Questions w/ Joy Williams (part one)

If you’re a frequent reader of Saving The Set List, then you’ll be no stranger to this week’s artist. Singer/songwriter Joy Williams has been a regular topic and a friend of StSL from the beginning. Fresh off the highly successful Ten Out of Tenn (TOT) fall tour, and with the release of her brand new double EP, “Songs From This / Songs From That”, as well as featured songs in recent episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “90210”, she’s been enjoying some very well deserved success. Whether as a solo act or as one half of The Civil Wars, Joy Williams has fast become one of my very favorite artists. So, it is with great pleasure that I present to you part one of “Questions” with Joy Williams...

StSL – Your new double EP just released in September. What can you tell us about “Songs From This / Songs From That”?

JW – "Songs From This / Songs From That" is a handful of musical Polaroids I've taken, so to speak, over the last several months. It is an eclectic project, sonically & thematically, and I didn't want to hide that. Instead, I wanted to highlight it. It's where I'm at these days. It's been a year full of up's and down's, twists and turns, full of experimentation, and of continuing the conversation musically as I continue to journey in this new season of creativity.

StSL – What has it been like for you being a part of the “Ten Out of Tenn” community of artists?

JW – It's an honor to be a part of the credible brand that TOT has established for showcasing independent artists, and it's a privilege to be out on the road with this year's group. I truly enjoy the music of each artist in their own right, so it's been fulfilling putting all of our hands together to create it each night on stage. Every artist out on TOT brings a different flair - personally and musically - and it's been fun... it feels more like traveling with family than just simply being on tour.

StSL – Having made the move from California to Tennessee, what have you found to be the key differences between the two in your life as an artist?

JW – In NorCal, music felt more like a hobby to me...because it was. I was surfing, hiking, going to school, etc. But when I moved to Nashville, I could literally feel the creative history from every sidewalk of the city. The way this town feeds on music has pushed me to become a better writer/singer, to become a greater student of other people's artistry and it's also called out personal confidence in a city that can be very competitive.

StSL – A song of yours that I really enjoy is “Charmed Life”. Can you share a bit about the story behind that song?

JW – A friend and I were discussing very normal 20-something life questions and quandaries, along with some heavy hardships we'd both recently had in our lives. Looking around at the world, so much of it has felt as though it's been in chaos. But amidst the chaos, there is still the chance to be thankful for breath, for relationships, for what we DO have... and that's what the song is about: honestly remaining grateful and present.

StSL – What have you been listening to lately?

JW – Today? Monsters Of Folk (supergroup made up of Yim Yames, M. Ward, Connor Oberst, and Mike Mogis), Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, J. Tillman.

Visit JoyWilliams.com for more info and check back here tomorrow for part two!