Behind Banana Labs - Say Hello to Will Gonzalez
- Grace Angelique
- Mar 26, 2024
- 3 min read
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Will Gonzalez (aka Spywell), the creative force behind the YouTube Channel Banana Labs, where he shares his passion for music and songwriting. With a unique blend of influences and a candid approach to his craft, Will offers insights into his creative journey, the challenges he faces, and his vision for the future.
Q: Will, could you tell us a bit about your latest release, "All Around You," and the inspiration behind it?
A: "As far as the instrumental aspect, 'All Around You' was inspired by the Shoegaze/Dream Pop genre. I love the balance between heavy, gritty yet melodic music with a balance of soft breathy drenched in reverb vocals. I've come to realize that I'm limited with my vocal strengths and I'm totally ok with that! I feel this sort of balance works for me."
Q: Your music showcases a diverse range of influences. Could you share some of the artists who have had a significant impact on your sound?
A: "It's hard to say which artists have a big impact on my music right now. I listen to tons of music. What attracts me most though with all the music I listen to is the melodies. I can easily be inspired by any genre as long as the melody can grab me my attention. All music, all decades!"
Q: Can you discuss the challenges you've faced in releasing your latest EP and your approach to overcoming them?
A: "The biggest challenges I face with my music are probably not so different from other artists. It's always a battle of 'Is it good enough?' 'What else does the song need?' And so, with this latest EP that I released I told myself whether I think it's good enough or not, I'm letting it go. 90 - 95 percent of the EP are scratch tracks that I was supposed to re-record. There are many parts of the songs where I sing flat, a few hiccups with the recording of the instruments and so many more flaws. But if I actually waited to re-record the tracks, it would have never gotten done. I know it's probably dumb to have done something like that coming from a perfectionist haha. I focused more on the mixing - which also could've been a lot better had I taken more time. But, it's already done and out so I can't think about that stuff anymore. The next batch of songs will be better because I plan to take more time on them in pre-production and post."
Q: Your YouTube channel offers insights into your songwriting process. How did you develop the concept, and what adjustments have you made along the way?
A: "So, for my YouTube channel I wanted to share my approach on songwriting. It started out with "writing songs inspired by" the viewers favorite artists and I would take submissions. Then I got a lot of nay sayers and people saying it sounded nothing like the bands I was writing in the style of. Not to mention that I clearly state I'm writing music INSPIRED by these artists, not how to sound like them. So, I bailed on that idea and just decided to write music that I enjoyed but still share my process and that's what I plan to continue to do moving forward with the channel."
Q: Reflecting on your journey, what achievement are you most proud of?
A: "I would say my proudest achievement is just still being able to have the passion to write music after all these years. I don't ever get tired of playing my instruments and I'm so grateful for that. Also, I just wanted to add that I am extremely grateful to anyone that has listened to my music and watches my YouTube videos!"