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Writer's pictureBUZZ LA

Willow Robinson Breaks Down Modern-Day Societal Standards With, "Weight of the World"


From Los Angeles to Hay-on-Wye, and back to LA, the Singer/Songwriter and Artist Willow Robinson releases a thrilling Alternative-Pop anthem titled, "Weight of the World."

After dropping his life in London and the rest of the UK, Willow Robinson took his career by storm and pushed full throttle into his own music.


Releasing the last installment of 4 EP's, "Fall" follows "Winter," "Spring," and "Summer," encapsulating the entire upcoming album, "Seasons."


Taking a listen to the second track of his EP "Fall," "Weight of the World" brings listeners through a realistic storyline reflecting society's new norms and the inevitable weight that sits on our shoulders while attempting to reach unrealistic standards of beauty. Through gripping Alternative-Pop/Rock instrumentals, the track blasts through as a soundtrack to our everyday lives. 

"Weight of the World" begins with filtered staccato rhythm guitar and Willow Robinson's powerful vocals resembling Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds. We can feel Robinson's LA influence through the addition of blissful droning electric guitar that naturally transcends the listener above this plane. The song's gripping synths and airy drum patterns make for an empowering experience with each intricate transition and soulful instrumental. 

Willow Robinson continues to sing a story of trudging through society's man-made mud that sinks us deeper into unrealistic expectations of beauty. Leaving the last half of the song to the thrilling Rock-inspired instrumentals and whaling electric guitar, we can't get enough of Willow Robinson's powerhouse vocals and his equally engaging instrumentals that change like the seasons. 

"Weight of the World" takes listeners through the depths of our psyche and picks apart modern-day standards that social media has created, while Willow Robinson offers listeners a slice of sanity by reminding them that the weight on our shoulders is a universal feeling.





We appreciate your heavy yet highly realistic lyricism within your song, "Weight of the World." Could you take us through what inspired your message within this track?

The song is about dating a girl who portrayed our relationship as rose-tinted on social media, but in actual fact, it was far from a dream. It's about the fake nature of how we portray ourselves online. ‘She’s tricking them with candy, but its really only raw meat’ is the line that illuminates what I'm trying to say. This message is coupled with the fact that I was in love with this girl and she was leaving me at a really difficult time in my life, where it felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. Writing and recording it was the only way to endure the pain I was feeling.  Your instrumentation and production within "Weight of the World" are truly exhilarating. What sort of genre would you say this track falls under, seeing as you place thrilling Rock instrumentals and a dash of Alt-Pop?

My first love is rock music. I'm a die-hard fan of guitar solos and riffs. That said I'm so bored of modern rock artists simply mimicking the sound of the greats who can never be surpassed. I'm just trying to bring the sounds I love to a modern audience and hopefully carve myself a niche while I'm at it. Could you take us through your songwriting process for "Weight of the World"? How did you capture this universal weight within your lyricism?

I and my two producers were living in the desert, with no AC, in 100+ degree heat, sweating like maniacs, sleeping on the living room floor of this house, and trying to finish writing the last song on my album. Weight of the World came so quickly, we practically finished the whole thing within a day. It started with the opening riff, and the chorus just came to me organically, felt like it was meant to be. Our aim when writing the song was to create something fresh and modern sounding, so my producer Brian laid down the beats and synth sounds, and Chris did this great bass line, as soon as the tone was set, it wrote itself. At the time I felt like I was being crushed, and the lyrics really were my way of expressing my anger and sorrow. The best songs are ones that are honest and based upon real emotions. If you want to write a song I recommend going and getting your heartbroken.  Speaking on your entire EP "Fall," what role does "Weight of the World" play in the project's concept? We'd also like to ask how your concepts differ from your four EP's "Winter," "Spring," "Summer," and "Fall”?

The song ‘Fall’ was a random improv on the acoustic that my producers happened to capture on the mic in-between recording acoustic guitars on WOTW. I remember the sadness I was feeling and you can really hear that in Fall. Weight of the World is the struggle, the anger, fighting back, and trying to grasp at the sand. Goodnight is me letting go and opening a new chapter. So the three songs really represent the stages of the breakup. Fall definitely has a more dark and melancholy vibe than the other EP’s, to signify the year moving back into winter. Its purpose is to bring the whole project to a climax, and then a resolution so that I can move on to new sounds and new experiences. What has been keeping you inspired in 2020?

Honestly, for me, 2020 has been one of the most creative years yet. I've had so much space and time to hone in on my craft, drawing, writing, learning piano. Also being that the state of the world is often overwhelming, I find the best way to process my feelings and emotions is to be creative. My mindset has been, that despite all the negative circumstances it can come out of the quarantine with a huge body of work then it has at least been positive in that respect. Honestly, some of the post-apocalyptic days really got under my skin and helped me write some visceral songs. The state of the world has also helped me realize my real-life purpose, using my music as a platform to help fight for environmentalism. I am donating $1 per pre-save of my new EP to help plant trees and fight climate change... small beginnings. I figured there had to be a reason I was named Willow.

 

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