RS: I saw you last year at Dave Guetta's "F*** Me I'm Famous"
show at Cameo. Tou just showed up in the booth and you started
singing along while he was DJing. Do you do that often?
Chris Willis: I do. It's very low key, but I think it's really fun.
Most of the time at those parties, they're so packed, that there's no
standing room, so I think it's a good move. Did you enjoy that?
RS: Oh yes, the show was insane and it was the best party of the week.
Chris Willis: Oh cool, so much fire. That's great.
RS: Back in the day you worked with Desmond Child, who's more a
pop-oriented producer. How was working with someone like Desmond
different from working with someone like David?
Chris Willis: Working with Desmond was a great education because up
until working with him, I had been working exclusively in gospel.
Right before I was closing that chapter I just literally spoke out
loud, "I would love to know what it's like to work in the mainstream."
Everyone said you have to be a star. I just want to kind of learn in
production and writing, and Desmond is all those things – he's a
writer, he's a producer and he has a whole camp down in Miami and has
an incredible staff, and works with incredible musicians, from Ricky
Martin all the way up to Fantasia. So it was really great to be on
the inside of that whole team. In that particular aspect I was working
more as a produce and as part of the team, whereas with David, it's
like three people working together in a real bona fide collaboration.
So that's probably the biggest difference.
RS: Aside from David Guetta, are there any other dance producers
you'd like to work with?
Chris Willis: Wow, interestingly enough I've been working with quite
a few already – working with songs and tracks from Kaskade and the
Camel Riders. I've always loved the Freemasons. House music is such a
new genre for me, so I'm still kind of learning. I love Carl Cox and
Frankie Knuckles and all the legendary greats. I'd love to work with
anybody that's making great music, and I love a good collaboration. So
we'll see what the future holds. Maybe I can work with some of the
greats and do some great stuff.
RS: Where have you played around the world, where you were
surprised they knew the songs?
Chris Willis: It always amazes me when I go to Russia. I've been as
far away as Siberia, to Leningrad, to Moscow, and it just never ceases
to amaze me because English is not the naturally-spoken language. When
they start singing in English it just makes me so happy, it's worth it
all.
RS: . How are the US crowds taking to you since dance music is
not so much part of the idiom over here?
Chris Willis: I feel in a way like I'm a pioneer here in America,
because I think a lot of times people have heard the song on the
radio, and because I don't fit into that typical African-American kind
of vibe, I think there maybe a little bit of a shock. I don't know,
I'll have to ask more people, but I hope that they will enjoy the
music and the spirit and the energy behind it as much as I enjoy
performing.
RS: Do you have a MySpace page for yourself?
Chris Willis: I do – myspace.com/chriswillismusic. You'll see all the
dates that I have for the rest of the year. There's some music on
there, and you can friend me. I check it as often as I can. I love
MySpace, my best friend in so many ways.
RS: What would you like to say to all your fans out there?
Chris Willis: I just want to say keep believing in your dreams and
keep believing in love, because your dreams come true and I think love
is the answer to everything.
Posted June 16, 2008
