Pictured (L-R): Alex Williams and Chris Shiflett
Walk The Floor Podcast Episode Available Now
Tried-and-Truth Singer/Songwriter on Tour with Blackberry Smoke & Aaron Lewis
NASHVILLE, TN (November 13, 2017) – A perfect dichotomy of soft-spoken yet fully-lived, ALEX WILLIAMS joins Foo Fighters/Dead Peasants guitarist for the latest episode of Walking the Floor with Chris Shiflett. The pair chat about their diverse musical influences from 80’s Hair Metal and Outlaw Country to Alt Rock and Americana with Williams explaining, “My first concert was Motley Crüe. Luckily, I got saved and started listening to Billy Joe Shaver and Waylon.” He adds, “there’s a lot more quality stuff than there has been in the past…everything I listen to and am inspired by is not really played on mainstream radio so it’s good to be in in that lane.”
The impact is clear on Williams’ debut album BETTER THAN MYSELF, out now on Big Machine Records. The Indiana-bred baritone penned the 12-song collection recorded alongside three-time GRAMMY-winning songwriter/producer Julian Raymond (Glen Campbell and Hank Williams Jr.) and an esteemed troupe of musicians: drummer Victor Indrizzo (Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris), keyboard player Matt Rollings (Lyle Lovett, Mark Knopfler), bassist Joeie Canaday (Leann Rimes, Steven Curtis Chapman), pedal steel player Dan Dugmore (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt), and guitarists Tom Bukovac (Don Henley, Stevie Nicks) and J.T. Corenflos (Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson). While he dropped out of college for the road-tested approach, Williams shared on the podcast that his work ethic is still in tact, frequently co-writing with his guitar player. “It’s nice to keep it rolling. I get a lot of fucking anxiety when I’m not writing. It’s like, ‘Fuck, man, I’m falling behind,” expressed Williams.
Drawing on his idol’s do-it-your-own-way mentality, Williams has become part of a new breed of upstart outsiders, writing modern music with a vintage vibe. NPR Music notes, “He distinguishes himself from stylistically fluid millennial peers by following the old-line outlaw country lineage and its tradition of leathery, knowing tall talk.”
From the studio to the stage, his fierce streak of independence is evident as lived-in vocals endorse his based-on-a-true-story brand of songwriting from the hard-won insight of “Pay No Mind,” the devil-may-care ode to being yourself on “Freak Flag” and objection to societal trends in “Little Too Stoned.”
Rolling Stone Country confirms “Williams makes music that’s more reminiscent of his Seventies influences, mixing the Waylon Jennings’ booming baritone and Willie Nelson’s speak-sing delivery with his own brand of introspective songwriting.” The weighty comparison and sheer talent have previously earned him dates with everyone from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Hank Williams, Jr. Now, the “anything but ordinary” (Billboard) Williams is opening the SINNERS AND SANCTIFIED TOUR for co-headliners Blackberry Smoke and Aaron Lewis. For tour dates and more, visit http://alexwilliamsofficial.com/.
The Walking the Floor with Chris Shiflett podcast features a wide range of musical guests and celebrities across the entertainment spectrum every other Monday, exploring creative inspirations, life lessons and more.
