William Singe reveals what it's really like to go on tour

Breaking it in America is an incredibly difficult feat for any foreign musician. So on your first US tour, if you somehow manage to sell out of almost every single show, you can rest assured that your act is legit. And while it may appear seemingly impossible for some, this is a reality for William Singe, the Australian singer and songwriter known for creating soulful, viral covers of chart-topping songs.

After a stint on "The X Factor" and the creation of his YouTube channel that has captivated millions (Side note: if you haven't seen his version of "Hotline Bling", stop everything you're doing and watch it now), Singe is traveling across the country to test out his original music and meet his American fans IRL.

We caught up with the musician of the hour to talk about the start of his tour, what he's looking forward to the most on the road, and more. In addition, he shared a sweet message to all of his fans, below!

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, including more exclusives on William Singe click here.

Philadelphia was your first show on the tour, correct? How was that?
It was crazy! It was so sick and surreal, especially coming to this country and to see people coming out to see you. It's my first US tour and I don't know very many Australian artists that are touring in the states, besides maybe Troye Sivan or Iggy Azalea who are from my area. And I've looked up to many people in the Australian industry and they always kind of shunned me, so for me to be able to do this now is reassuring to my craft and reinforces what I've dedicated my life too.

It's definitely really tough to break it in the US from another country, so the fact that you're selling out shows is amazing.
Yeah, it still hasn't quite hit me yet. Thank God for social media, right?



What was it like when you first got on stage in Philly?
While I was backstage, I was so nervous. I get nervous before every performance but as soon as you get on stage, for me, it's really do or die. You're up there and those people are there to see you, so you better give them a show or get off stage and let the next person come entertain them. As soon as I get on stage, all of those nerves turn into excitement, and people are into my performance. But beforehand, I'll be in the greenroom telling myself "You gotta do this, you gotta do this."

What's the setup of your show like? Do you use the loop pedal a lot in your performance?
No, so I actually have a DJ and a keyboardist with me who I've been friends with since I was like 14. For me, I'd love to have a live band, but that costs money -- especially to fly them from Australia. So right now, it's me on a microphone, and I have my keyboardist and my DJ backing me up.

What is the city your looking forward to the most on your tour?
I'm really looking forward to San Francisco since I've never been there before, and that sold out really quickly. Apparently the music scene there is really cool so I'm excited to go, but I only get to stay there for a night.

What are you looking forward to the most during your tour?
I guess the most exciting part is singing originals on stage and seeing how people react to them and seeing if they even like them. The originals aren't songs that people sing along to since they don't know the words, but if they're vibing it gives me a good indication as to what they're liking and what singles I should come out with first. It's also exciting to meet the fans at the end. It's so crazy that these people all the way on the other side of the world are listening to my music, it's ridiculous.

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