Daphne Willis is always on tour.
“I continually go,” she said. “I’m always either touring or working in Nashville so, it’s kind of like, I’ll go out for a week or so regionally and then come back and then be home for a week and then I go out for another week.”
Home is right here in Nashville. You’ve likely seen Daphne perform her distinct brand of pop at The Basement, The Basement East, Mercy Lounge, The High Watt. “I play Nashville usually every six weeks or so,” she said. But during the month of June, the only place you’ll find Daphne locally is at Nashville Pride. This is her second hometown pride: “I do the Back Lot Bash in Chicago,” Willis said. “I’m from Chicago originally.”
She’s excited to get to perform music from her latest EP, Get It, as well as to debut new material. “I’m working with a new producer, Justin Que,” she said, “and he and I are going to do some new material we’ve been working on. We’re going to take my live show in a different direction and perform some of the newer stuff, which is exciting. It’s more dancy and a lot more hip hop.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Willis’ sound, it’s an eclectic blend. “I’ve been influenced by a lot of jazz and Motown growing up. Stevie Wonder. Ella Fitzgerald,” she said. “And then contemporary, so Pink would be a good comparison. I’m like a beachy, bluesy Pink.”
So if you’ve never seen Willis perform, Nashville Pride is the perfect opportunity to discover her, and if you’re a long-time fan, it’s a good time to rediscover your passion for her music.
Daphne’s Top 3 Nashville Places
Koi Sushi & Thai. “I probably eat there like three or four times a week. I love seafood but it’s just very clean and when I’m with a bunch of people, everyone can get what they want because they have Thai food too.”
The Post East. “It’s a bad-ass coffee shop. It also has really great juices and smoothies.”
The East Side YMCA. “Because I like to get my sweat on.”