Bryony Williams is an exciting indie-pop artist who has recently released her new EP ‘Conscious’. The record follows Williams’ breakout debut release ‘Wanderlust’.
Here we speak exclusively to Bryony Williams to discuss touring, new music, future plans, and more;
Growing up who inspired your love of music?
My dad has had a huge impact in my admiration for music. He spoon-fed me The Beatles, Blur, Nirvana, Empire of the Sun, and a lot of Prog Rock. He even took me to my first concert, Paul McCartney, I was 5-years-old. My mom also had some musical input… You can’t ever fault a bit of ABBA.
Who are your all time musical heroes?
Kim Gordon, PJ Harvey, Viv Albertine, Theresa Wayman, Grimes, and the Haim sisters.
Basically any female who is in command and knows their s**t.
You play a lot of guitar in your own music, when did you start playing the instrument?
I was 9 years old when I got my first guitar. My dad took me to a local music shop and the salesman presumed a pink guitar would suit me perfectly! … I tugged on my dad’s shirt to get his attention and pointed out a red electric Squire instead. I started having lessons a couple years later which launched me into playing but I lacked the motivation to practice so after a couple of years I decided to quit and to self-teach.
How would you describe your sound to new listeners?
I would say catchy, unique, and infused with elements of melodic guitar, hypnotic vocals and a hint of pop electronica. In comparison to my debut EP ‘Wanderlust’, my sound has drifted away from Alt-Americana/Indie-Rock vibes and has transitioned into the wide pool of Indie-Pop. The lyrics are real and share confrontational narratives, touching upon themes of vulnerability, empowerment as a woman, and nostalgia.
How excited are you to be releasing your new EP ‘Conscious’ to the world?
EXTREMELY. It’s a concoction of anticipation, nerves, and excitement all scrambled into one, aka STRESS. But it’s so worth it. It’s scary because of how competitive it is to release music, especially when its released independently. But all I can do is my best to work this English charm, to provide impressive enough music to be remembered and recognised as one to watch out for, and to build on that.
Which song are you most excited to share?
It’s got to be ‘Honey’, ‘Amber’ and ‘Hypnosis’.
‘Honey’ because it’s something completely different to my usual style. It shows off another side of me through a sensual and flirty narrative, which is something I think will surprise people. Plus it’s an absolute catchy pop bop.
The reasoning behind ‘Amber’ is because most people know me for playing a guitar and singing, whereas this track, again, shows off another element of my musical skill set. This sort of electronica inspires me on the daily and it’s wonderful to finally show my other musical influences.
Then ‘Hypnosis’ because it’s a very intimate, aggressive and honest track for me and it feels so good to have it recorded so I can cross it off my song-list. My lyrics and vocals astound me every time too. Not only do I channel some Kate Bush high notes, but the this song holds my favourite lyrics to date, “You think you know me, but I can only portray a fraction of me”. I think this lyric line will always stay with me.
What inspired the new tracks?
All of my songs come from such an honest place. They’re very personal and are usually touching upon subjects or experiences of my own. So, I guess life inspires them. They’re an autobiography.
What do you hope fans take from the record?
I hope they see a new side of me and can recognise my progression as an artist and as a human being, and that it shows how versatile my music can be. On top of that, my lyrics are very confrontational and personal, so I hope anybody listening can gain courage or resonate with parts of it within themselves and their own thoughts/outlooks on life and what’s around them.
I also hope they share the hell out of it.
Do you have any touring plans lined up?
Yes! In fact, I will be going on my first UK tour this July! I’ll be accompanying an artist named Joe Booley on the road and I’m Hella excited:
4th July – Cafe Kino, Bristol
5th July – House Show, Cardiff
6th July – The Talking Heads, Southampton
8th July – Good Neighbour, London
9th July – SingleShot Vinyl Records & Coffeehouse, Leeds
10th July – Centrala, Birmingham (EP Launch)
What are your long term career goals?
Music is my number one passion, but I’m a sucker for trying to not put all my eggs in one basket. The dream would be to be able to continue making music and living off that, whether that’s as a recognised artist in popular music and/or whether it’s working in music publishing writing/composing soundtracks for films, TV shows or adverts).Then there’s the academic side to me who wants to become a musicology researcher/author with the goal to be referred as Dr. Williams. And then ultimately, when I’m all washed-up, to own my own independent bar. That’s about as Rock ‘n’ Roll as it’ll get.
I have also newly set up my own female collective, focusing on representing female creatives in art, music and culture. It’s under the name GRRRL GROANNN and so far we have issued our first music zine. But it has major ambitions to act as an independent record label to help female artists promote, record and distribute all while embodying a DIY aesthetic. If you hadn’t guessed already, it’s hugely inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement, and I think it’s important to establish a platform for women of any age to find their voice and confidence and to ultimately be/feel empowered.
Make sure you follow Bryony Wiliams on Twitter @bryonywmusic to keep up to date with all her latest news!
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