PASSPORT: CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS
Christian Williams - Defiant
Banjo, gitaar en koffiebus leveren fraaie vijfde op
Kijk, dan kan je schrijven! Een zin als deze
Her eyes were like the ocean - deep, restless and at his door
spreekt boekdelen. Het draait hier om de deur. In één zin de rampspoed aangekondigd. Want deze vrouw zal door een bijl om het leven komen. Christian Williams zingt zoals gewoonlijk met zijn lonesome baritone de duisternis zelve aan het licht. Terwijl Henry May dan weer door zijn vrouw wordt weggeschoten.
Oh, Henry May - used his head to paint the kitchen red that summer day
Overigens is deze Henry zo’n vervelend kereltje dat hij niet in de hemel en zelfs niet in de hel welkom is. De duivel stuurt hem terug als kakkerlak. In onze vorige recensie van Christian Williams (zijn Built with Bones) wezen we al op het JCS. Het Johnny Cash Syndrome. Ook nu lezen we dat weer overal terug. Ook de naam van Nick Cave valt regelmatig. Terwijl mensen als Nathan Wade of William Elliott Withmore toch zijn ware geestverwanten zijn. We denken ook nu weer aan Dock Boggs (en Mike Seeger). Blues en bergmuziek. Vorige keer hoorden we Boggs nog niet echt terug. Nu al wat meer (An Honest Man). Williams wordt beter! Net als zijn liedjes trouwens. Er zitten waarlijk sterke staaltjes bij. Zoals A Winter Away waarin we ook iets van de grandeur van Neil Diamond horen. Ook Barn By The Creek en Upstairs mogen er zijn. Williams heeft zich niet door de country (jaren zestig en zeventig) laten ringeloren maar hij laaft zich aan de bron van deze volksmuziek die haar wortels in de negentiende eeuw vindt. Defiant is een mooie plaat waarmee Williams wederom een stap vooruit maakt. Nog even en hij gaat werkelijk grote dingen doen, zo denken wij hier bij Hanx. (Wim Boluijt)
1. What’s in the name/what’s in the title?
Well, I’m a solo act and my real name is Christian Williams, so that’s about all there is to that. The new album is called “Defiant,” and essentially, it describes the overall attitude of the characters in several of the songs. Some of them are defiant in the face of death, some are defiant in the face of logic or reason and some are defiant in the face of God and nature.
2. What’s your first musical memory?
Riding in the car with my mom as a 3-year-old while she listened to Air Supply on the radio. Fortunately, Air Supply has remained just a memory and not an influence.
3. First cd/lp you bought?
Believe it or not, I was really into hip-hop when I first started buying music so the first album I bought was Eric B. and Rakim’s “Don’t Sweat the Technique.” I still listen to hip-hop on occasion.
4. At which moment did you decide that your music had to be heard?
After about five months of writing songs and keeping them to myself, I noticed that I’d written a few songs that I thought were pretty good. So, I played them for my parents and they really liked what they heard and told me to keep playing. When I played those first songs for my parents, I knew I could play in front of anyone and that’s when I got real excited about sharing my music.
5. What is the biggest musical step you’ve taken so far?
The biggest step was deciding that I was good enough to invest my own money into the process. I bought a better guitar, better recording equipment and more instruments to use in my songs. I’m pretty much a “do-it-yourself” musician. I have a few collaborators, but for the most part, I write, record and release all of my albums myself with my own money. When you’ve got bills and rent to pay, it’s a pretty big risk to put your own money on the line as I have.
6. You’ve won a contest. First prize is a master class in song writing and you can choose the teacher. Who would you ask and what should the lesson be about?
When it comes to my music, I’d say the most influential songwriter for me has been Rennie Sparks of The Handsome Family. Her songs are essentially short stories set to music. I imagine a songwriting class with her would consist of sitting under a tree in the forest and watching the leaves fall and the squirrels scamper around. The lesson would simply be to open your eyes and take in as much as you can, the smaller the detail the better. I wouldn’t ask any questions because that would ruin the mood.
7. Best concert you ever saw?
I’ve been to quite a few concerts over the years but the one that stands out for me was seeing The Walkmen at a small rock club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sometime in 2003. I was standing right in front of the stage, singing along to every song and helping keep the lead singer, Hamilton Leithauser, from falling off the front of the tiny stage. It was truly an amazing experience.
8. Who of your musical friends is going to change the world? And how?
Earl Foss’ Brown Derby Band and The Down Here Band are making country music the way it’s supposed to be played – traditional, fun and lyric driven. And Slackeye Slim is putting a sinister twist on country music that brings it back to its gritty, bloody roots. The more people hear from these guys, the greater the chance we’ll be able to take country music back from the no-talents in Nashville that make pop music and call it country.
9. It’s the end of the world and everybody knows it and they ask you to sing one more song for the whole wide world ! Which one are going to pick?
As luck would have it, I’ve written a song for such an occasion. It’s called “Something Like Love” from my second album, “Built with Bones,” and it’s a love song based on the book of Revelation from the Bible. It’s a show-closing fan favorite.
10. What’s up for the next couple of months?
I’m already hard at work recording the next album. It’s shaping up to be around 15 songs and so far, I think it’s going to be my best one yet. I’ve met a kindred spirit in Texas, who goes by the name Dark Hallelujahs, and he’ll be doing the art work. Depending on my money situation, I’m aiming for a late spring release.
