A chat with Will Reynolds
Scroll down a bit and you will notice that we have a new Penta Sounds section with our playlist of the month, so it only follows that this month’s mover and shaker is one of the brains behind it. Will Reynolds is a music curator for Imagesound, and if you haven’t heard the term before: music curation is about matching the best soundtrack with a space and overall brand at any time of the day to enhance the atmosphere (which is quite possibly the coolest job in the world by the way). Imagesound are proud suppliers of music specifically for hotels. The sweet tunes you hear in the Pentalounge? Yep, that’s them.
Hit play on our Spring Thing playlist and read on for our catch-up with Will.
Penta: What do you think of garden gnomes?
Will: I must admit I have never really considered garden gnomes but I am a big fan of the Wallace & Gromit films which do feature a higher frequency of gnomes than most films. Unless they are Claymation gnomes used for comic or dramatic effect then I can happily ignore them and hope no-one gets me one for my birthday.
P: Where do you feel most at home? Where is your ‘hood?
W: Any music festival be it a huge one like Download or Glastonbury or a local blues festival in Newcastle where I live. They really are the best places to be and bring out the best in people. There is nothing better than relaxing in the sunshine (hopefully, though in England this is never guaranteed!) with friends, enjoying great music of all genres whilst sipping on beer from cardboard cups, exploring strange new artists and getting lost down musical rabbit holes. I love getting lost in a festival and forgetting the outside world for a few days but as I get a bit older my ability to camp has diminished so I do always love going back to a hotel to sleep in a proper bed and shower.
P: Tell us about a project that is keeping you busy in this period.
W: Working with Penta on the new “Penta Sounds” mixes has given me the opportunity to share all the great music that I’m continually discovering and seeking out, both old and new, and best of all it doesn’t really feel like work as I am getting to listen to artists and tracks from all over the musical landscape. With this month’s first ever playlist (“vol. 1 – Spring Thing”) we have sought to capture the energy that comes with Spring drawing on classic cuts of soul for a warmth which is complimented by more modern electronica for an easy-going sound. It is this blending of genres that really intrigues me to see where we can take the playlist next see what tracks we can unearth.
P: Who are your role models?
W: Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden. Anyone who can front a metal band and make singing about ancient history cool, represent his country in fencing (duelling with a sword and not garden related), fly his band’s tour plane and brew beer is pretty inspiration to me!
P: You have ten seconds to tell our readers why they should check you out.
W: I have never lost a music round in a pub quiz so am useful to have on any team and am quite handy in the Film & TV rounds given my extensive geeky knowledge. Just don’t ask me to spell anything.
P: Who is the last person you called?
W: I really wish I could give a more interesting answer but it was my wife to discuss tiles for our new kitchen. Apparently, there are more shades of off-white than I had assumed …
P: Pizza or burgers?
W: Pizza. Hands down. They are just so versatile. You can have a single slice on the go, or share one with friends, or if it has been one of those days have the entire thing to yourself. And you can have anything you like on it, from a full English breakfast of sausage and egg to North African tagine and least we forget the much maligned Hawaiian of which I am a fan. Why? Because at parties no-one else will touch it so there is more to eat.
