Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 375 – July 11, 2018

Where did you come up
with the idea for “Seal It
With a Kiss”?
“Seal It With a Kiss” was an
idea I’d had for a little while.
It was originally just a lyric
from another song that I was
writing with Mark Barrie, the
producer of “Crash.” We
didn’t end up using the song,
but parts of what I’d written
stayed with me. They were
really catchy. Randomly one
day, I started humming lyrics
from that original song, and
before I knew it, it led to a
whole new idea.
Is the song about a taboo
love?
“Seal It With a Kiss” is more
about the unspoken chemistry
between two individuals.
The lyrics and the vibe of the
song make it seem sordid, I
know, but it isn’t necessarily
about promiscuity. It’s about
a chemistry that is so strong
that you don’t need words to
express it. It is felt simply with
a look, a touch or a kiss.
That could be steamy.
I do think there is something
hot about being the only two
people in the room who know
what’s going on and being
able to speak to the other
person without words. But it’s
not love, right? At least not for
me. It’s more the beginning of
the relationship, before things
turn into love. I think in the
beginning of any romance, it’s
better when things are kept
private. A lot of issues get
avoided when others don’t
add their two cents into your
love life.
But in today’s digital age,
does a relationship even
count if you can’t change
your status on social media?
[laughs] Do you know how
many times I have this
conversation with people? I
think the idea of validating a
relationship on social media
is ridiculous and one of the
reasons why “love” has
become so distorted. Social
media does not, or should
not, determine how you feel
about someone, or how you
think someone feels about
you. Too many of us spend
way too much time and
energy worrying about what
people think about us on
social media.
Let’s take the conversation
back to music. What other
artists are you listening to
today?
I love artists like Charli XCX,
RAYE, Sofi Tukker and Billie
Eilish. I still love Tove Lo and
Years & Years and, of course,
Troye Sivan, SZA Vince
Staples and Eden Prince. But
you know, lately I’ve been
listening more to indie artists
who aren’t famous yet, or as
famous as they likely will be. I
discover so many incredible,
unknown artists listening to
Spotify or scrolling YouTube.
I like listening to musicians
that speak to the time we’re
in, artists I believe will create
nostalgia in 10 years or so. It’s
one of the things I hope my
music will do.
Is that the goal when you
step into the recording
booth?
Yes, and also evolving and
growing as an artist. “Seal It
With a Kiss” was the first time
I’ve had such a large role in
the production of a song. In
the past, my collaborations
were more of me being the
writer and vocalist, coming in
after the music was complete.
This time I had a hand in
producing the music and in
helping to craft the overall
vision. My new production
team and I spent about three
months experimenting with
sounds and ideas before we
came up with the musical
direction for the song. We
auditioned several tracks and
sounds before finding the
right groove.
“Seal It With a Kiss” is the
first single off your soon-tobe-released
“Dreamland”
EP. What can you tell us
about “Dreamland”?
“Dreamland” is a project that
I’ve wanted to do for years
now. The title is meant to
represent the sound, as well
as the story of the project. My
production team and I wrote
and produced so many songs
that we’ve actually split the
project into two parts. The
first part of “Dreamland”
will be out this summer. The
second part will release later
in the year. Both represent the
next level in my sound, and I
am ecstatic to share it.
BILLY WINN’S “SEAL
IT WITH A KISS”
IS AVAILABLE ON
ITUNES, SPOTIFY
AND ALL DIGITAL
PLATFORMS. FOR
MORE INFORMATION,
VISIT BillyWinn.com
OR FOLLOW HIM ON
FACEBOOK
@BILLYWINNMUSIC