Sam Williams is paving his own way with his own, genre-bending style of music. The grandson of the legendary Hank Williams, and son of Hank Williams, Jr., could have stayed within his pure country lineage and made music that, based on his name alone, would have garnered him almost instant success.
Instead, Williams, whose debut Glasshouse Children record was released in 2021, decided early on to make the music he wanted to make, on his own terms. The result is a gorgeous compilation on Act 1: Scarlet Lonesome, seven songs on one cohesive project, which is out now.
“It’s a departure from my earlier music, and I think it showcases a lot more of my creative ability, character and development, and sharing my story in different ways,” Williams tells Everything Nash.”
The record came out at a pivotal time in Williams’ career. His song, “Carnival Heart,” is part of the new Cirque de Soleil SONGBLAZERS: A Journey Into Country Music show, an impressive career milestone few songwriters achieve.
“It really came together in such a full and real way, because this time last year, I had written every song that’s on Act 1,” Williams shares. “I had written everything, but I hadn’t really painted my picture, and finished out the other acts and everything, so I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew I was doing something in my life, that’s for sure. As I wrote more music, I just figured out what went well together and really told the story.”
Williams, who says there will also be an Act 2 and an Act 3, was far less concerned with what genre Act 1: Scarlet Lonesome fit into, and far more concerned with making music that felt authentic and genuine to him.
“I do what’s real to me, but I didn’t make any effort of wanting to respect or give this as a country music project,” Williams explains. “Scarlet Lonesome‘s not really at all [country], and the reason i would say that is because I don’t want to lie. There’s obviously the influence that’s in my DNA in my songwriting and my vocal and everything, and I love to write country music. But I listen to so much different music, and to have such a hard time sometimes, from the hard-liners of country music, about what is and isn’t, at this point, I don’t want to hear it.
“I know what country music is because I am country music,” he continues. “I love country music. It’s my life. But I do think it’s a testament that country music can be more than one thing. Country music is bigger and is more expansive than it gets credit for. I think Act 1: Scarlet Lonesome definitely fits in country music, and I think it should. That doesn’t mean it necessarily will for some people, and that’s perfectly alright … Act 1 was very important for me to stamp, I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do, and not try to palate it for anybody.”
Act 1: Scarlet Lonesome includes “’Til I Can Make It On My Own,” a soaring duet with rising star Carter Faith, covering a Tammy Wynette classic.
“Carter Faith is totally a phenomenal singer,” Williams boasts. “She is one of my favorite voices I’ve ever heard. We’re good friends, and close, so we always wanted to do something together. It just came at the right time, that song idea came, and we both jumped on it. Carter’s a huge Tammy fan, so she knew that record inside and out. But we didn’t really study it, and I didn’t try to study it, because we really wanted to do something new with it, and knew that we wanted to make it visual and try to do a music video the same way that really gives tradition and pushing the envelope at the same time.
“It was really, really special,” he adds, “the way that we did the video and recorded the song … I love getting to sing with her, but it’s a little scary getting to sing with her, because she’s a really great singer.”
No one is more excited than Williams that Act 1: Scarlet Lonesome is out, but he’s even more excited about what is to come in its wake.
“It just feels like a great time,” Williams says. “I can’t believe it’s finally coming out. Now we have a lot of new music coming out, and lots of stuff for the next year. It’s great when you work really hard on something, and put your everything into it. Sometimes it doesn’t always work out … but I love when the music does, and I get to share the message and my voice and words with everyone.”
Williams will headline his own European tour in September. Find Act 1: Scarlet Lonesome, and all of Williams’ music and upcoming shows at SamWilliamsOfficial.com.
