Emotive Metal Album Release by “We Are William” at Aggie Theater Friday

We Are William is a collective of individuals embodying unity for a common good through a quest for music excellence. Dedicated to refining their sound and working tirelessly to make music dreams a reality, We Are William pushes their ego(s) aside to embrace the painful parts of life, utilizing layers of soulful melancholy paired with explosive instramental emotions to magnify the value of lessons learned through unideal circumstances.

A New Album Experience

These themes are expanded on exponentially in their newest self-titled album, which publically drops Friday, September 10, during their album release show at the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins (make sure to bring your vax cards or negative test results). The performance lineup also features the talents of "melodic death metal" Ancient Colossal, progressive quartet Liontortoise, "rocky mountain post-hardcore" Castele, and Into The Grey, an up-and-coming metal band from Greeley. If you are interested in a taste of the new album, check out We Are William's music video for their newest single "Oceanic."

Vocalist Sebastian Lawrence and guitarist Cameron Johnston open up in an interview on the creative process of making the album, sharing the history of the band, and manifesting what they envision for their future. The project started in 2017 and was/is a tribute to Health Ledger's role in A Knight's Tale. The name "We Are William" comes directly from Ledger's William Thatcher, who believed that you can "change your stars" and become who you want to be; ultimately deciding to become the best (and happiest) version of yourself.

How The Band Changed Over Time

We Are William (WAW) sprouted from the idea of community and unity, looking to create a space for music that not only sounds good but makes sense and relates to the listener. As the band grew and changed form over time, they became more and more passionate about their music, and slowly started expanding into the visual medium, such as creating new merchandise, musical playthroughs, and highly produced music videos. Lawrence noted that he was incredibly thankful for these creative opportunities because he discovered both a passion for acting and a creative way to engage listeners with more context for their lyrics.

Musical Influence

Much of the influence of WAW's music stems from being honest with oneself and being brutally blunt with feelings. By creating emotionally charged music through uncomfortable, sometimes painful personal experiences, they make an impact with their audience while expressing various emotions in a safe, healthy way. In addition to creating a new album, WAW is focused on building up the band to be a full-time, efficient business venture. They are incredibly excited and rejuvenated to be working on live performances again and don't plan on slowing down anytime soon. We Are William is happy to be producing music and getting content out in the world.

Thanks From The Band

Lawrence and Johnston would like to give special thanks to Derric Bolen, one of the guitarists who was very involved in the creation of the album but is no longer a part of the band. Additional thanks go to drummer Mack Borrow for managing the band, bassist Max Jonas Knaver for mixing/mastering the album, the Aggie Theater for helping them book and create shows, Jeffrey Riley for producing the music video, and the overwhelming support they have received from the metal community.