Will Young chats Sink the Pink: ‘I’ll be wearing see-through pink chiffon!’
It’s been a busy year for Will Young, with the release of his sixth studio album 85% Proof in May – when it shot straight to number one, natch. With little over a month left in 2015, Will’s showing no signs of slowing down: He’s currently in the midst of a UK tour (see him at London’s Hammersmith Eventim Apollo this Sunday November 29), he’s releasing a new charity song for WWF – a stunning stripped back cover of Burt Bacharach’s What The World Needs Now – and, perhaps most excitingly of all, he headlines the Sink the Pink Winter Ball next Saturday December 5.
Here, Sink the Pink’s own Glyn Famous chats to Will about what’s in store…
Glyn: Will, we are so excited to have you headline our Ball! You’ve been coming for some time as a guest – what are your memories of Sink the Pink?
Will: I am so excited! My first memory of Sink the Pink was arriving the first time at Bethnal Green and thinking, ‘This is the club night I have been searching for since I was 16 years old’. I was also in a Halloween costume which consisted of a Victorian skirt from an opera, a Victorian farmer’s shirt, bowler hat, clown face and yellow marigolds! It was amazing.
Glyn: Knowing the crowd and night so well how will you be planning the show? Are there any surprises?
Will: Well, I want the show to be non-stop and energetic. I’m having dancers and there is a super hero/villains theme… the only clue I can give is ‘Prince’! I want the set to be not-stop so my producer Jim Elliot [Kylie, Ellie Goulding, Rae Morris] is mixing a specific set for Sink the Pink!
Glyn: Now, I know you love a dress… if there is a thrift shop middle-aged, middle class frumpy dress to be found, you’ll find it! What will you be wearing?
Will: Hahaha, I LOVE frumpy middle-aged dresses! I actually think men look amazing in dresses and it is very empowering to test the boundaries of what people think represents gender. I am going to be wearing an amazing 1930’s slightly see-through pink chiffon dress with a belt. Think the infamous picture of Princess Diana with the sun shining between her legs and you get the picture!
Glyn: Let’s talk about 85% Proof – it’s been a big success and I know you recorded the whole thing in ten days! That’s a major feat, how did you do that?
Will: It’s gone great and I’m super proud of what I have done both with the music and the videos and what they represent. I know it was written very quickly, but I think it was just flowing creatively and I purposefully just went with it and tried not to over-think
Glyn: Can we talk about the video for Brave Man too – it’s a stunner. Who’s idea was it?
Will: It was my idea and then I took it to the director, W.I.Z. It was great that Island Records were 100% behind it and I want to credit them and my video commissioner Tamara Brooks for being brave enough to stick with the idea when so many record companies wouldn’t. This is one of the reasons I love working with them.
Glyn: It feels like every decision is 100% you these days; It’s all so personal and brave. It’s quite strange really, coming from where you did with Pop Idol… how do you get from there to here?
Will: Ah, thanks so much, I’m really pleased you see that. I have actually had the same manager from the beginning and with her and a close team of people that I trust, we have all worked to produce stuff that isn’t soullessly manufactured and just for profit, but more about art that resonates and touches people. I couldn’t do it any other way.
Glyn: I loved your 2010 Groove Armada collaboration History; would you ever do a dance album?
Will: I love that tune! I was toying with the idea of doing a 90s house album and think I will come back to that. Being a vocalist, singing on dance tracks allows a type of freedom that is different to singing on pop tracks or singing in the theatre. It’s just about finding the right collaborators. Watch this space!
Glyn: Okay, let’s get serious, we have some pressing issues: Are you single, and who is your perfect man?
Will: Aha! I am single. Well, I don’t believe in a perfect man but what I do look for is emotional intelligence. Without that, there is no way I can be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t know themselves. My last boyfriend was wonderful at this. He’s American so perhaps they do things differently!
Glyn: Do you feel comfortable out on the “Scene” It’s a strange place for most but when you’re Will Young it must be really hard.
Will: I feel really comfortable. Due to the fact that my job perhaps makes a few more people recognise me than the average Joe, I feel even MORE comfortable at Sink the Pink because it’s family. They’re my family; they struggle and conquer the same things and so when I step through the doors to start the evening, I feel like I have come home
Glyn: Do you have a message for everyone coming to see you at Sink the Pink?
Will: Put your dancing shoes on, get your costumes on and ENJOY THE RIDE BROTHERS AND SISTERS!
info: Will Young headlines Sink the Pink’s Winter Ball at the Troxy, Saturday December 5. Tickets from SinkthePink.co.uk.