Sometimes as we go through our lives and…

…everything lands in place, we cannot help but think what a fantastic week. For Will Rees, the week of November 17th through the 25th in 2018 was definitely his best week yet. Coming off playing some of the most prestigious show in the UK, to getting engaged, then playing the biggest trance show in the US, life is pretty good for this young technician. Growing up in Swansea, Will has been doing this with his best friend for years. Growing, learning, and improving daily, Will is ready to show the world what the future of trance looks like. His easy-going personality and youthfulness is almost overshadowed by his raw talent. He plays with the big boys, and if the future of trance is left in his hands, then trance has a very bright future.

Thank you so much for taking the time to sit with me today and welcome to the United States. You have been doing this since you were young. How has the journey to the US been? Are you excited for Dreamstate?

The journey started for me when I was about 13 or 14 years of age. I use to listen to a lot of my brother’s CDs that he passed down to me, and I have got hooked onto trance since then. This has been my first time to the US, and I am having an absolute ball. Having such a good time already, good to meet all people, people you have been speaking to online. It is an absolute pleasure to play Dreamstate, and opening the main stage yesterday was an amazing experience, and it won’t be something I will forget for a long time.

You have had a big year in your productions. Especially with your banging track “Need You” which has hit #1 on Beatport and in the running for Tune of the Year. When you released the track, did you have a gut feeling it would be this popular? How does it feel to have a track in the running for Tune of the Year?

It has been incredible. I definitely didn’t expect the track to do as well as it has. And especially when you making a track for so long and no one else is there. And you are there on your own making the track, you start to doubt yourself a lot. But as soon as I had the OK from Bryan Kearney, I had a lot more confidence and yeah I can’t believe, it has been my biggest track to date.

In January 2019, you will be playing for Wax Format’s The Great Vinyl Vault, and will be spinning vinyl. First of all, that line up is insane. How does it feel to play amongst some giants and legends in the scene? How long have you spun vinyl?  Do you prefer vinyl to digital? Why?

I grew up on vinyl, so when I first started DJing it was all vinyl and it changed a few years later. So I haven’t played on vinyl in a long time. Although now and again in the house, I will occasionally get them out and have a spin on them. But I am really looking forward to playing that again and taking out some of my favorite trance tracks from the collection I have. It is going to be a great, great event.

You and your buddy Sam Jones spent a lot of time together growing up, especially in your teenage years. How does growing up with someone who shares the same passion as you help? Do you still collaborate or reach out to each other for support?

Yeah, we definitely still speak to each other, we are actually working on another collaboration, which is still new. We just started it recently. Sam is obviously one of my best friends growing and when I first started playing in Swansea, he was persuading me to try and come along with me. And I was like “no, no, no” and though he finally came, and we have a very strong connection and our musical styles maybe over the last few years have gone our separate ways. But the new track we are going to be doing is actually going to bring back our old styles into a new track.

You recently played for Kearnage London and you followed Bryan Kearney’s set. How do you follow a set like that? Were you nervous? How do you overcome your nerves?

Yeah, I am generally quite a nervous, anxious person anyways. Well, eventually the event was to be held at the Egg venue and I knew I was going to be playing after Bryan then. SO even then that was fairly nerve-wracking. And then it got changed to Fabric venue, which is such an Iconic venue. I was definitely nervous, but a couple of beers before the set helped a lot. I kind of knew what Bryan was going to play, so I played a lot of my own stuff and a lot of promos I had at the time. But it was an absolutely amazing event. And again it has been an amazing week actually, from playing that event, followed by getting engage, now Dreamstate. It has been a very big week. 

2018 you have played events all over the world. What has been your favorite so far? What do you look forward to in 2019?

2018 I think the Kearnage gig in London has always been a highlight, trance sanctuary in London. As far as UK gigs go, that is definitely the best event to play. And Three years running now I have been playing that event. 2019, now that I am here in the US, expect a lot more happening in the US. I have a big tour coming up in the coming months which I hope to be announcing very soon. So I am really looking forward to coming back, but yea I love the US.

Finally, if you could only live by one motto, what would it be?

I think really it is just be happy. I know that is such a simple answer, but just be happy and do whatever makes you happy, ‘F’ what everyone else thinks and just do what you want to do.