Independent hip-hop artist Will McClean is set to release his most compelling and cohesive project to date, HIGH GROUND. A full-length collaborative album with local producer T BOOGIE, arriving July 11th on all streaming platforms.
Across ten tracks of soul-soaked jazz-rap and grounded lyricism, McClean unpacks the high stakes of vulnerability, moments of anxiety, and the clarity that comes from stepping back. Written in the aftermath of time spent overseas, High Ground is a reflection on what happens when perspective widens — and how love, distance, and purpose can collide in unexpected ways.
“I left home chasing memories and found myself in the process” says McClean. “I met someone who changed my life, and saw other things that changed me too. And then I had to sit with what that all meant. This album is about learning how to hold the good and the hard things at the same time — and trying to stay grounded through all of it.”
From the passionate opener “IGNITE” to the reflective love story “ON THIS HILL” (featuring JClean), HIGH GROUND charts McClean’s emotional and artistic growth. The album reunites him with longtime collaborator T BOOGIE - the two first met while working side-by-side at a pizza shop in Porirua. What started as busy shifts, rapping and talking music, turned into a creative partnership built on trust, craft, and a shared love of soulful beats.
HIGH GROUND follows recent singles “WE GON’ MAKE IT” and “HEAL ME”, both of which set the tone for the album’s central themes of resilience, vulnerability, and love in motion.
With a growing loyal fanbase in New Zealand and overseas, McClean’s commitment to soul, craft, and realness continues to set him apart — and HIGH GROUND is the clearest expression yet of his artistic mission.
HIGH GROUND is available on all platforms July 11, 2025.
TRACKLIST + THEMES:
IGNITE — Opening fire, determination, ambition
WE GON' MAKE IT — Hope in struggle (single released)
HEAL ME — Inner healing, therapy (single released)
ON THIS HILL ft. JClean — Fallin’ in love
RICKY BAKER ft. RORO — Nostalgia, identity
WINDOW SEAT — Tranquility, perspective
COME HOME — Love, loyalty, fear of loss
SUN STAYS — Love and light despite anxiety (single)
WHAT WOULD I DO? — Bars
I'M GONE — Letting go, rebirth