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Cameron Mitchell

Wynn Williams: Nashville Experiences, Unparalleled Work Ethic, and Fostering a Creative Mindset

Wynn Williams performing at Texas Live! in Arlington on April 30th, 2023.

I genuinely love the sound of Wynn Williams: both in the name (alliteration is awesome in show business) and his music. He sounds real! No snap tracks, no altered accent between speaking and singing, and most of his songs are just fun to listen to.

We both grew up in roughly the same area of Texas, albeit a county over. When I discovered Wynn and his band would play in the area, I knew I wanted to go check out a live show of his for the first time. He graciously made time for us to sit down and learn more about his musical journey so far and the adventure that has yet to come.


In this interview with Texas Country Tour, Wynn Williams talks about his work ethic, shares his Nashville experiences, and balances a creative mindset while keeping his analytical mind on business.


Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

 

TCT: Can you tell us about yourself?


WW: Oh, gosh. That is THE interview question of all interview questions. I grew up in Weatherford, Texas playing sports and singing. In high school, I joined the choir and absolutely loved singing.

I participated in choir for four years. I started to learn how to play guitar in my senior year of high school. I continued learning the guitar for the first couple of years in college in addition to joining the rodeo team. I was playing various little shows around town.


When I transferred to Texas A&M in 2014, I started to play a lot more. My senior year in college was the moment I decided to pursue music full-time. That was the catalyst for me deciding on why I wanted to do it for a living.


I had plenty of jobs and internships in the meantime. I just decided that I wasn't meant to be behind a desk all day for the rest of my life. I just graduated in December 2016. I was at Rodeo Houston 2017, selling and shaping Resistol cowboy hats when my very first EP, Words Fly, was released. That was when I decided to pursue music. I've been doing it now for about seven years as a full-time job. I'm thrilled to death that I'm able to do it. It's a lot of fun.


TCT: Who is Wynn Williams other than the musician?


WW: Well, I don't know. I was just raised to be very respectful and treat people how you wanna be treated. I want to be real and honest with folks. I’m also into business management and financial investing.


I just told you my wife, Hannah, started a new business, right? Olivine Floral, shout out! So supporting her as well with starting a new business is just something that I love. I love business itself and that's why I've been so interested in the music business.


I’ve constantly lived by the mantra “No one's gonna work harder for you than you”. It's the truth. That's why I work so hard and I take so much pride in what I do as an artist: both on stage and off stage. It's very important that we put our best foot forward, always be respectful, and we stay out of people's way. It's just how I was raised, man. You just work hard and be a good person.


TCT: If you could realistically change anything about your life or musical career, what would it be?


WW: I guess I’d wish to be playing stadiums by now. I firmly believe that I've been extremely fortunate in my life by making really good decisions. That has afforded me the opportunities presented to myself, my band, and my family. it all comes down to your decision-making, really and truly.


You are the author of your own story. As long as you're working hard and you're a good person, then you're gonna have opportunities come your way. There's a lot of stuff in my personal life that I'm very blessed and I'm so thankful for that. I really can honestly say I don't think I would change anything because everything that has happened in my life has led me to the person I am today in my life.


I met my wife, who I absolutely adore. I've got a great band that's doing this thing with me and it’s amazing. There are some good days and there are some bad days. It can be a mind game for sure. You just gotta keep on moving forward.


TCT: Who is your favorite non-country artist or band and why?


WW: I would probably say Michael Buble.


TCT: Wow. That’s an interesting one!


WW: Yeah! I think that probably comes from my experience in the choir. I also love that kind of big band music with a swing sound. Michael is a modern-day, Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin kind of artist. I love that kind of stuff. I think if I had to pick one, it'd be Michael Buble.


TCT: How do you approach writing songs?


WW: I'll start from the very beginning. I’ll have an idea pop into my head and I'll just make a note of it on my cell phone. That’s when I’ll complete almost all of my writing. I'll come up with an idea, whether it's just a line or a title. I'll make a note of it in my phone and I do pretty much all the writing in Nashville. I'll go up there for a week at a time. I travel to Nashville about 5 to 7 times a year and we'll just write, write, and write.


Let me tell you how it works up there. It's kind of like a job over there, including the clocking in and clocking out. You go meet someone in the morning and you'll typically sit there for 30 minutes and kind of catch up with them. It always makes the process easier if you’re friends with the fellow songwriters.


You sit there and everybody starts to pitch ideas. We usually pick the one that works the best for that day, usually what everybody in the group is feeling. We'll just sit there for a few hours and see if we can't get a good song.


Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work. Like we'll sit there and we'll bang our heads against a wall for hours and be lucky only to get a single verse. Sometimes you'll get something really good or something that's pretty good and you just need to step away from it for a little while and then come back to give it a little bit of love on the backside, you know?


That's pretty much how it works for me. I know that there are a lot of different ways that people write, but I have found that I'm the most successful in writing that way. Whenever I can kind of compartmentalize that aspect, it goes back to the business mindset. I'm always thinking, “What do I need to be doing?”


I should really be able to really be creative all the time, you know? Whenever you're trying to book your own shows, run your own social media, and do all your own bookkeeping; the business side can overshadow the creative side at times. I'm very fortunate to be able to write with great people in Nashville. They help me grow as a better writer.


TCT: Where is your favorite Texas live music venue to perform at and why?


WW: Well, to be completely honest with you, Texas Live! is probably my favorite venue in Texas. However, Floore's Country Store is a very close second.


TCT: Now that’s over in Helotes. Is that on the indoor stage or the outdoor stage?


WW: Okay, that's a good question! I prefer Texas Live! indoors and I prefer Floore's outside. You could also separate them into two categories too. You have the modern era of stuff: all the technology, the big room here at Texas Live! with the multi-level balcony, including you've got the bottom floor.


At Floore's, dude, it's an old honky tonk dance hall! I think that's the beauty of getting to play in so many different places in Texas. I would say those two are my favorite. It's not necessarily because of all the bells and whistles, the lack thereof, or the history.


It's really just because of the people. I say that with so much sincerity because every time we play Texas Live!, they always take care of us. Every time we play Floore's, they always take care of us. The hospitality at both of these places is absolutely impeccable. That’s paramount to us as a band. There are live music venues that have poor hospitality. And you think to yourself, “Man if you're a live music venue and you want to have bands here, you might want to think about treating them pretty well. Be respectful and be nice.”


We've gone to open shows as support acts before at venues and it's not always the best experience. You're just the guys that are coming in there to open the show. If you're gonna be a live music venue, then being hospitable and respectful to all the bands is really important. I mean, that's the name of the game, right? We're gonna give that respect. So we expect that to be reciprocated.


TCT: Do you have any new releases coming out soon?


WW: I do! We're gonna be releasing a song on May 19th called “All Over Me” and it is a continuation of this story that we have constructed with five songs and last year we released: “Like the Wind" and “I Love Her for Leaving”.


After that, we'll finish it up with another song called “Like She Does”. If you listen to them and you watch the music videos in order, then you're gonna see kind of a common theme and they'll all tell a story as you go through each song.


We actually recorded acoustic versions as well. So we're probably gonna be putting out some acoustic songs during the summer. So we'll be trying to crank 'em out. I'm really looking forward to getting this stuff that we just recorded. I'm ready to release it already but it's a process, you know, it takes time. We just gotta put all those things together, man.


TCT: Follow-up question. You said that there's a story to each song and the story builds. Is your next release going to be a concept album?


WW: I'm not sure. I don't know that it'll be a concept album. There will kind of be an overall idea of staying true to who I am as an artist. I want to keep the songs really solid in terms of the lyrical content, the melodies, and the way they sound sonically with the instrumentation. I strive to keep it very true to my roots in country music.


I don't know that we'll have a concept specifically, but you'll get the same kind of music full-length you've been getting from me for a few years now.



TCT: What are your goals for the remainder of 2023?


WW: I think just getting a bunch of this music out that we recorded in January and I'm hoping to get back in the studio and do another five or six songs and have a full-length record by the end of the year. I also want to ramp up touring, especially after COVID.


It was really a setback. I know it's crazy to keep talking about that after three years. But really and truly, it feels like things are just now starting to come around. I believe it’s partly due to inflation, and people are genuinely worried about it.


You know, whether or not they have money to go out and see shows and all that kind of stuff. If we can get our album put together and we can really ramp up our touring schedule, then I'll chalk it up as a successful year.


TCT: What are you hoping to add to the country music genre?


WW: Well, I think it's just getting back to our country music roots. I grew up listening to nineties country and early two thousands country. The songs were just great and that is what I hope to bring to the table. I’ll be recording and releasing great songs that tug on your heartstrings and tell a story from start to finish. That’s how I grew up. It's such an integral part of my childhood and my adulthood now. I strive to put those songs out that relate to people in a certain way.


They can have a slight nostalgia, like, “Oh man, I remember songs like this! These are great songs!” That's what I hope to bring. We always try to go out there and put on our best show. I guess that's just who I am. That's just how I was raised. I want to write and record songs that mean something to people, especially somebody out in the crowd.


 

Wynn Williams is the embodiment of respect. He’s a solid guy. No, he’s not selling out arenas or stadiums yet; but he provides one heck of an amazing show with an authentic sound. Keep your eyes on him because he’ll be going places one day.


Be sure to check out his music below!


You can connect with Wynn on social media via Instagram @WynnWilliams. Also, be sure to visit his website to catch a performance near you and purchase some awesome merchandise from his online store.




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