The story of Hannah Williams seems to be written in lore from day one. Her father was a musically gifted minister, and her mother let her join the church choir at the age of 6. Hannah could read music before she could properly read words. Now she‟s an unstoppable force of incredible, once-in-a-lifetime talent.
At an Annual Jeff Buckley Tribute, I met a drummer from Bristol. Somewhere between Grace and Mojo Pin, he mentioned he was a drummer in a band. He then asked if I had ever heard of Hannah Williams.
Europe had the opportunity to enjoy Hannah Williams since 2012. Hannah is a phenom who was "blessed by Sharon Jones" and remind me ever so much of Helen Terry. Backed on the 2016 album Late Nights and Heartbreak by the sensational Affirmations, the band is finding fame across Europe. The album is filled with classic soul, songs of heartbreak, and the title track has been sampled by Jay Z's album 4:44.
What? How come you've never heard of Hannah Williams and the Affirmations? I honestly don't know. They are not known well in the States - yet. Having seen them for their performance this year at Brooklyn Bowl, the raw emotion and high caliber talent of the band will propel these talented musicians quickly into larger venues and hopefully more music festivals. Spread the word and let's hear more of Hannah Williams and the Affirmations on this side of the Atlantic.
You can check them out on tour in Europe this fall.
Thank you to Jeff Buckley and to Jai for introducing me to the Affirmations and to Hannah Williams.
The Affirmations are:
James Graham - Organ, Piano and Wurlitzer
Adam Holgate – Guitar
Adam Newton - Bass Guitar
Jai Widdowson-Jones - Drums
Nicholas Malcolm - Trumpet
Liam Treasure - Trombone
John Pratt - Baritone Saxophone
Victoria Klewin, Hannah Nicholson and Hannah Williams- Backing Vocals.
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