January (Will): Get to Know..Will Pound
- Will Pound
- Jan 15
- 4 min read
About
One of the finest harmonica and melodeon players of his generation, Will Pound has pushed the boundaries working on and with a number of projects and musicians which in the past and present include Eddy Jay, Jenn Butterworth, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Liz Carrol, Martin Simpson, Guy Chambers, Concerto Caledonia, Robbie Williams and The Hillsborough Charity Single.
He has travelled across most of Europe and as far as Australia giving audiences awe inspiring performances. He has curated two Arts Council England-funded projects: A Day will Come: a collaboration with poetry and a folk song from every state of the EU, and Through the Seasons: an exploration of the history of Morris Dance.
He has appeared on TV & Radio many times including appearances on BBC Breakfast, BBC2, Radio 2, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, MTV, Radio 1xtra to name a few. Will has been nominated three times for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician Of The Year Award in 2012, 2014 and 2015, has won FATEA Magazine Instrumentalist Of the Year 2013, 2014 and also was nominated for Songlines Magazine Best Newcomer.
Quick Fire Question Round
Early bird or night owl?
Definitely a night owl! My natural bedtime is between midnight and 1am and it can shift even later.
Introvert or extrovert?
Interesting one. Can you be both?! When I am out and about I am an extrovert and very sociable. But actually at home I am more than happy to spend time alone and I’m quite comfortable in my own company.
Favourite city?
Rome - I have been 4-5 times.
Newcastle. I lived there for 3 years at uni on the folk degree and it is an amazing city.
Composer you’d most like to meet (dead or alive)?
Bach - because he founded the basis of today’s harmony.
I would love to meet Holst because we have recomposed so much of his music. I would love to chat to him about it - especially The Planets suite.
What do you wish you learned sooner?
I guess I wish I had learnt that I could access classical music from an earlier age. I don’t mean necessarily by learning to read music per se, but the ability and confidence to learn it by ear. I think I had an anxiety that I couldn’t do it because I wasn’t “good enough”.
Guilty pleasure?
East Enders, Married at First Sight..I love trash TV!
Have you ever suffered from impostor syndrome within the classical music industry?
No. I don’t feel like an imposter because I play such a rare instrument. There just aren’t many of us around. I think if someone plays a “regular” instrument like the violin you would be way more susceptible to that.
What’s the maddest gig you have done?
Playing at Buckingham Palace on BBC 2 (but definitely not a royalist!).
And a harmonica collaboration with Guy Chambers and Beverley Knight in a club - that was bizarre.
What was the first album you heard that really stuck with you?
The first album that really struck me was En Spectacular by La Bottine Souriante. That was the album that made me want to play music for a living. Just incredible. It is a live album and the opening set blows me away every time.
What is something that people are always surprised to learn about you?
I’m an absolute football nut. I support Newcastle United and always follow the football religiously.
I also get very excited about travel (e.g. makes and models) - whether that’s via ferry, train or a plane. I definitely share this enthusiasm with our sound engineer Drew, and we probably bore Delia to tears when we geek out about it on van journeys!
What’s your most embarrassing musical moment that you’re willing to share?
Aged 21. Eating hot chilli in a pasty just before going on to do a set at Moseley Folk Festival and having to down an emergency pint of milk just before going on stage! Harmonicas, spice and pastry flakes are not friends. I also then managed to start the gig with my harmonica upside down.
Outside of Stevens & Pound, what is the project you have made that you are most proud of and why?
My EU album A Day Will Come - I got to meet and play with some really inspiring musicians across Europe and in the UK including percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and the amazing fiddle player Liz Carroll. It was a political album exploring the cultural deficit left by Brexit where I researched and learnt a tune from each of the 27 EU member states. I actually managed to change people’s minds of how they had voted on the referendum on the basis of that album and it was in the Mojo Magazine’s Top 10 Albums of the Year. Yeah, I am really proud of that one.
What's the weirdest food combination you've ever tried that turned out to be surprisingly great?I feel like this question has been made for me to be honest! I once created a pizza with curry, jacket potato and black pudding on it. That was pretty awesome.
If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?
I would love to be able to fly - that would be the coolest thing ever. Someone get me some wings.
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