Q&A: Sam Wills Gathers A Star-Studded Team on His New Single “Sweet Distraction”

Q&AMusic

Dec 16

☆ BY TIFFANY LE ☆

ANOTHER SINGER-SONGWRITER TO KEEP ON YOUR RADAR– UK soul artist Sam Wills has been writing music for decades since his early childhood, and we today get to reap the benefits as he redefines the boundaries of genre through his own music. If you’ve explored the up-and-coming music scene enough, you might have heard of Will’s top streamed single, “Traingazing” ft. Honey Moochie off of his 2021 album “Breathe”. This is personally where Will’s music all started for me and many others– this year, Wills has blessed us with not only his newest single, “Sweet Distraction”, but also the talented all-star team behind the production that gives the track so many layers audibly, lyrically, and emotionally. He brings in producer Jake Milliner for the sweet beat, and UK rapper Kofi Stone on his own verse. Due to circumstances, recording and production had to take place remotely, but the hard work definitely paid off– all of their respective elements came together on the song as one, so smoothly that you couldn’t have guessed that they were never in the same room together throughout the process.

Read below to find out more about “Sweet Distraction” and the trio’s tricky-yet-creative process for the track.

LUNA: Hi Sam! I’ve been a listener of yours for a bit so I’m so glad for the opportunity to pick your mind about your music! I was wondering, how have you been navigating creating music differently (if at all) since the release of your debut album “Breathe” last year, & particularly your top song “Traingazing”? Has it been hard to follow up its success?

WILLS: Hi! After the album dropped I was feeling quite burnt out. “Sweet Distraction” was my first venture back into music. I never usually write to beats, preferring to write from scratch, but when Jake sent me the beginnings of beat for “Sweet Distraction”, it jumped out at me and inspired me to get out of my usual creative headspace. I’ve since been to LA and New York working with lots of amazing musicians, and have also spent stretches alone in my studio in Hastings. I think that variation in approach is helping me navigate the next project of music. Regarding “Traingazing”, I try not to focus on following in the footsteps of a previous release (although it can be hard!) I think it’s also important not to feel the need to replicate a certain vibe or style just because it’s done well before, and instead focus on what feels good and authentic at the time.

LUNA: Would you describe your sound as strictly R&B, or are there other genres and elements that influence your music?

WILLS: If I had to put one genre on my music I’d say it was soul, as I’d say that all my music feels soulful in some way. However there are definitely elements of R&B, jazz, hip hop and sometimes indie-folk.

LUNA: Your newest single “Sweet Distraction” just recently dropped on November 25th, the day after Thanksgiving. Definitely a nice surprise for the holidays! Tell us in your own words what the song is about!

WILLS: From my perspective, “Sweet Distraction” is about finding an escape from feelings of self doubt and lack of purpose. I touched on it earlier but after my album dropped, for some time I felt quite disorientated and unsure how to move forward, both musically and personally. This song was the first thing I made during that time, and helped me reconnect with my creativity.

SAM WILLS X KOFI STONE X JAKE MILLINER

LUNA: How did you guys end up coming into collaboration with each other?

WILLS: I’ve been a fan of both Jake and Kofi for a while, and I asked Jake to send me over any beats he had that weren’t being used. I found the “Sweet Distraction” beat in there and recorded a verse/chorus as well as added a few more production layers. Thankfully, Jake liked it. It was clear at this point that Kofi would be perfect to have involved. We sent it to him, and luckily Kofi loved the idea and wrote and recorded a verse! We then worked on the outro together. I gave it a mix, and the rest is history. We worked remotely for the most part and still haven’t all met in the same room, which is different to my usual way of working, but I enjoyed the process for a change and I think it inspired how the song came out.

STONE: Sam hit me up with the song and it just went from there, as soon as I heard it I instantly loved it and wanted to be a part of it.

MILLINER: I sent Sam a folder of beats, and the “Sweet Distraction” demo was one that caught his ear. We then got in contact with Kofi, who we knew would be a perfect addition.

LUNA: What was the process of making this track together like, from writing to recording to production?

STONE: It was cool. We did the verses remotely, but Sam and I linked up a bit later to write the outro.

MILLINER: The bulk of it was done remotely, which is the way I tend to work in most cases. I made the main idea for the instrumental in 2019. Sam then wrote his part and did some great additional production. Kofi laid his part down then me and Sam met up at his studio to go over some final ideas.

LUNA: What does this track mean to each of you? What were each of you particularly trying to contribute to the song within your respective roles to create a cohesive vibe, if that makes sense?

WILLS: I’m thankful to this tune for getting me back into the swing of songwriting. I enjoyed the challenge of having one verse and a chorus to get my whole message across, whilst letting Jake’s beat breathe, and allowing room for Kofi to have artistic freedom on his verse.

STONE: When I heard the track I was able to connect with an old memory of a previous love interest, one that was in fact a distraction that I was able to go to and get away from the stresses of education, however there were complications in the relationship. I talk about this in my verse. I tried to incorporate my story into this and talk about a time when I needed someone to take my mind off things.

MILLINER: I guess I didn’t really need to think about too much as the track started from a beat I had already made. After the vocals were laid down though it was just making a few changes with Sam to get the production feeling right.

LUNA: All the elements of this collaboration, Jake’s beats layered over Sam’s smooth vocals and Kofi’s bars, definitely give it so much life, while the R&B energy remains extremely chill and laid back. What are your favorite things about each other’s contributions to the track?

WILLS: Kofi and I didn’t talk about the meaning behind the lyrics in the verse/chorus I wrote before he wrote his verse, which was dope because it gave him the freedom to interpret them relating to him. Kofi is one of the best there is, and I love how it turned out. Jake’s amazing beat was what started the whole collaboration off. I’m such a fan of his production so I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with him.

STONE: I love Sam’s voice on this, it’s like butter, it’s really something. I also love how melodic, but still bouncy, Jake’s beat on this is. I think it’s the perfect combination.

MILLINER: Well obviously Sam’s vocals are amazing, but he put in a lot of time on the production too and got it to a much better place, which I was grateful for. It’s a lot better than the demo. Kofi for me is one of the best rappers we have here in the UK. His flow was perfect on the track. Very grateful to work with both of them.

LUNA: Projects to look forward to in the future from each of you?

WILLS: I’m currently working away on my second album!

STONE: I’m working on my second album at the moment that should be out in the world late summer.

MILLINER: I’m working on a couple of beat tapes and just looking to release a lot more music next year.

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CONNECT WITH JAKE MILLINER

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