Music Q&A with Taylin Wills of Least
Photo courtesy of Least
Last year, alternative band, Least, released a 4-song EP via Friend Club Records titled Folding My Hands, Accepting Defeat and it is awesome! Least’s very own Taylin Wills (vocals/bass) took some time to talk about the EP, nothing, nowhere., the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and more! Folding My Hands, Accepting Defeat is out now and you can purchase it HERE.
You released an EP last year titled Folding My Hands, Accepting Defeat. What’s something that you hope listeners get out of your story as told on this record?
One thing that I hope people take away from this record is that there is hope in the struggle. The story I portrayed was definitely one of hardship, but being able to release the record at all and have people relate to it is proof that you can succeed, and things will get better. My ultimate goal was to reach mainly people in the 2SLGBTQ+ community; to let them know that their identity is always valid and that dysphoria becomes easier to manage, but I think the same message applies to anyone and everyone-because dysphoria isn’t just something that gender-nonconforming people encounter.
What’s your favorite song off the EP?
That’s such a tough question! I would have to go with “I’m Your Therapist Now.” It was the first song I wrote for the EP, and has a special place in my heart as the most emotional track I’ve written to date.
How did the pandemic affect the making and creative process of the EP, if it did at all?
I would say that the pandemic was the only reason that I was able to write and record this EP (lol). But seriously, at the time, I was living alone in an overpriced one bedroom apartment, and would only be working and then coming home to write and record for months. It allowed me to really hone in on shaping my sound, as well as put my feelings of isolation into each track.
If you had a chance to collaborate with a musician, dead or alive, who would it be?
I would do just about anything to collaborate with nothing, nowhere. I am obsessed with his entire catalog, and his catchy hooks inspire a lot of my writing.
What is one artist or band that you haven’t seen in concert, that you hope to see someday?
I recently got into a band called Anxious, and I’d love to see them live.
We all have our days where it may not be going as well as we’d like. People deal with their worst days in different ways. What helps you get through the bad days? How do you stay positive?
I have a pretty serious panic/anxiety disorder, so there are a lot of days that aren’t too great. However, what keeps me positive and moving forward is always creating, whether it’s writing a new song that will never get released, making a new dish, writing poetry, or drawing cartoon characters. Any of these things will take my mind off the panic and in a happier state.
Thank you for taking the time for this Q&A. Any last words or final message for the readers?
Thank you so much for the opportunity! I just want to say, in general, that our (GNC people’s) stories do not need to be defined by dysphoria (or whatever your version of dysphoria may be). I spent so long dwelling in the negative aspects of my transition, that I wrote the EP as a final “goodbye” to talking about it. Obsessing over my pain was getting me nowhere. Struggle is important in molding character, but it’s the positive achievements that we gain during and after that truly cement our places in history.