Up-And-Coming Aotearoa Artists: Goodwill

It’s all happening in Christchurch, haven’t you heard?

“Is Christchurch now the coolest place in Aotearoa?” asked RNZ a few weeks ago, three months after we first profiled the Canterbury city’s progressive and growing music scene.

As part of our in-depth feature on Ōtautahi, we spoke to Will McGillivray, a prolific local producer and singer-songwriter, who compared his hometown to Antarctica and LA, noting, “we’re kind of in the middle of nowhere.”

“But I really love that, the feeling like we’re tucked away and not in the limelight,” he quickly added.

Under the Goodwill moniker, though, McGillivray deserves his moment, his flowers, and a wider audience for his music.

His debut album as Goodwill, Kind Hands, arrived on October 4th via Winegum Records, a small label with a mighty roster (Mousey, Tom Lark), and it’s a quiet wonder of a record.

McGillivray took his time creating his debut, tinkering with the songs slowly and carefully as his work as a producer for There’s a Tuesday, Mousey (check out his appearance in Mousey’s new Rolling Stone AU/NZ ‘In My Room’ session), and more kept him busy.

Where his 2022 EP, Incontrol, was, he openly admits, “pretty heavy-handed on the angst,” he aimed to suffuse his new music’s still-moody palette with stronger tinges of hope and optimism.

On Kind Hands, the result is a lo-fi gem that’s also pristinely polished in the most exhilarating of ways.

Similarities between Goodwill and Alex G are immediately apparent: like the Philadelphia’s lo-fi lord early output, McGillivray recorded, produced, and performed all instruments for the album on his own, and both artists straddle a fine line between sonic weirdness and lyrical sincerity. (Album highlight “Plans” has audible notes of Alex G’s beautiful song “Hope,” with its motoring rhythm and melancholy air.)

Listening to Kind Hands, it’s easy to see why McGillivray is making a name for himself as a producer, and why his debut album took so long to come to fruition. There is serious production talent bursting forth throughout the album, from the mournful “Kalm Hands” to “I Will Never Let You Down,” the warm closing track.

Would McGillivray have been able to make Kind Hands in another city? With his evident skill, probably. But the rat race of Auckland might have spurred his career in another direction; the rising rates of Wellington might have forced him into another line of work entirely.

The joy of a supportive, self-supporting music community like Christchurch is produces artists like Goodwill and albums like Kind Hands.

“I don’t know what it would be like to live and make music anywhere else, but I do feel surrounded by creative and talented musicians, many of which I’m lucky to call friends,” as McGillivray told us in our Christchurch feature. “It feels relatively void of a music ‘industry’ here, just people tucked away in their cool little home studio spots in the suburbs, and sometimes these people go outside and head to a cool gig at Space Academy or Loons. I could make a massive list of people who make great music from here.”

What else do you need really?

We caught up with McGillivray as part of our Up-And-Coming Aotearoa Artists series to celebrate the release of his debut album. Read the full interview below.

Goodwill’s Kind Hands is out now via Winegum Records. 

Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How did music influence you in your early life?

Goodwill: When I was a kid I had one of those little plastic guitars that makes noise when you push buttons down and was fully enamoured by the Interislander theme song from the ad that was on TV. The first time I felt music’s influence was when I discovered rap music videos on MTV. I must’ve only been seven or something but they were just so cool to me. At that age I didn’t know any other kids that played music so I was probably more influenced by skateboarding or whatever my friends were up to. It probably wasn’t until later that it felt like a stronger pull.

What artists influenced you growing up?

Growing up I would just get exposed to whatever CDs mum and dad had in the car that weren’t scratched. Music by Jackson Browne and Ron Sexsmith was held highest in my family. I also heard a lot of Neil Young, Joan Armatrading, Cat Stevens, Lou Reed, and Tracy Chapman. Once YouTube existed I’d spend every day after school watching live concerts of people like Bon Iver or Haim. I’m sure it was all seeping in.

When did you discover your passion for creating music?

The thrill of hearing yourself back has always captured me. I had this shitty free recording software called Mixcraft that I’d spend hours on. I could perform into the computer speakers, overdub something on top, turn the reverb up as high as I could and listen. It’s pretty exciting stuff when you’re 11 and honestly it still is now. But music really began to feel exciting in high school when I started writing and playing with friends, in what would become a band of eight years. It’s funny because It’s kind of gone full circle and now I’m back writing songs by myself. But I’m into it!

What are some career highlights so far?

I would honestly just say that people listening to the music is the coolest thing to me. Before I’d released any Goodwill music I think I underestimated how gratifying it would be for someone to say they’ve been playing it heaps recently or to hear it playing in a café when I walk past. It’s such an isolated process that I almost forget that random people are gonna hear it. It’s also been cool to have my mix hero, Andrew Maury, work on all the stuff I’ve made, along with lots of other talented people.

Tell us about living and making music in Christchurch. How strong is the city’s music scene right now?

I don’t know what it would be like to live and make music anywhere else, but I do feel surrounded by creative and talented musicians, many of which I’m lucky to call friends. It feels relatively void of a music ‘industry’ here, just people tucked away in their cool little home studio spots in the suburbs, and sometimes these people go outside and head to a cool gig at Space Academy or Loons. I could make a massive list of people who make great music from here. 

What themes did you explore on your debut album?

A lot of the time in the writing process I’m feeling around in the dark and find my perspective dwindling; the intentions and themes become much clearer to me after the fact. Before writing this record there were a lot of gnarly things going on in the world, and I had a fresh sense of gratitude and luck for where I live and who I’m surrounded by.

I’d also just released my EP Incontrol, which was pretty heavy-handed on the angst. It felt interesting to run in the other direction for this project and try capture a feeling a warmth. I think I got there in the outro of the title track – like a big warm hug.

What kind of personality traits and values do you believe it takes to succeed in the music industry?

I think, in the industry, a lot of it is just being a good hang and respecting other people’s talents or knowledge. You have to be able to roll with the punches a little and shake things off, like my big golden labrador Buddy when he’s at the beach and he’s got a bit too much sand happening. It’s also important to have a strong artistic vision and the willingness to fight for it.

How would you describe your music to a potential fan?

I’m asked to perform this magic trick all the time but I still find it hard to do. The songs I make are usually born from tiny fragments of things I see, hear or think that feel interesting enough to be written in my notes app. The music is written slowly and recorded slower, in a living room by the beach with no soundproofing. I like to set the most organic sounding traditional instruments against degraded or modern studio elements – the contrast feels cool to me. The songs are very melody-forward and always slightly more honest than what feels comfortable.

What are your goals for 2024 and beyond? What can fans expect from you this year?

Everything has been pointing toward this record release for a while now. I’m excited to play these songs live around the country. A big goal of mine is making it over to Australia to play live as soon I can. There’s also lots of internal scheming about the next project – I’m excited about that!