William Echo

Growing up, his musical knowledge was based on that of his parents'. Half English and half Chilean, this divide carried on into his musical experiences, being exposed from a young age to traditional Chilean music. Listening to The Beatles, Genesis and the occassional Queen formed his idea of rock music. When asked whether he was particularly musical when he was younger, it is a surprising answer. "Not really. I mean, I played the recorder in a local orchestra from the age of five, clarinet when I was eight and started learning drums when I was nine..." And he wasn't musical? "I guess I just didn't consider myself to be musical, or have the confidence - I was just as interested in drawing & writing as I was drumming with chopsticks in the kitchen".

It is in rhythm where his heart lies. Drumming in various rock, punk and Big Bands since he was 14 gave him the confidence that he lacked before, and soon he found he was bored at the back of the stage. "I wanted the glory! The only problem was, I didn't have the ability". This was soon to change.

At his secondary school, he was handed a cassette tape with some recommended music - music like no other he had heard. It was Muse's Origin Of Symmetry, and it changed his life forever. "Suddenly I had a reason to become a musician. I wanted to make music like Muse, I wanted to learn the guitar, the piano and I wanted to sing". Where his friends were still listening to the nu-metal of the day, William became engrossed in Muse, feverishly learning their songs and teaching himself guitar and piano.

During college he was classically trained on vocals and achieved Grade 8 - his only real instrumental qualification. Muse also opened doors to other musical avenues; from here he discovered a love for Radiohead, and equally for the late Jeff Buckley. Hendrix and Rage Against the Machine also played their part in forming his guitar style. He also found a passion for the Romantic pianists like Liszt, Rachmaninov and Chopin.

London only broadened his horizons further, exposing him to hip-hop and soul like never before. This was something he wanted to blend into his developing style. Incorporating everything he loves into his music is hugely important. "I think you can only write your best music when you allow it to come freely from everything you've experienced. Restricting your style only restricts your output."

And yet, in a sense, restrict himself is exactly what he has done. Inventing his own genre 'folktronicarock' he hoped to encompass everything that's best about his music. "I wanted to mix the folk songwriting style, the intense political lyrics and imagery with a lo-fi electronica feel - but I also wanted to keep my rocky edge."

Locking himself in an underground studio in Harrow for a year and a half, he has to date released 2 EPs, one of them download-only. Performing all the instruments on the records and mixing it himself, he has been likened to Prince in his early days as a solo singer/songwriter. Designing the artwork and all online promotion, setting up williamecho.com, it's truly a one-man effort to break into the music business. "I figured, even if I don't have a huge budget like the major labels, I can still push my own music at a professional level. If people like it, they'll buy it, and hopefully tell other people about it. So far, so good."