We caught up with the brilliant and insightful WILLIAM STORM a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, WILLIAM thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
I think my parents were very effective and making me feel that I could do anything I set my mind to, and that if I worked incredibly hard and just focused on my goals anything was possible. I think this is most evident in my mother who realized this in her 30s, after 3 kids, and decided to go back to school and become a greatly successful interior designer. I think watching her really make change in her life both financially and through her surroundings inspired me, and made me feel as though if I did the same I could reach those same heights.
WILLIAM, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Billy, I’m a musician and interior designer here in Denver. I play guitar and sing in the band ‘Dante Must Die’ which was named after one of my favorite video games. I started in music the same way many kids do, by listening to records in my early teens and feeling inspired to pick up an instrument and write my own material. I’ve since joined bands and played many shows in the pursuit of making music more than just a hobby. With my current band, I’ve decided to record an entire LP with just my best friend on drums, where I handle all guitar, bass, and vocals. It’s been quite a ride, and I’ve learned a great deal about the process as I’ve gone through it with all my close friends. I think some of my biggest problems arise from being new to many of these processes. I was pretty inexperienced when it came to utilizing studio time to its best, and I had to take the time to learn how to be effective in that space. I have also had a significant learning curve when it comes to managing small teams. With my band, I took on a great deal of the responsibility and it’s been a journey to learn how to organize a team around small and large goals. I think what sets me apart from others is just remaining humble, and learning from those that have gone through trials in the past. There’s a lot of wisdom that comes from just chatting with people who have either been in bands or are in the music industry. I’m most proud of my band’s upcoming release, and I’m proud of my team’s cohesion. I really feel like the music we’re working on feels good to play, and I feel as though I’m very happy experiencing it with my band. I couldn’t have asked for a better team, and that in itself is a victory. I think ultimately I want people to know that our band is very much just trying to write great songs and have fun during the process. There isn’t much more to life than that.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me the greatest feeling is finishing a song I’m very proud of. Just working on a piece for a long time and finally see it take a solid shape is both rewarding and sort of an escape. Its definitely something I couldn’t do without.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I think a big story of mine that illustrates a change is actually starting this band. Prior to Dante Must Die I was sort of in collaborative spaces with others. There I was navigating expressing my voice alongside others and creating something together. While I do think that is totally valid, and I loved a lot of that time, I think it was really important for me to pivot into doing ‘my own thing’ so to speak. In Dante Must Die I write the majority of the material, and that sort of process has its roots in my childhood where I wrote a ton of music just on my own. I think in that way it actually freed me and my art to become something more engaging for me. It also made me feel a sense of freedom that I don’t think I got elsewhere in music, having the ability to just do whatever I wanted to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dantemustdie.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dantemustdie.sav/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanteMustDieOfficial/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DanteMustDieOfficial
- Other: Spotify:
Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dante-must-die/1801849203Bandcamp:
https://dantemustdie.bandcamp.com/track/comets
Image Credits
Gracie B Messer
Jesus Ortiz
Sophie Medvic