Music has been prevalent in Will Dempsey’s life ever since he was young, but having a family meant putting that dream on hold for a while. In his latest single, “Moments Into Memories,” Dempsey combines his family life with his musical passions to create a heartfelt tune with an equally endearing music video.
Dempsey caught up with Music Mayhem to discuss his journey of stepping away from music and then challenge of making his return with the help of some viral videos.
Will Dempsey’s Viral Success Stemmed From TikTok
He began playing the guitar as a kid and as he entered into his teens, Dempsey learned to write music as well. Once he got married and started having kids, his priorities shifted to family and music was put on the back burner.
“A lot of that stopped once I started having kids because I just didn’t have the time for it anymore. I had a job and the kids and everything, but the funny thing is that the kids are the reason I came back. Like my two biggest videos, viral videos were both with my kids,” he explained.
The South Louisiana native went from working at a chemical plant to going viral and receiving millions of likes and views on his TikTok account.
“It’s pretty cool to see,” he expressed. “A lot of my success is tied to TikTok.”
One of the songs that blew up on the app was his latest release, “Moments Into Memories.” This song was written in 2021 and it focuses on wishing time would slow down so you can enjoy the moments in life that go by too fast. In Dempsey’s case, that is what he has experienced watching his two kids, Weston and Bella, grow up.
“I think I started writing a song just because, you know, having kids, you kind of see how fast they grow up and it’s just like, one day you wake up and you’re like, man, when did you get this tall? I was sitting around one day just writing, and that line came to me, ‘I wish time would take its time to turn these moments into memories.’ And I just basically read the wrote song off of that.”
This song is currently a favorite out of his entire repertoire because of its significance and strong message that everyone should take into account more often.
He added, “Sometimes you only really have like a few minutes to enjoy that moment. We’re always so busy and always worried about what’s going on in the next couple of weeks or in the future and planning for those things. Sometimes you get so busy doing that and you kind of miss what’s in front of you. It’s just human nature.”
Will Dempsey Included Personal & Fan Videos Into The “Moments In Memories” Music Video
The music video features several personal videos of Dempsey’s family, along with additional heartwarming clips sent in by fans, who later expressed their gratitude for being featured. Not only was this a way for him to connect with the fans, but it also gave them the opportunity to relive those memorable moments in their lives.
“I put a few of my own videos in there, but I also wanted to incorporate a lot of the fans in my music. They’ve been so supportive of me and I just kind of wanted to include them in this song because I’m sure everybody has those little moments in life that they remember that they wish they could go back to and re-live over again. So yeah, I kind of wanted to make it a little bit more personal for them too.”
When he thinks back to the moments he will remember most with his kids, Dempsey took a second to reflect on all the milestones he has experienced with them so far, but the miracle of their birth understandably stood out the most.
“Holding a child that you made, you can’t really describe it. It’s pretty amazing,” he shared. “I wanted a boy really bad after I had my daughter, so when we found out it was a boy, I was pretty excited about that too.”
Dempsey honestly revealed that putting this song out was “a little scary” at first, but once he saw the positive reactions from his listeners, those fears faded away.
“It’s been great. I mean, putting a lot of work and effort into a song and then feeling so strongly about it, you know, you want it to do well,” he explained. “The reaction’s been really good. Everybody loves it and I’m real happy about it.”
Will Dempsey’s Song “Beat You There” Honors A Late Friend
Family, and those close enough to be family, have inspired many of Dempsey’s songs, including another that went viral, “Beat You There.” This song touched the hearts of so many fans as it was written in honor of his close childhood friend, Audrey Maria Higgins, who unexpectedly passed away. Writing this tribute was the best way for him to process his emotions while also keeping her spirit alive.
“A lot of my close friends were really close with her too. One of my best friends was her brother-in-law and seeing all the stuff they were going through, it was awesome to be able to give them something to kind of keep her memory going.”
@willdempseymusic That last line changes everything 🙌🙏 #originalsong #beatyouthere #willdempseymusic
Even Within His Songwriting, Family Always Comes First For Will Dempsey
When it comes to writing music like both of these hits, it’s no accident that family is at the forefront of their storylines.
“I think I’m at that stage in my life, like I started this while I’m having a family, so I write songs that are personal to me, songs that really mean a lot to me,” he explained. “My family is who I spend most of my time with and what most of my life stems around, so it makes sense that most of my music is family related.”
While he continues to make music that evokes the truest of emotions, Dempsey is also working at the chemical plant, but his goal is to eventually transition music from his side job to his full-time job.
“It’s been incredibly difficult, especially considering the fact that a lot of the things that I do, it’s mostly just me and my wife. She helps me a lot with the videos and a little bit with the marketing, and stuff like that. A lot of the ideas and the content, it’s a lot of work and having to do that, plus a full time job, you do definitely have to sacrifice some things.”
At the end of the day, Will Dempsey is pursing his passion to the best of his abilities as long as his family is by his side, that is what matters the most to him.
“This is what I love to do. I love writing songs and creating music. If I could do that for a living, that’s more than good enough for me. If I could just make this a career and do this and still live the same lifestyle that I have right now, that’s really all I could ask for.”
Dempsey also teased that he plans to release new music later this year and get more performances scheduled in the books.
