YK Records is honored to present Visitor, the debut LP from Nashville based Annie Williams. The collection of songs within Visitor find a balance between the delicately introverted and the euphoric extrovert. That seeming dichotomy is the result of indelibly intimate lyrics being wrapped inside drum machines, sidewalk casio keyboards, acoustic guitars and beautifully delicate vocals.
Truthfully, Annie’s music is best explained by Nashville writer Chris Crofton; in his words…
Do you ever think about “the sacred and profane?” I do. Especially these days, I’m interested in the sacred. And I’m not talking about religion. Nothing against religion, but I’m interested in the secular sacred – kindness, flowers, coffee, music, waterfalls, being of service – that sort of thing. If you get enough kindness and coffee in one place – for me, that’s church. Annie Williams takes you to that kind of church. These songs of hers are sacred spaces. Little universes, where, through the honesty of Annie’s voice, small subjects become large. In Annie’s world, a lost dog (“Midnight”), the movie “Thelma and Louise” (“Thelma”), a highway (“Hwy 287”) and love (“Oh My Love”) are all equally-worthy inspirations.
Annie is based in Nashville, TN. You wanna know how she got here? She was playing her guitar at a party at University of Wyoming, and a touring gospel hip-hop group saw her. They invited her to come to Nashville, and be on their label. The deal fell through, but Annie stayed in Tennessee.
When you listen to this record, you might say to yourself, “Gospel hip-hop group? I don’t get it.” But I get it. At that party in Wyoming, sacred recognized sacred.
In the midst of the 24-hour news cycle, it’s easy to lose track of what’s important. Annie’s songs gently, effortlessly – and joyfully – remind us to refocus.
– Chris Crofton
Personally, I initially heard of Annie Williams when I saw her name in the credits of the first Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection album. I saw her perform at Grimey’s on “To Be Blinkered” and absolutely loved it.
The songs of Visitor can be heart wrenching. You can hear that on the first single, “Midnight,” that’s streaming everywhere today. They’re heavy songs but they’re also catchy, burrowing into your mind. They sit with you. This is good.
We pressed the album to limited edition jade green vinyl. You can pre-order it over on Bandcamp and even get it bundled with a tote! We kept the run small on this, so act fast if you’re interested.
Annie will be playing a record release show on May 29th at Soft Junk here in Nashville. You’re advised to mark your calendars now.
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