Embracing limitations and possibilities within his immediate environment has shaped the expansive eclecticism of Blood Wizard’s second album, Grinning William.

Released on 25 October via Sad Club Records, the LP is the latest offering from Cai Burns, the creative force behind Blood Wizard. Marking a departure from the alt-folk sound of his acclaimed debut, the album preserves some acoustic soft edges but leans into heavier, slung-low guitars that swing between new-wave urgency and sludge-laden drops. Cai infuses his signature wry vocals and poetic lyrics with a kitsch playfulness to craft three-minute pop gems.

Recorded with producer Theo Verney at Echo Zoo Studios, the project embraced spontaneity, with loosely rehearsed tracks transformed through on-the-fly edits and single-take recordings. This process allowed the songs to evolve organically, layering guitars and amplifying the intensity beyond their demo origins. While this sophomore album showcases a progression in Cai's songwriting that could see him breaking out of the underground, what actually happens when artists teeter over the precipice? We had the pleasure of exploring this very conundrum with Cai.

Learning from his younger self who yearned for The Big Break, Cai now approaches music making with a healthy dollop of fun and humour. This is helped by today's landscape where the divide between DIY and "making it" feels less clean cut, with the cultural capital of the underground thriving through independent labels, promoters, and magazines. This supportive network creates a space where artists can go for it, without major pressure from above. For Blood Wizard, Sad Club Records serves as such a safe haven, championing experimentation and offering the freedom to explore and grow.

Using the tools at hand and responding to both the opportunities and constraints of the moment, Cai's environment moulds the music he makes. From the limitations of quieter living arrangements that shifted his writing focus from guitar to synth, to the capabilities of a high-quality studio that yielded a massive, layered, and unexpected sound; Grinning William was shaped by the spaces it was made in. A warming reminder to make the most of what we have, stick it out, and enjoy the journey.

So immersed in his art, Cai arrived a little late for our video call, having lost track of time while making progress on new music. No complaints from us though - we were pleased to be a speck in the creative arc unfolding in his bedroom.

What’s the story of the Blood Wizard project?

Blood Wizard started because I made a Bandcamp with that name - a ridiculous name that I thought no one would find - to upload demos to. It kind of started off as a side project, just as a way to put out some acoustic demos that I was making at the time. When lockdown happened, I kind of leaned into it a lot more. Over that time, I built up a new, little body of work. Me and my friend Tom, who has played guitar on the albums, had a little studio right in Nottingham. So, when the world opened up enough for us to go in there, we started recording some songs, and then we had this album's worth of songs but didn't realise we were a band yet. We were just playing around with it and then decided to do something with it. I guess the project was born there. We gigged the album for a bit and then wrote this second album over last year, and here we are!

Your brilliant second album Grinning William arrived in October. You manage to wrap up important, serious topics in a clever, pop-infused way which creates a really fun but interesting listening experience. I wonder if the album was as fun to write as it sounds?

Songwriting can be so stressful. But when it's going right, it's really good… kind of why I got carried away today before the interview because I was actually making some progress on some things.

But it was a joy to write, really. At the start of last summer, I decided that I was going to record an album at the end of this summer. And I was like, "ok, that gives me a year to write this album." I started off writing bits and bobs and was having loads of fun. And then, time was going on, the band was split in different cities, and we weren't getting together. I was just trying stuff at home. And then all of a sudden it was a month away. It got really close, and the album was realistically like 30% finished. So then that point was like: "Oh my god, I need to write this album."

How long did you have been the "oh my god" and recording?!

I think it was six weeks. I had most of the songs, and like seven or eight of the tracks were roughly there. But we’d never played them as a group. I remember the day before going into the studio, we did a run through of some of the songs, and at one point I was on my hands and knees with my head in my hands, like, "Oh no, what the hell have I done?!". 

But it came together really well! A lot of it was written on the fly in the studio. We recorded the live instrumental tracks, and then I took that home, and then me and Faye messed around with the synths and the vocals in our own time. I mean, it all worked out really well in the end. It was just a bit of a roller coaster. 

I understand that you guys went on a bit of a production journey with the wonderful Theo Verney. Can you talk us through it?

Usually, the idea of writing on the fly freaks me out. I'm not one to improvise but Theo created this atmosphere that was just so comfortable. I've known him for a while, so I already trusted his taste, which was why I chose to work with him, and there wasn't any point where I disagreed with his decision. 

We'd play the demo of the song in the live room, and then we'd just talk about it a bit: What if that chorus happened twice? What if this thing? This change? That change? Then we'd go into the room, give it a few runs through and see what stuck, see what felt good. I just remember, the way I was facing in the guitar booth meant that I could see Theo and every time I was doing anything, he'd head banging. He'd make you feel like you were awesome. You could tell he was just so invested, and so into it.

After a few spins of the record, the stand out track for us is 'BIG FISH'. Can you talk us through the track?

That's one of my favourites on the record, mostly because it kept on growing and it ended up becoming a little bit ridiculous. They're the oldest lyrics on the album, and they were taken from a demo that I'd had for my previous band. I was in that band when I was a bit younger, and I think I very much attached my sense of self-worth to my perceived success of that band. The lyrics were written in frustration at the end of that, but never ended up being a song. I think at the time, it was a little bit too honest and I'm glad it can happen now, and it be something I'm talking about that happened in the past. I connect to that one a lot.

Shifting to fun ridiculousness definitely comes through in the video! I love the imagery of the one man band madly keeping on going.

Exactly that. That's the image the song gave me. When I'm writing a song, there's always some kind of little image over there. And for me, it was just that kind of someone like: "Oh my god. How the hell do I juggle all this?!".