Will Champlin
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Will Champlin

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This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Outside the 'Dorm' - 02/01/06"

"sprawling ochestral pop" - Boston Metro


"Son of a Son of Champlin"

Calling the son of the Sons of Champlin namesake “the grandson of Champlin” is way too complicated. What’s clear and very understandable is that Will Champlin--the 21-year-old son of the vastly talented singer, writer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Champlin--has inherited those remarkable creative pop and R&B genes from his dad. Will is 21, just graduated from the Berklee College of Music and is the piano player and background vocalist on the song “Dreams” by American Idol winner Fantasia.

(Will was Music Pick of the Week July'04) - Sacramento News & Review


"Will Champlin Band"

Picture the hot looks of teen idol Ryan Cabrera, sitting at a piano with the soul of Stevie Wonder firing from his fingertips, and a polished voice that accommodates each of his songs. Add some of his father's direction (his Dad being of the well-known band, 'Chicago' and at one time a co-writer for 'Earth, Wind, and Fire'), and back him with a classy jazz/R&B band. Close your eyes and pretend that you are in a smoky jazz club; open them and rock out to the pop sound. You are starting to get an idea of what this prodigy sounds like. It is hard to compare Will Champlin's uniqueness. To me, Will sounds like anyone from Bon Jovi to Justin Timberlake with each of his songs being unpredictable, but ever-so exhilarating. "My music is fusion", says Will, and he is right. "In my opinion, I'm someone other songwriters and record A&R people would stay away from". Let us find out why.

With a voice so sultry and established, it's hard to believe that Will Champlin only started singing about 4 years ago. An accomplished pianist, guitarist, drummer, and song-writer, this 21-year-old who is soon to be a graduate of Berklee College of Music, is producing a vast amount of songs that are sure to wow audiences of all types. Will's music, which is not your average pop stuff on the radio at the moment (since it adds some more mature piano melodies and has a little bit of an old-school feel), is definitely worth checking out! "To be honest, they (songwriters and A&Rs) are scared by the moves I'm making", says Will, and even though some people tell him that he should take his style in a more comfortable direction, Will is going to keep doing what he does best-create sweet sweet sounds. With bands ready on the call to back Will's voice on the East and West Coast, he has played everywhere from hot clubs like the Viper Room in LA to the Lion's Den in NY. He is soon to be co-billing with a former 98 Degrees star too. Will has written most of his music, but has also collaborated with some great artists. "'She Took Me Down' is probably my favorite," Will says about the music he has already turned in to demos. When I asked him if it was inspired by a girlfriend, he replied with, "No, it was actually just someone I met briefly in a studio that I had a small crush on and I just exaggerated the hell out of it!" Will does seem to be most excited about songs he currently has in the works-one being 'Rise Up'. At the moment, you can also hear Will as a back-up vocalist and pianist on the song 'Dreams' performed by American Idol winner Fantasia.

Already completed is a CD of 14 tracks called 'Gold Mine Sessions'. "The studio is named 'Gold Mine Sessions'. My Dad named it after one of the songs he did with 'Sons of Champlin' back in the day," Will informs. And as far as his dad being his biggest inspiration, Will acknowledges that he wouldn't be in to 'Earth Wind and Fire' and 'Sly and the Family Stone' or anything else if it weren't for him. It is evident in his work that he aspires to find that mellow, soulish, bluesy sound, which in my opinion, makes his style sensational. Aside from his father, Will seems to be in the right hands. He is surrounded by many talented people who have a hand in the business and I'm sure with so much great advice, even that of Jamie Foxx, Will is sure to be on the right path.

"Keep your eyes open," says this up-and-comer. I would take his advice because he is sure to sky rocket!

Kriselen.com - This Side of the Traxx


Discography

The Goldmine Sessions (2004)

NEW RELEASE Coming Summer 2006
on The Complex Music Group

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Ask Will Champlin, keyboardist/vocalist, where he gets his inspiration, and he will answer, “In the blood.” That may not be too far from the truth; his mother is an accomplished vocalist and singer-songwriter, and his father the lead vocalist for one of the most popular American rock bands of all time.

With a background like that, it may not come as a surprise that music was a defining element in his upbringing. When he wasn’t on the road with his parents (tours that often took him as far as Japan and Sweden) he was playing along to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix when he was eight years old. By the time he attended Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2001, he had begun to develop a reputation as both a prolific and mature songwriter, and, eased along by partnerships with a number of Grammy Award-winning writers, his distinct sound had begun to take shape.

One listen to “Sideways” or “All My Might,” two of the tracks on his upcoming release, reveals a myriad of distinct influences embedded within the funky R&B Mostly Piano-driven pop songs. Momentary shades of Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Bruce Hornsby, and Prince rise through the rock tunes one after another, firmly anchoring the verses and choruses to the soul roots the band returns to time and time again. While living in Nashville, Will has been spending his fair share of time on Music Row writing constantly. He has been writing with many Nashville country and pop songwriters such as Dennis Matkosky, Rivers Rutherford, Barry Dean, Brett James, Michael Caruso, Eric Bazilian and others.

Fortified by the addition of a 4 to 5-piece backup band, Will Champlin is building a name for himself with a live show of surprising maturity. Infectious melodies and funky guitar are pushed along by a powerful rock bottom end. Over it all, Champlin’s voice calls out the words with an edge expressive beyond his years. He is also playing nearly every instrument on the tracks you are hearing, as well as every bit of the production.

Impressive in delivery and big on soul, Will Champlin is keen on connecting to fans through songs about love and loss, lust and desire. Says Champlin, “Those songs seem to touch people more. Because they’re true.”