Q&A: Will Joseph Cook Talks New Single “FEARLESS IS THE FLAME”
RELEASING HIS THIRD STUDIO ALBUM — Every Single Thing, last summer, Will Joseph Cook has done it again. With previous hits “4AM” and “Be Around Me” feat. chloe moriondo, Cook has gifted us with yet another track, “FEARLESS IS THE FLAME,” which will be playing continuously in our heads.
Creating incredibly addictive songs time after time is not something that comes as a surprise to Cook’s listeners. He released “MF BASSLINE” back in March — flipping the meaning of being in a slump on its head — as well as another track earlier this month, which revives that very somber soul. Featuring a cosmic guitar riff that crescendos you into the chorus, “FEARLESS IS THE FLAME” is the newest bop, proving once again that Cook’s music is everlasting.
Still holding that same authentic charm, listeners can feel the heat of romantic tension flowing from start to finish. Exposing influence from funky R&B and disco jams, Cook seems to grab your hand and call you to the dance floor. Releasing an even more riveting music video on the same day, “FEARLESS IS THE FLAME” is bound to become the newest song of the summer.
Finishing up his first-ever North American leg of tour in April, Cook is now preparing for his UK/EU leg, and he has certainly not lost stamina. Although he’s ready to get back on stage and play in new cities, Cook shows he's not too busy for his fans. Keeping the love alive, you might find Cook meeting and chatting it up with his fans after the shows.
Read on below to learn more about Cook’s upcoming tour and new single, “FEARLESS IS THE FLAME.”
LUNA: Hello! Excited to be talking once again! How has the year been since the last time we last chatted? Aside from touring, how are you, and how are things?
COOK: I’m good, thanks! Been back at home enjoying a recent wave of positive feelings. There’s also a heatwave in London right now, so I’ve been frolicking.
LUNA: I know it's been a couple months since it ended, but please tell me about your first ever headline North American tour — the footage from the shows look ecstatic! What has been your favorite song to play each night? Favorite moment?
COOK: There was definitely a momentous energy to the whole run. The idea of touring the States with my own shows had been with me for years, and I think the audiences really felt that and mirrored the excitement. I found the whole thing really restorative and inspiring for the new releases, seeing the impact my music has had on people so far.
LUNA: Of the 14 cities, which was your favorite crowd? Most hyped or most memorable?
COOK: A personal favorite was a little show in Minneapolis, near the start of the tour. I was quite anxious at the start … and this one [seemed] to really melt those feelings away. Chicago, New York, and LA were the biggest shows so naturally they were all amazing nights. It’s hard to pick favorites!
LUNA: You’ve said that you make an effort to talk with fans after the shows, especially during this recent US tour. Do you view that as a privilege because you have that intimate relationship? Do you ever see that changing?
COOK: It always meant a lot to me as a kid when I would go to shows and the artist made time at the end to do some high-fives and chat, so I think I just want to pay that forward. I think I’ll do it for as long as I can, as I think it’s quite unique to smaller shows. I’ve played larger shows in London in the past, and those were a lot more chaotic when meeting people (laughs).
LUNA: Speaking of fans, you recently shared a little bit of your heart on the importance of being vulnerable and the impulse to diminish eternal struggles for the sake of healing. How has your relationship with your fans and music contributed to this vulnerability?
COOK: I was struggling with the idea of sharing myself publicly for a lot of the last year and that post was part of me trying to flip my own narrative about it. Putting yourself “out there” is quite an exhausting self-serving pursuit at the best of times, but one thing that will definitely make it worse is a lack of authenticity. I wanted to show a bit more rawness so that I didn’t feel like I was putting on a front across my social media. Like many other people, I tend to just share the best bits of what I get up to, but that can end up creating a bit of a disconnect between yourself and the version of yourself other people perceive. Posting those thoughts and feelings has definitely bridged that gap a bit more and was overall really positive.
LUNA: Do you find yourself opening up more freely in music than in “real-life” conversation?
COOK: I’d say as I’ve got older I have become a lot more comfortable opening up in “real life.” Songwriting is a great tool for getting the weird feelies out, but it is also a very public process if you do it professionally. I think the exposure my music has put on my experience has made me a lot more confident IRL.
LUNA: Let’s talk about your brand new track! “FEARLESS IS THE FLAME” certainly feels like a new flavor for WJC, and in the best way! What was the writing process like for this one? Was there intention to stray a bit away from your earlier tracks? Even just from Every Single Thing?
COOK: For sure — there was a “sound” I had crafted across my last two albums. It was somewhat of a personal goal to narrow myself down a bit to make something that felt really cohesive and me. After Every Single Thing it felt fully explored, and I had a really craving to metamorphosize into something bigger and embrace my influences from disco, R&B, and hip-hop. Blending that with my previous styles has brought out some really sweet music, so I’m feeling fulfilled.
LUNA: You said that this track is heavily inspired by your appreciation of Prince and his ability to constantly capture the burning sensation of love in his songs. I think you've grasped that vibe perfectly. Did that intense but necessary guitar riff come to you first, or did the lyrics come first when writing this?
COOK: The riff (and initial production) came from my guitarist, Benedict Quinn. He literally just posted it as a random jam on his Instagram story and I freaked out, asking him to send it to me. I then started cutting and structuring it at home to write to. It always had this steady disco beat to it, and all my initial passes were essentially Prince impressions but later evolved into a mixture of falsetto, groove, and spoken-word vocals.
I lived with that demo for a few months and then took it in with my usual producer collaborator, Matt Parad, in LA and we added some fruity synths and modern production flares. After adding that scale and slickness to the prod, it was complete and mixed by my brother, Charlie Cook.
LUNA: Are you excited to play this live? It’s hard not to imagine a room full of people in pure bliss shouting the lyrics!
COOK: Very excited, yes. I just hope I can do the recording justice!
LUNA: “FEARLESS IS THE FLAME” follows the ever growing “MF BASSLINE.” Are we to expect another album? A new project?
COOK: I’m trying to stay unrestricted by the expectations of album rollouts for a while, but I will be sharing more music across this summer/the rest of the year!
LUNA: You are always transparent on your purpose of creating your music, which is why I think many people are drawn to you. You put out exactly what you are feeling, and there is no hidden popularity agenda. Has this come naturally to you, or is it something you have learned since your debut?
COOK: I think I’ve always been quite fearless in what I put out (please ignore the pun), even on my first record. I get quite absorbed in my own ideas of what’s cool and tend to be quite good at blocking out external doubts, for better or worse. It must come naturally because it’s not something I ever seriously consider compromising on — it just feels right.
LUNA: For “FEARLESS IS THE FLAME,” although the song speaks for itself, what do you hope or expect your fans to experience when listening?
COOK: I think my main hope is that they are excited and surprised by it. I want to make that kind of special music that you feverishly send to your friends telling them to listen.
LUNA: I absolutely loved watching strangers review “MF BASSLINE.” That was super entertaining, and I wanted more of it! How long did that take? Were there any people who said, “Absolutely no” to participating?
COOK: It was a few hours rolling around in Central Park with my US guitarist, Jordan Reifkind. People there are generally pretty open, and none of the declines were too crushing. There were a couple of skaters [who] were pretty [enraged] we even asked, but you gotta take the rough with the smooth. Making TikToks in public is generally viewed as an annoying thing to do, and I totally feel that but also I wanna make my little videos, so I gotta go.
LUNA: Will you be doing anything similar to that for “FEARLESS IS THE FLAME”? If you interviewed the same exact people from last time, what do you think the last guy with the white hat would say?
COOK: (Laughs) Hmm… Probably something vaguely racist again.
LUNA: You've got the UK/EU tours starting up later this month. Any city you’re looking forward to the most?
COOK: It feels like forever since I’ve played a hometown show so I’m super hyped for the London one. However, “Will Joseph Cook live in Paris” does sound really good.
LUNA: Any plans to go back to the US for another round of cities? Maybe hit up places such as Nashville, TN?
COOK: I barely passed through the South on my last tour so definitely a Nashville date is a must. I’d love to do another support tour before my next headline out there, though.
LUNA: If you can help your UK/EU fans prepare for this next leg of tour in one sentence, what would you say?
COOK: Bring the squad, dance, and make some memories!
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