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Imagine Festival Artist Spotlight: Will Clarke

September 14, 2017 By Tori Matthews

Imagine has really outdone themselves with their lineup this year. One of our favorite stages that we can’t wait to cut shapes at is Disco Inferno, with the docket boasting a flock of Dirtybirds. One of those players that we are excited to see in particular, is the beard loving, cuddle connoisseur Will Clarke. Clarke’s sets are always full of surprises, the young artist is known for throwing out unreleased tracks and reworks, so every set is unique.

Clarke has always been drawn to the decks and playing for friends, family, and eventually fans. Before joining the flock, he was throwing bass flavored sets in his home city of Bristol and taking his summers to play into his techno love for white isle enthusiasts. It was when he landed his first residency at Kenyada in Ibiza that he really started to fuse those two worlds together. In an interview, Clarke had stated when he first heard Tim Green’s “Kitch In”, that’s when he knew that Dirtybird was the direction he wanted to take for his overall aesthetic.

When his addictive single “Big Booty” dropped, everyone couldn’t resist throwing it in their sets, like Jamie Jones, Seth Troller, and MK. This took his career to the next level and once it took it off, he never slowed down. When he dropped “Badness,” Claude immediately signed him to the Dirtybird 10 album and he’s been throwing down with them ever since. Within his first year of touring, we couldn’t get enough of him and he ended up playing over 100 shows. His Get Real Tour took him to some of the biggest stages at festivals like Pete Tong’s stage at Wonderland, Dirtybird Campout, and HARD Day of the Dead, just to name a few. His first Dirtybird tour with Billy Kenny was cleverly titled, Will & Bill’s Excellent Adventure, touching down on tech house havens like Holy Ship and CRSSD. And now he is yet again embarking on another tour, Cuddle Club, which will feature other artists as well such as option4, Golf Clap, BOT, and Vin Sol. Luckily, one of those stops will be next weekend at Imagine.

Somehow he found the time to get down in the studio between all of this. Clarke dropped incredible EP’s like Booty Percolatin’ and Techno (Not Techno), which put him in front of everyone’s attention. He kept up with our demand for more, with notable fan favorites like “Can You Funk” from his Turn it Up EP, his collab with Shiba San on “Give it to Me”, and “The Goog” from his Boogie Woogie EP. We really had to limit ourselves, because everything he releases is, quite simply, on point. He has perfected his unique fusion of funk, techno, and house while still pulling in some old school vibes.

Outside all of his personal music growth, he has been growing the brand behind the beard with things like his monthly radio show The Barber Shop, which now reaches over half a million listeners. He’s featured artists such as Groove Armada, Kolsch, and Yousef to sit in the barber chair and get a trim, so to speak. He also launched his Doing it for the Cuddles store, where his merch has a hard time not getting snatched up. Lastly, Clarke has created his own club brand and label titled Cut a Rug. He hosts regular parties under the moniker at the Motion club in Bristol and features guests to take to the decks like Carl Cox, Boys Noize, and Visionquest.

It’s incredible the growth and presence Will Clarke has created for himself. He’s now a staple in the tech house community and with every new track becomes that more lovable, and cuddle-able. Check out our mini playlist below to listen to some of our favorites. Be sure to snag your tickets and catch Will’s set next weekend at Imagine. Maybe there will be a chocolate bar or two that Claude will find on his gear and throw it out to the crowd. Either way, we’ll see you out there, tiny tambourines and all.