Will Leffert moves to the beat of his own drummers. His favorite drummers just happen to be, as he put, “angry Germans banging on things.”
The local independant musician, who sites groups like Einstürzende Neubauten and Nine Inch Nails as his major influences, just released his 10th major album, “Tempted and Future Excess.”
With influences like those, it may seem like a bit of a shock to discover Leffert also pulls from classic composers like Holst and Vivaldi.
But that’s just who he is as an artist. To use his words, he’s “outside the norms.”
That may be the reason he actually encourages fans to pirate his works and share them, something most artists are currently fighting against.
“It’s a great marketing tool for us independent artists,” he said. “With my very first album, I started by selling it for $10 a copy. But I just felt bad because I was selling it to college students who didn’t have money. I kind of felt like I was ripping them off. So, I said ‘Forget it. You guys can have it for free.’”
The Eldon, Mo., native describes his work as a blend between industrial, avant guard and neo-classical, and says this piece, in particular, is one of soul-searching, examining the struggle between man and himself. The track “Tempted” is actually a reworking of an older piece of his in which he looked at the struggle against sin.
Leffert, who originally moved to the area to attend Hannibal-LaGrange College to study computer information systems, says he can’t really imagine his life without being able to make his music.
“Ever since I was a tiny little kid, I’ve lived for doing creative stuff,” Leffert said. “Music is just one of those things ... It’s something I have to do.”
For all of the things that set him apart, however, Leffert said he finds enjoyment in getting back to the basics and jamming with other musicians off the cuff.
“Someone will play a chord structure on guitar ... and I’ll just sit there and improvise and jam together for hours,” Leffert said. “That’s one of the greatest forms of music, right there: pure improvisation.”
As for what’s on the horizion for Leffert, it’s as varried as his influences. He said he has plans in the works for a new “social engine” album as well as a blues album.
But whatever comes next, fans can be sure it will be as original as Leffert, himself.
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Will Leffert moves to the beat of his own drummers. His favorite drummers just happen to be, as he put, “angry Germans banging on things.”
The local independant musician, who sites groups like Einstürzende Neubauten and Nine Inch Nails as his major influences, just released his 10th major album, “Tempted and Future Excess.”
With influences like those, it may seem like a bit of a shock to discover Leffert also pulls from classic composers like Holst and Vivaldi.
But that’s just who he is as an artist. To use his words, he’s “outside the norms.”
That may be the reason he actually encourages fans to pirate his works and share them, something most artists are currently fighting against.
“It’s a great marketing tool for us independent artists,” he said. “With my very first album, I started by selling it for $10 a copy. But I just felt bad because I was selling it to college students who didn’t have money. I kind of felt like I was ripping them off. So, I said ‘Forget it. You guys can have it for free.’”
The Eldon, Mo., native describes his work as a blend between industrial, avant guard and neo-classical, and says this piece, in particular, is one of soul-searching, examining the struggle between man and himself. The track “Tempted” is actually a reworking of an older piece of his in which he looked at the struggle against sin.
Leffert, who originally moved to the area to attend Hannibal-LaGrange College to study computer information systems, says he can’t really imagine his life without being able to make his music.
“Ever since I was a tiny little kid, I’ve lived for doing creative stuff,” Leffert said. “Music is just one of those things ... It’s something I have to do.”
For all of the things that set him apart, however, Leffert said he finds enjoyment in getting back to the basics and jamming with other musicians off the cuff.
“Someone will play a chord structure on guitar ... and I’ll just sit there and improvise and jam together for hours,” Leffert said. “That’s one of the greatest forms of music, right there: pure improvisation.”
As for what’s on the horizion for Leffert, it’s as varried as his influences. He said he has plans in the works for a new “social engine” album as well as a blues album.
But whatever comes next, fans can be sure it will be as original as Leffert, himself.
