Boston’s Will Dailey has released the video for his latest disco infused pop track “Bad Behavior,” the second single from his forthcoming album Golden Walker out June 1st. This will be Dailey’s second full length album outside of the major label system, his debut release as an independent artist, National Throat was met with a tremendous amount of success, debuting in the top 20 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, receiving over 8 Million streams on Spotify and earning Dailey numerous awards including Album and Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards, Song of the Year and Producer of the Year at the New England Music Awards, and Best of the Year by Improper Bostonian Magazine.
The stunning animation for the “Bad Behavior” video was done by artist and animator Justin Nixon who said of the theme, “I used a lot of references, and listening to the track pointed me towards different imagery that I’m familiar with. The arrangements took me right to Ocean’s Eleven and then Sin City. I didn’t want to follow a romance narrative despite having watched clips of Bonnie & Clyde while the track was playing. I did, however, enjoy the anti-hero narrative. That’s where I landed on the relationship between a thief and a cop.” Although it is animated, both felt it was also important to include footage of Dailey himself in the video. To add this aspect, Dailey shot footage of himself on his iPhone and with the help of After Effects, he was then integrated perfectly into the technicolor world of “Bad Behavior.”
This track was sparked by the remarkable juxtaposition that Dailey observed about what is considered “Bad Behavior” in the current cultural climate in the United States. Acts of civil disobedience like the women’s march inspired lyrics like, “you best believe I love your bad behavior marching up the streets in every town, cutting straight into the heart of matters, keep me upright when all is upside down,” to this current president’s multiple indiscretions, lies, dangerous comments and actions, with lyrics like “Everyone I know is now afraid of waking up to find out what’s going on with bad behavior.”
Golden Walker was written as a handbook on how to be accountable and take responsibility in our modern world. As Dailey sees it, especially from the perspective of a straight white male, and a father, accountability is necessary for compassion and connection. The inspiration for the name of the record started with a trip to France. On tour there, Dailey had a chance meeting with a sculptor who heard his set in the tiny village he was playing that night. The sculptor told Dailey “All the gold is being take from our world. They take it all to use in technological devices that are supposed to help us communicate. The gold is disappearing, hidden in phones and computers that only leave us feeling more alone, separated and disconnected. When I heard you tonight through the walls of my workshop, I heard real communication. I heard you. You are a communicator.” He then sculpted and gifted Will a sculpture of a man with a gold nugget on his foot called “The Golden Walker,” and told Dailey that he had to be the keeper and protector of the gold and to keep communicating through music.