William Locks, the artistic banner of singer-songwriter Willem van der Sluijs, Rotterdam-based artist ready to make an impact in the pop music sphere. Filtering his sound through a lens of honesty and emotion, he creates music that speaks directly to the heart with songs that pull at the complex tangle of love, pain and hope. His ability to turn life’s hardest moments into something beautiful and relatable translates into poignant musical moments wrapped up in a memorable pop sound that’s sure to win over fans around the world.
With nods to artists such as Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi, William’s sound is imbued with a delicate sincerity that reflects his own experiences, drawn from the moments that leave lasting scars and unexpected wisdom. With his self-run label, Forty Days, he continues to shape a musical identity built on songs that exist because they need to, not because they should. Now, with the release of his debut single titled “If I Could Say,” William Locks opens the door to his world for the first time.
It’s an emotionally charged introduction that reveals both his meaningful songwriting and his strength as a storyteller. Thematically, the track explores the lasting ache of loss and the desire for closure in the wake of tragedy, inspired by his past relationship with his ex-girlfriend, whose life was tragically cut short in an accident years ago.
Channelling that pain into a song that feels at once deeply personal and widely affecting, he delivers a sonic reflection on grief, acceptance and the brittle beauty of life itself. Recorded in the most unassuming of settings, a makeshift studio in his own living room, “If I Could Say” captures a profoundly moving context and frames it in a dazzling pop setting.
Setting a moving atmosphere of gentle piano notes and elegant strings, William’s emotive vocals drift in to spin graceful melodies carrying aching, picture painting lyricism that traces a journey from tragedy and memory towards a hopeful place of redemption and recover. Developing with the laid back patter of drums and intricate guitar textures, the song flows with stunning vocal leads to serve up an absorbing listening experience that builds throughout with rock vibes.
Reaching a spectacular finale where lead strings dance atop the arrangement, “If I Could Say” sees William Locks made an incredible entrance with an astonishingly stirring song that’s impossible not to be moved by. As he continues to carve his path under Forty Days, William Locks is set to reach countless listeners and we can’t wait to see what he’s got in store next.
Listen to If I Could Say below
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