Featured Artist: Will Hickl
Meet Will HIckl and NOVUM Records
This month we sat down with Will Hickl: a husband, father, worship leader, producer, songwriter, DJ, author, and software professional, holding certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP)® and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. With over a decade of experience in the music industry and a passion for serving artists, Will started the grassroots record label NOVUM RECORDS and has helped artists release hundreds of songs to date.
Tell us your musical story...
My relationship with music has been, dare I say, romantic. There have been compositions that have utterly captivated me, and when I finally learned how to play, the ability to move from listening to playing added a whole new dimension to my experience as a human. Then, when I learned to play with others in the music community, the experience was elevated. When I finally got to the place of being able to write my own songs to express my heart - this is the summit.
Through this journey, I have had the honor of learning and writing with many other talented people, which has led to the creation of NOVUM RECORDS - a Catholic record label with the mission of serving artists and building good culture through music and art. Although we began with contemporary Christian and praise & worship, we have evolved into serving all genres because we see the richness in encouraging Catholic artists to make music they want to. The glory of God is man and woman fully alive, and we want every artist in the world to follow their passions to bring God the glory He deserves!
How do you pray with music?
Music is my direct flight to the heavens. As I have journeyed through genres of music I am drawn to in each season, I have learned to experience God in many ways - whether it's a subtle message of comfort, or a reminder of His everlasting love, or just something that lifts my spirits.
I started writing music that was solely worship, but years later found that I was drawn more to the sonic characteristics of modern pop and electronic music. This led me to pursue my solo worship project where I have sought to bridge the gap between corporal worship and non-traditional instruments like analog synths and drum machines. Today's rap or pop productions make use of 808s, synths, and auto-tune, and as we focus on the "ever new" aspect of the Church, I am continually on a mission to integrate these modern sounds with music that is meant to glorify God. Using technology to perform, whether it's various MIDI controllers, live looping, etc has been part of this mission. This exploration can be heard in my worship songs "Jesus, You Are Here" (live looping with 808s and synth), "You Shine" (live looping with samples, auto-tune, synths, drum machine), or in the bridge of "Over and Over" (sampled analog drums, synths).
For me, being surrounded by synths and drum machines is a sacred space that helps me encounter God, and is my conduit for lifting up His praises. Because of this, it has led to a new expression through my electronic pop project The Longng. The name is rather straightforward - the songs all stem from our desire for the infinite, our longing for something more than what we experience on earth. The "i" is missing on purpose, and it's to symbolize the removal of selfishness in the pursuit of holiness. Also, it was a name that wasn't already taken.
The latest single "Into Your Arms" is a song that means the world to me. Fun fact - it was co-written by Vigil's very own Greg Boudreaux! He was an incredible help in articulating the particular musings of my heart. The music video is a great compliment to the music - which is all I'll say because it is intended for the viewer to draw their own conclusions.
What projects are upcoming for you?
This new release is part of a full length album, and I will be recording the rest of the album by the end of the year. I have also been working on a screenplay with a friend who is a very talented actor/director to help tell the story of this music through a short film. When I'm not doing that, I'm at work with the other NOVUM RECORDS artists, who have projects throughout the year that need production, promotion, and everything in between.