in television programs & Film

Song Title Show Episode Title Original U.S. Airdate Notes
"Big Bright Sun" NCIS "Tell-All" March 29, 2011
"How Can I Make You Happy" The Green Room with Paul Provenza "Showtime Promo Trailer" May 14, 2010 Multi-week promotional campaign
"Tomorrow Still Comes" Numb3rs "Devil Girl" January 29, 2010
"Eliza" Numb3rs "7 Men out" October 9, 2009
"How Can I Make You Happy" NCIS Los Angeles "Predator" October 6, 2009
"Never Be Your Baby" Ghost Whisperer "See No Evil" October 2, 2009
"Down The Drain" The Good Wife Premiere Episode September 22, 2009
"Love Is on the Way" Accidentally on Purpose Fall 2009 Multi-week promotional campaign
"Hallelujah" The Cleaner "The Things We Didn't Plan" July 28, 2009
"How Can I Make You Happy" The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson July 14, 2009 Live performance
"Undone" Middle of Nowhere 2008 Film
"How Can I Make You Happy" The Early Show June 16, 2009 Live performance
"Peace Of Mind" NCIS "Semper Fidelis" May 12, 2009
"Keep You A Mystery" 90210 "The Party's Over" May 5, 2009
"Never Be Your Baby" Harper's Island "Bang" May 2, 2009
"The Right One" Numb3rs "Animal Rites" April 10, 2009
"Tomorrow Still Comes" NCIS "South By Southwest" February 24, 2009
"Never Be Your Baby" 90210 "Games People Play" November 11, 2008
"Peace Of Mind" 90210 "Games People Play" November 11, 2008
"Rise" CSI October 2008 Promotional campaign
"Boom Boom" As the World Turns October 3, 2008 On-camera performance
"Rise" As the World Turns October 3, 2008 On-camera performance
"Rise" Numb3rs "End Game" April 25, 2008
"Rise" Eli Stone "Patience" April 10, 2008
"Grand Opening" Life Is Wild "The Code" December 9, 2007
"Grand Opening" Gossip Girl "Blair Waldorf Must Pie!" November 28, 2007
"Grand Opening" Life Is Wild "The Heart Wants What It Wants" November 18, 2007
"Grand Opening" Cane "One Man Is An Island" November 6, 2007
"Good To Me" Viva Laughlin October 21, 2007
"Rise" The Early Show October 17, 2007 Live performance
"Rise" CSI: NY "Time's Up" October 17, 2007 On-camera performance
"Undone" NCIS "Ex-File" October 9, 2007
"Hollywood Hills" The Hills "They Meet Again" September 17, 2007
"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" Kid Nation August 2007 Multi-week promotional campaign
"Undone" Army Wives "Who We Are" July 8, 2007
"Eliza" CSI: Miami "Born To Kill" May 14, 2007
"Rise" NCIS "Cover Story" April 10, 2007
"Hollywood Hills" What About Brian "What About Finding Your Place…" February 12, 2007
"Bi-Polar Baby" Ghost Whisperer "Cat's Claw" December 15, 2006
"Grand Opening" Jericho "Vox Populi" November 29, 2006

Equipment

Dailey plays a custom built Fano electric guitar model JM6 [15] through a Swart Space tone and Goodsell Super 17 and various acoustic guitars including Scott Baxendale Customs [16] and a D'Angelico acoustic.

Discography

Albums

Compilations & Other Recordings

Produced

References

  1. ↑ Laban, Linda (January 23, 2008). "His pop songs provide the drama for TV". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  2. ↑ Magazine, Guitar (May 22, 2009). "Acoustic Guitar". NotLame.com. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  3. ↑ Current, Direct (September 22, 2011). "Direct Current". Directcurrentmusic.com. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  4. ↑ Dailey, William. "Pledge Music Album".
  5. ↑ "The Vinyl District".
  6. ↑ Aquilante, Dan (May 22, 2009). "Much Better Than A Pop Idol". New York Post. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  7. ↑ James, Meg (December 15, 2006). "CBS Plans To Restart Namesake Music Label". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Billboard Magazine, May 29, 2009
  9. ↑ Torrent, Volumes 1 & 2 – Liner Notes: June 9, 2009
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 ,Guitar World
  11. ↑ Maimed and Tamed
  12. ↑ Vanyaland: Video Premiere
  13. ↑ PopMatters Video Premiere
  14. ↑ The Boston Globe
  15. ↑
  16. ↑

External links