Music Industry News

Winegum Records is thrilled to welcome Goodwill to the label’s roster. The Ōtautahi based songwriter/producer today releases ‘Goner’, their first single for 2024.

Goner opens with an intimate vocal musing half-consciously over a gentle synth, pausing idly to catch it’s breath. Playing masterfully with silence and space, McGillivray stops the listener in their tracks with a bold and stunning balance between stark and lush. At its crescendo, ‘Goner’ is rich with tension as his overlapping vocals pledge ‘I won’t be a Goner’.

Inspired by a trip to LA, ‘Goner’ reflects on some odd interactions and observations of what it takes to commit to yourself: “I was in Los Angeles for a bit… I met this guy there who told me he was definitely gonna be a billionaire one day, and as random aside, an Uber driver there also told me that a billion people lived in LA. It was a weird time.

“There are constant opportunities to settle for less or become overly-comfortable, it can take a lot of swimming against the tide to keep at it with anything that feels challenging.”

‘Goner’ is Goodwill’s first musical offering for 2024 and will be the opening track on his yet-to-be-announced debut album, due later in the year via Winegum Records.

Goodwill is the solo project of award-nominated producer and songwriter Will McGillivray. Leaning into a love of dissonant guitars, droning analog synths, grainy lo-fi and longing melody, Goodwill’s music is thoughtful and honest. He has worked with esteemed Aotearoa artists such as There’s a Tuesday and Mousey, meanwhile using Goodwill as the vehicle for his own creative output.

Following the release of debut EP Incontrol featuring singles ‘Get Angry’, ‘Getting Better’ and ‘Clinging Onto You’ Goodwill’s sound earned him an instant nomination for ‘Best New Artist’ at the Rolling Stone NZ Awards, multiple Top 3 chart placements on the Hot NZ Singles chart, countless top spots on over 17 significant international Spotify editorial playlists, over 700,000 streams, extensive radio play in New Zealand and Australia, and an article in the August AU + NZ Rolling Stone issue.

Inspired by artists like Alex G and Bon Iver, Goodwill’s upcoming debut record (due October 2024) is an indie/alternative full-length LP with songs from the last 2 years of writing since the completion of Goodwill’s self-produced 2022 EP Incontrol. Touching on themes of gratitude, luck and commitment, Goodwill shakes off the angst and dissonance from Incontrol to bring the light at the end of the tunnel to the forefront of the writing.

Check out all things Goodwill below:
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Winegum Records is an Ōtautahi-based record label and music management outfit headed by Chris Close, an earnest music-lover and drummer aficionado. Already existing on the label’s roster are the emotive song-writers Mousey and Tom Lark, alongside recent tours with Pickle Darling, Pretty Stooked and Sam Bambery.