Q&A: Rising Artist Will Paquin Combines Samba-style Guitar Flourishes with Expressive Lyrics As He Plays Out His Dream Career
WITH NOSTALGIC MUSINGS AND INTRICATE MELODIES — Boston-based musician Will Paquin attracted huge attention back in 2020, and has since sustained a solid fan base after posting himself playing the guitar line of his first release, “Chandelier,” on TikTok. From gaining the support of Zane Lowe to releasing additional singles “Now You Know” and “21” this year, Paquin never expected the pandemic to enable him to live out his dream career in music, and yet now he is, deservedly so. Short clips online have allowed him to release original tracks for thousands to listen to, and through turning a strange and difficult time into one that is positive, Paquin showcases himself as an organic artist that produces cathartic music. With hopes of an EP to be released in fall and a single before then, the singer/songwriter is balancing summer school while soaking in the buzz around him.
His wistful covers of Elliott Smith’s “Angeles,” a vibrant instrumental version of Phoebe Bridgers’ “Kyoto,” and an original arrangement of Samba de Orfeu by Luiz Bonfá (the first of many Samba Sessions on his YouTube channel), Will Paquin radiates a unique authenticity, from the aesthetic of the videos he shares to the songs he creates.
Paquin specializes in instrumental music that holds a mesmerizing and ethereal quality. With the added bonus of penning his own lyrics to these too, he is an artist that should be on everyone’s radar. We spoke to the singer about his cool recording process, epic guitar style, and his plans for the final half of the year.
LUNA: Hey Will, hope you’re doing well! Congrats on the success of your singles so far!
I first heard of you via TikTok last year — it’s crazy how impactful the app has been on the music industry, and it’s a blessing that we can find so many artists like you emerge from the algorithm — even getting support from Zane Lowe! From your own experience, what are your thoughts on TikTok and how it’s helped you as an artist?
PAQUIN: Tik Tok took me by surprise for sure. I started the day I got sent home from school last March. It took off from there and then really blew up in August with that “Chandelier” guitar part. It's funny because, without the support from TikTok, I never would have even considered putting in effort to release music. I changed my entire life path in like a week (laughs). I had also never written a song up until this year, so “Chandelier” was the first song I wrote. It's definitely been a learning process, but the ’Tok has helped so much with finding a sound and fanbase.
LUNA: Your last single, “21,” is such a beautiful song, I love the line “I’m a sad boy in a sweater.” Can you share a favorite memory or backstory from when you wrote/recorded the track? How did it come about?
PAQUIN: I actually recorded two versions of “21” in NYC. I went to a fancy studio and spent all day recording it. I finished at about midnight or something. I then went back to my hotel and re-recorded the entire song by myself in my hotel room, which is the version I ended up releasing. I wish I took some pictures ’cuz it was probably a pretty funny scene. I had like three or four microphones spread out across the room, and I sat on the floor and played the guitar and vocals live. It's kinda a common theme throughout my recording process. I recorded both “Chandelier” and “Now You Know” in my car, and a new song I'm working on in my closet. I don't why I always end up doing dumb stuff like that but I guess it works for now.
LUNA: The way you play guitar and your tone is mesmerizing — your covers of “Here Comes The Sun” and “Reptilia” (!!!) are incredible. What inspired you to play the instrument this way?
PAQUIN: My guitar style and tone definitely comes from the more classical side of playing. I'm not at all classically trained (real classical players would scoff at my hand technique lol) but I've always listened to Samba guitarists like Baden Powell and Luiz Bonfa. Transferring it to electric guitar was a bit of a challenge, but I got the hang of it about a year ago and have been fingerpicking exclusively since then.
LUNA: I’m a big fan of both Elliot Smith and Phoebe Bridgers, and it was great to see your “Cover In My Car” of “Angeles,” and your more recent instrumental acoustic of “Kyoto” is so calming. How have both these artists influenced you and your sound? Are there any other artists to add to this list?
PAQUIN: Elliott Smith is the best. Awkward to admit, but I actually just discovered Phoebe Bridgers for the first time a few weeks ago — she's awesome as well. I'm a little out of touch with the state of modern music right now. I definitely wanna get more into recently made stuff. Gotta stay informed (laughs).
LUNA: The first “Summer Samba Sesh” episode in the Rose Garden is so serene — are these sessions going to be a monthly thing? Your videos all have a sweet aesthetic to them — how important is the visual aspect to the content you put out?
PAQUIN: The samba stuff is my main thing! Or, at least it was. Before the pandemic, I was trying to get restaurants to let me play my samba guitar at night after I got off work. None of them ended up taking me (laughs) but I got left with an entire setlist of samba classics. I'd still like to do that at some point too.
LUNA: Following on from the release of your singles, are there any plans to bring out an EP or new music soon?
PAQUIN: I have like a billion songs that need to leave my brain ASAP. I think I'm gonna get one more single out and then perhaps an EP in the fall? I'm bad with due dates right now — I'm in summer school so my schedule is not nearly as free as I would want. But yeah, they will come — I just need to record them. It also doesn't help that I have no idea how to record things (laughs) so I'm pretty much the slowest producer of all time.
LUNA: Thank you so much for speaking with me Will! To round things off, what are your hopes for the final half of 2021?
PAQUIN: 2021 has been a bit stressful but super awesome so far. Trying my best not to set a ton of goals because everything that's happened up until this point is absolutely ridiculous. It's been a dream of mine since I was like eight, but it was so distant that I never really thought it was plausible. So hyped to be able to actually get a shot at making it a career.
I have some potential touring opportunities with a few bands I love that I am super super hyped about. But yeah, I'm trying to take it a bit easy and record my tunes and build a sick setlist until the end of the year.
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