This UW-Madison junior just released a professional EP

Will Hoverman, a Journalism and Political Science major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, just released his first studio produced EP, Pressure, this May.

The EP is five tracks and has a very modern, electronic pop feel.

“I tried to make this EP a hybrid between EDM, House, Pop and also RnB and bring it into one space.”

Will recorded the album in Winterland Studios in Minnesota. He recalls a particular incident when he was entering the studio as Missy Elliot was leaving.

Will is extremely thankful for his producers Dex Barstad and Alec Prince, and engineer Scott Tétrault, for having faith in his process and working with him in the studio.

“They were working completely off the clock and these crazy hours. It was a big gamble for them to go in and do this for some random 19-year-old kid that makes music in his basement,” Will said.

According to Will he was only in Minnesota for a 30-day stretch, and during that time they recorded every night from 8:30pm to 4:00am. His only days off were Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Years Eve.

Countless hours were spent outside the studio as well, especially during the songwriting process.

Will said his process is extremely organic, and he draws inspiration from many difference sources.

“I take emotions and nuances from the sounds I’m hearing that I think are conducive to certain stories that can be told,” Will said. “It just sort of flows.”

Pressure was created to be palatable to college age students, and that can be heard in a lot of the lyrics, specifically “Pressure” and “Intentions.”

Will says the track “By Now” is a statement to the world that they are ready to take their music to the next level.

“We want to be taken seriously. We have put in the work and the effort to create a professional product in a professional environment,” Will said.

He admitted that working on his music has been difficult to do while he is in school, but it is something he truly enjoys and is very serious about. Will also has plans to reach out to new contacts and keep moving forward.

“Music has always been something that has been very important to me and is probably the single most rewarding thing that I have in my life. So, if all of the circumstances were right I would love to start doing it full time, and make it a career.”

Will said the response to the album has been really positive.

Some of his favorite experiences have been while he’s out at a bar or a party and someone he has never met before will tell him how much they enjoy the EP.

“It was an incredible experience putting it together, I explored parts of songwriting and artistry and things that I never thought I could do and parts of myself that I never thought I would be able to expose,” Will said. “As cheesy as it sounds creating this product is infinitely rewarding not only because people are listening, but for myself. Creating an art form is a really soul searching experience in some ways.”

Will’s EP, Pressure, is available for purchase on iTunes, or can be streamed on Spotify and Soundcloud.