Sam Williams
Sam Williams never met his grandfather, but he feels his blood coursing through his veins every single day.
“There’s a lot of pain burned into my DNA,” says Williams. “But pain can be a beautiful thing if you know how to deal with it.”
Indeed, Williams’ extraordinary debut, ‘Glasshouse Children,’ is proof of that. At its core, the record is a gorgeous meditation on hurt and healing, on growth and loss, on sin and redemption, but more than that, it’s a reckoning with fate and free will and the family ties that bind us. The grandson of country pioneer Hank Williams and the son of outlaw legend Hank Jr., Williams is the latest in a long line of American originals, but he’s not here for the sake of tradition or legacy. He sings with his own singular voice and he writes in his own singular style, fusing gut-wrenching honesty and plainspoken poetics with raw vulnerability and deep empathy. His songs are lush and cinematic, influenced as much by modern pop as classic country, and they grapple with the kind of profound, revelatory introspection that belies their author’s young age. At just 22, Williams has already been through a lifetime of struggle and heartbreak—‘Glasshouse Children’ took on new meaning shortly after completion, when Williams’ beloved sister, Katie, was tragically killed in a car wreck—and he comes across as an old soul on the album, a gentle, sensitive seeker searching for his place in a cold, hard world.
“When you’re coming out of adolescence and into early adulthood, that’s the period where you’re really reconciling where you come from with who you are and who you want to be,” says Williams. “I found my purpose as a writer was to explore those sorts of existential issues, not only for myself, but for everybody else who’s out there listening and wrestling with the same questions I am.”
Growing up in rural Paris, TN, Williams was reluctant to even imagine his current career trajectory. It wasn’t that he didn’t love music (particularly the hip-hop, pop, and R&B that he discovered on the radio as a youngster), but rather that it came with so much inevitable baggage. What if he didn’t want to sing country songs? What if people didn’t take him seriously? What if he couldn’t live up to their expectations?
“To be honest, I shied away from making music for a long time,” says Williams. “It was never pushed on me, which made it easier, but as a kid, more than anything, I just wanted to be normal, so I was really hesitant to go down that road.”
Intending to pursue a life far different from that of his father and grandfather, Williams moved to Nashville to study business in college, but it proved to be a poor fit. At 19, he had a son of his own, dropped out of school, and made peace with the fact that he couldn’t run from his past forever. He’d been writing music and poetry on the side for years, but now he decided to dive in headfirst, collaborating with top shelf songwriters like Jim Lauderdale, Lori McKenna, and Mary Gauthier on genre-busting tunes that reflected his wide-ranging love for everything from Margo Price and Tyler Childers to Billie Eilish and Drake.
“I discovered that writing songs with other people really brought out something new in me,” says Williams. “It wasn’t always easy, but there’s just something so powerful about laying all your cards on the table with somebody else and turning that into art.”
Williams released a series of early singles to widespread acclaim—Rolling Stone raved that “his voice exud[es] equal parts power and grace,” while CMT declared that he’d “inherited the gift of wondrous country lyricism”—but it wasn’t until Dolly Parton entered the picture that ‘Glasshouse Children’ truly began taking shape.
“I had this song called ‘Happy All The Time’ that I’d been sitting on for a couple years,” says Williams. “I’d always envisioned Dolly singing on it, so I wrote her this two-page letter on an old typewriter, and when it finally got to her, she loved the track and said she’d be honored to record on it. That changed everything for me, because suddenly I had this duet with Dolly Parton on my hands, and I knew I was going to have to really push myself if I wanted to write an album of songs powerful enough to stand alongside that.”
Recorded primarily with Nashville studio wizard Paul Moak (Joy Williams, Ashley Monroe), ‘Glasshouse Children’ more than rises to the challenge. The collection opens with the stirring orchestral sweep of the title track, a co-write with Ronnie Bowman and The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, which finds Williams’ tender, plaintive vocals front and center as he reflects on the ways in which past trauma can shape our present strength. It’s an undeniably beautiful tune, but like much of the album, it’s haunted by a sinister undercurrent lurking just beneath the surface, a hint of darkness that threatens to swallow Williams whole should he ever allow himself to surrender to it. The wistful “Happy All The Time” struggles to fill the kind of void no material wealth ever could, while the stripped-down “Bullet Blues” stares despair dead in the eye, and the poignant “Can’t Fool Your Own Blood” comes to terms with the damaging cycles we inherit from our families. “I know roads that I don’t walk down,” Williams sings with equal parts dread and determination. “They take me places I don’t want to go again / But now and then I take a wrong turn / And then the lost highway claims me its own.”
“I was thinking a lot about my lineage when I wrote that song,” says Williams. “There’s incredible brilliance and accomplishment in my bloodline, but also devastating alcoholism and tragedy. For all of the mystique around my grandfather’s life and death, I have to believe that he’d regret passing away so young. He was just 29 when he died, and my dad was only three. I’ve got my own three-year-old now, and as much as I want to be a great artist, more than anything, I want to be a great father.”
The fragility of life is something Williams has grown all too familiar with in recent years. His sister’s sudden death was profoundly devastating, but the journey of grief and self-discovery Williams found himself in the wake of her passing led to a deeper understanding of his purpose in life. It also inspired him to introduce the album by releasing slow-burning single “The World: Alone” on what would have been Katie’s 28th birthday.
“That song was never slated to be a single,” says Williams, “but I knew no other way to honor Katie’s memory. She was front row at my Opry debut and always my biggest cheerleader. I wrote the track a year before her passing, having no idea I would be detailing a tragedy and the loss of a dream, but the music lives and grows, and I understand now that I was destined to do this and have to carry on.”
While Williams’ writing is often weighty and consequential on the album, he’s careful to balance it out with moments of hope and joy, as well. The soaring “10-4,” written with GRAMMY-winning producer/songwriter Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves, Lee Ann Womack), is a country-pop gem all about losing yourself in the ecstasy of new love, and the swaggering “Wild Girl,” a co-write with The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston, dips its toes into a more hip-hop inspired palette as it celebrates the fire we all carry inside. Even when Williams is picking up the pieces of broken promises and faded desire on tracks like the urgent “Dream Anymore,” he still finds reason to walk tall, remaining true to himself above all else.
“At the end of the day, I wasn’t interested in making something just to say I did it or to pat myself on the back for honoring some kind of family tradition,” says Williams. “A legacy doesn’t mean anything if you’re not carrying it on with truth and integrity. I want to make Katie and my grandparents in heaven so proud. I owe it to them.”
After all, as Williams so eloquently sings on the album, you can’t fool your own blood.
Releases
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Videos
Sam Williams – American Actress (Visualizer)
Sam Williams – American Actress (Official Audio Video)
Sam Williams – Carnival Heart (from Cirque du Soleil Songblazers) (Acoustic)
Sam Williams – Carnival Heart (from Cirque du Soleil Songblazers) (Official Lyric Video)
Sam Williams, Carter Faith – ‘Til I Can Make It On My Own (Performance Video)
News
Sam Williams Releases New Project ‘Act I: Scarlet Lonesome’ – Out Now
SAM WILLIAMS RELEASES NEW PROJECT ACT I: SCARLET LONESOME OUT NOW LISTEN HERE PERFORMED AT GRAND OLE OPRY LAST NIGHT MORE MUSIC COMING SOON NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 28, 2024) – Today, critically acclaimed rising country star Sam Williams shares his exciting new project, Act I: Scarlet Lonesome, available now. Listen HERE. This marks his first full project in three years […]
Sam Williams Releases New Song “American Actress” and Announces New Project ‘Act I: Scarlet Lonesome’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – May 31, 2024 – Kickstarting a bold creative era, critically acclaimed rising country star Sam Williams unveils new song “American Actress” available now. Listen HERE. The new track heralds the arrival of his exciting new project, Act I: Scarlet Lonesome, coming this summer. More details to follow. Williams’ emotionally charged delivery over a lightly strummed acoustic guitar makes the track feel […]
Sam Williams Shares New Song “Carnival Heart” – Out Now
SAM WILLIAMS SHARES NEW SONG “CARNIVAL HEART” OUT NOW – LISTEN HERE FEATURED IN SONGBLAZERS: A JOURNEY INTO COUNTRY MUSIC PRESENTED BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL & UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 12, 2024) – Critically acclaimed rising country star Sam Williams shares his new song “Carnival Heart” today. He created the original track for the innovative new country-themed show, Songblazers: A Journey Into […]
Sam Williams Releases Heartbreaking New Song “I Hate The Holidays”
Sam Williams is Over Christmas Cheer on “I Hate The Holidays” “I Hate The Holidays” Artwork | Photo credit: Spencer Miller NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 3, 2023) – Today, Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams proves that the holidays may not be the most wonderful time of year after all on his new track, “I Hate The Holidays,” out now via Mercury Nashville. The bluesy tune […]
SAM WILLIAMS HONORS GRANDFATHER HANK WILLIAMS’ LEGACY WITH HAUNTING RENDITION OF “I’M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY” – LISTEN HERE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 15, 2023) – Today, Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williamscelebrates country pioneer and grandfather Hank Williams’ legacy and 100th birthday with a soothing rendition of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” In true Sam Williams fashion, his beautiful voice is laced with hints of sorrow, vulnerability, and acceptance. Listen to “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” HERE Over soft acoustic guitar chords, Williams sings, […]
Sam Williams Releases Heart-Rending Video for “Tilted Crown”
Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams released a tear-jerking music video for his emotional new song “Tilted Crown,” a featured track on his recently released deluxe album Glasshouse Children: Tilted Crown. In an exclusive Facebook premiere earlier this week, the video, directed by brother-sister duo Alexa and Stephen Kinigopoulos of Running Bear and produced by Strange Arcade, shows Williams defenseless and […]
SAM WILLIAMS RELEASES NEW SONG “BLAME ’EM BOTH” OFF FORTHCOMING DELUXE ALBUM
SAM WILLIAMS RELEASES NEW SONG “BLAME ’EM BOTH” OFF FORTHCOMING DELUXE ALBUM WATCH ACCOMPANYING VIDEO HERE PRE-ORDER GLASSHOUSE CHILDREN: TILTED CROWN OUT OCTOBER 14 VIA MERCURY NASHVILLE Today, Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams releases the delicately scathing “Blame ’Em Both,” another song from the forthcoming deluxe version of his celebrated debut, Glasshouse Children out on October 14 via Mercury Nashville. […]
SAM WILLIAMS ANNOUNCES DELUXE ALBUM GLASSHOUSE CHILDREN: TILTED CROWN OUT OCT. 14
SAM WILLIAMS ANNOUNCES DELUXE ALBUM GLASSHOUSE CHILDREN: TILTED CROWN OUT OCT. 14 New Song “Ragdoll” Out Now Via Mercury Nashville “Glasshouse Children is the sound and the look of an artist influenced by old ghosts, but shaped by the aesthetics and experiences of coming of age in the 21st century.” – Rolling Stone “He has […]
Sam Hunt Unexpectedly Boosts Interest in Endangered Species
Sam Hunt Unexpectedly Boosts Interest in Endangered Species “Save The Ridley” Shirt Featured in Hunt’s “Water Under the Bridge” Video Prompts Sea Turtle, Inc. to Reproduce the Vintage Tee In a fortunate twist, country superstar Sam Hunt has boosted support and interest in endangered sea turtles with his “Save The Ridley” vintage t-shirt worn […]
Sam Williams Releases “Blue Christmas” Cover
SAM WILLIAMS RELEASES COVER OF “BLUE CHRISTMAS” WATCH HIS IN-STUDIO PERFORMANCE OF THE SONG NOW HERE ON TOUR WITH BRITTNEY SPENCER BEGINNING DECEMBER 2 IN NEW YORK Today, Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams releases a very special rendition of the holiday classic, “Blue Christmas,” via Mercury Nashville. Sam breathes a new life into this staple holiday […]
Sam Williams Releases Debut Album- Glasshouse Children -Today
SAM WILLIAMS RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM GLASSHOUSE CHILDREN TODAY VIA MERCURY NASHVILLE “[‘Can’t Fool Your Own Blood’ is] a haunting performance worthy of his surname.” – Rolling Stone “He has his own highly creative soul.” – MusicRow “Sam Williams is proving that he absolutely has the skills as a singer and songwriter in the world of […]
Sam Williams Releases “Happy All The Time” ft. Dolly Parton
SAM WILLIAMS RELEASES NEW SONG “HAPPY ALL THE TIME” FEATURING DOLLY PARTON ON THE COVER OF APPLE MUSIC’S NEW MUSIC DAILY DEBUT ALBUM GLASSHOUSE CHILDREN OUT AUGUST 20TH VIA MERCURY NASHVILLE Ahead of the release of his debut album, Glasshouse Children, Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams releases a brand-new song, “Happy All The Time (Feat. Dolly […]
SAM WILLIAMS REVEALS VIDEO FOR “10-4”
SAM WILLIAMS REVEALS VIDEO FOR “10-4” WATCH NOW HERE DEBUT ALBUM GLASSHOUSE CHILDREN OUT AUGUST 20 VIA MERCURY NASHVILLE Today, Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams shares the video for “10-4.” Directed by Kwaku Ospinto and shot in the remote woods of Joelton, Tenn. and at Marrowbone Lake in Nashville, Tenn., the video captures the feeling of […]
Sam Williams’ GLASSHOUSE CHILDREN Arrives Aug. 20
SAM WILLIAMS ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM GLASSHOUSE CHILDREN ARRIVES AUGUST 20th VIA MERCURY NASHVILLE RELEASES NEW SONG “KIDS” FEATURING KEITH URBAN TODAY PRE-ORDER LIVE NOW Today, Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams has announced his debut album, Glasshouse Children, is arriving August 20th via Mercury Nashville. Watch the teaser trailer for the album HERE. Pre-order Glasshouse Children […]
Sam Williams Signs with UMG Nashville
SAM WILLIAMS SIGNS WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE Debut Album GLASSHOUSE CHILDREN Expected Summer 2021 UMG Nashville signs singer songwriter Sam Williams. The grandson of country pioneer Hank Williams and the son of outlaw legend Hank Jr., Sam Williams is the latest in a long line of American originals, however, he offers far more than […]