FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/b><\/p>\n
April 12, 2017<\/b><\/p>\n
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Singer\/songwriter Chris Wills to release EP in August<\/b><\/p>\n
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Three singles to be released in advance of the EP<\/b><\/p>\n
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Song from EP, \u201cPlease Don\u2019t Turn Out My Light,\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
featured in Coca-Cola\/Regal Cinemas promo in 2016<\/b><\/p>\n
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New York City-based 22-year-old singer-songwriter Chris Wills is set to release he debut EP,\u00a0This Place Ain\u2019t For Me<\/em>, on August 11, 2017.\u00a0 Produced by Grammy-nominated engineer Koby Hass (who has produced or engineered for Matt McAndrew, Mali Music and Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers, Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul Simon, and Lady Gaga),\u00a0This Place Ain\u2019t For Me<\/em>\u00a0packs a lifetime\u2019s worth of experiences into six songs.<\/p>\n Three of the tracks will be released as singles in advance of the EP.\u00a0 \u201cNowhere To Go\u201d streets on May 12th, the title track, \u201cThis Place Ain\u2019t For Me,\u201d hits June 9th, and \u201cSince You Said Goodbye\u201d will come out July 14th. Great songwriting is at the core of who Chris Wills is. As he explains, in the lyrics for \u201cSince You Said Goodbye,\u201d he attempts to express the sense of longing and desperation found in, say, Roy Orbison gems like \u201cOnly the Lonely,\u201d \u201cCrying\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m Hurtin\u2019.\u201d Sonically, the song channels the feel of some great Irish acts like The Waterboys, Hothouse Flowers, and Glen Hansard of Once fame.<\/p>\n Wills, a New Jersey native, struck gold when his song \u201cPlease Don’t Turn Out My Light,\u201d was the featured song in the 2016 Coca-Cola and Regal Films program grand-prize winning film \u201cBlindfold.\u201d The film was shown nationwide in Regal Theaters for three months (October to December) in 2016. Teams from Coca-Cola and Regal selected three finalists and gave each filmmaker $15,000 to create a 35-second film. The director of \u201cBlindfold,\u201d The School of Visual Arts\u2019 student Ameer Kazmi, worked closely with Wills to mix the 35-second spot.<\/p>\n Lest one assume that Wills\u2019 road to the release of his six-song statement was without proverbial potholes and detours, he\u2019ll be the first to admit that, although he chose his path to pursue music at the tender age of 13, the ride so far has been less than smooth. He was once a potential poster boy for the \u201ctroubled teen saved by rock and roll\u201d scenario. \u00a0He went to court three times when he was a minor for bad behavior. \u201cI had a real problem with authority or people telling me what to do,\u201d Wills recalls. \u201cI had to do a lot of community service, and my parents didn’t let me leave the property for an entire summer.\u201d \u00a0His time spent at home that summer was the catalyst for his future: \u201cI got really into the guitar, and I truly believe that music set me on the right path.\u201d<\/p>\n Wills played guitar and sung in a litany of rock and blues bands.\u00a0 At the ripe old age of 19, Wills made the astonishingly bold and equally mature musician\u2019s decision to abandon the band life and set off as a solo artist when he found his bandmates weren\u2019t as focused and dedicated as he was. \u201cI\u2019m pretty Type A and really determined,\u201d Wills explains. \u201cIf I make a commitment to something, I\u2019m all for it \u2013 just sign me up, till death, whatever!\u201d He told himself, \u201cAll I wanna do is play music, so I\u2019ll just do it myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Wills cites as influences both relatively current artists and classic acts alike, including John Prine, Butch Walker, The Band, Ray Charles, Dan Wilson, and Gary Clark Jr. \u00a0With that kind of wide spectrum of keystone artists as musical and lyrical guideposts, he notes that the common thread he sees running through each of these impactful artists \u201cis just them being themselves. They just let themselves be who they are, and then the songwriting\u2019s always great.\u201d<\/p>\n Passion, persistence, patience and professionalism all seem necessary characteristics any artist needs to have in abundance to succeed in the increasingly tough task of succeeding in the music business. \u201cI\u2019ve been writing songs since I first picked up the guitar when I was 11 or 12, and I don\u2019t think that\u2019ll ever go away,\u201d says Wills. \u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s what gives me the energy to get through my day. In my head, I\u2019m committed to doing this. \u00a0My main goal is to grow, learn, and develop as a human being and make great music that reflects that.\u201d<\/p>\n Wills plans to tour in support of the EP.\u00a0 Tour dates will be announced soon.<\/p>\n