Introducing: Honest and Authentic Classic Soul Artist WILSN

Born in Melbourne but relocated to Nashville, WILSN has made her home and found inspiration in the country music capital of the world.

The singer-songwriter incorporates all things soul, jazz, and pop into her own tunes, making songs like her latest release ‘Home‘ and ‘You Know How I Feel‘ the perfect feel-good tracks.

WILSN’s old-soul, yet modern flare sets her apart from other country-soul singers, expanding her audience to include a wide variety of people.

We had the chance to ask her a couple questions about herself and her music…

You’re originally from Melbourne, but spend a lot of time in Nashville. Can you tell us a little about your background?

I grew up in Geelong which is a smaller city an hour outside of Melbourne. I come from a musical family and I’ve been singing since I can remember. I’ve also been playing piano, and singing in choirs and bands since I was a young girl. Straight after high school I got into The Victorian College of The Arts in Melbourne and I made the move to live there while I studied a Bachelor of Music in Jazz. I ended up staying in Melbourne after I finished my studies and it’s still where I call home now. I love how diverse and vibrant it is! Then I lived in Nashville for 2 years and I wrote my upcoming EP between Nashville and LA.

How have your experiences shaped your musical career?

Being a woman in the music industry unfortunately means you need to grow a tougher skin. In the past few years I’ve learned a lot about saying no, trusting my instincts and being assertive when needed. I’ve also learned that if I don’t believe in myself then no one else will! These things have taken a long time for me to realise, but they all came from certain situations I found myself in and had to work through. I know exactly what I want now and I’m not afraid of going for it without hesitation. I feel stronger and more confident than I’ve ever been and I feel like that’s coming out in my current music!

What is your favourite aspect about the singing-songwriting process?

I enjoy the singing part more than I do songwriting part haha, but that’s probably because singing has always come easily for me and my songwriting skills are still a work in progress.

What are you doing when you’re not making music?

Spending time with my family, I have 3 new nieces and nephews to dote on now! My parents and family live down the coast in Geelong so trips down there are common. Going to gigs and hanging out with friends. Playing piano. I love just walking around the city and people watching, or sitting in a park on a sunny day and reading/writing. At the moment I’m also working in a local vintage clothing shop!

Who is your inspiration, musical or otherwise?

My two biggest musical inspirations would have to be Aretha Franklin and Alicia Keys. I have a lot of favourite artists but these two are probably the two that have influenced me the most over the years. I discovered them both when I was about 13 and became obsessed. When I was young I used to play my dad’s Aretha Franklin records full blast while he was out. I’d try to sing like her and copy all of her vocals! I was so devastated when she passed away because I never got to see her live and that was one of my life long musical goals! I’ve seen Alicia Keys live twice and it was a super emotional experience for me!

What’s been the biggest challenge in your musical career?

Trying to have full belief in my own abilities and staying true to myself. A few years ago I had a long dry spell where I didn’t release any music. This was due to conflicting ideas from the people involved in my career at the time. I was constantly listening and taking on board all of this advice and guidance from people who really didn’t understand me or my music or where I was coming from. They wanted me to change and be like all these other artists. I even had someone tell me that I sing too much and that I need to sing less! And as an independent artist it’s hard to not get caught up in it and not believe that what they’re saying is true. I thought “oh they’ve been in the industry for years, they know what they’re doing” until one day after a long time spent going back and forth, basically going around in circles and as a result getting nowhere, I decided I’d had enough and I wanted to do things my way. I wrote a song about it called ‘Do This” which I released at the end of 2018. The chorus lyrics are “If I’m gonna fall, it’s gonna be on my own terms. And when I rise, it’ll be from all of the lessons I’ve learned.” Writing it felt cathartic and singing it on stage is a really good way to keep reminding myself that I’m doing the right thing in staying true to myself by making music that I love.

How would you describe your personality?

I can be pretty shy and guarded at first, but give me a little time and I’ll warm up haha! 

Check out her music below!