Dar Williams - Artist Biography

Artist in Focus -  Dar William

One of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of her generation, Dar Williams has been engaging audiences with her musical artistry since the early 1990s when she rose from the Northeast coffeehouse circuit to the national spotlight. Never afraid to challenge herself or her audience, Williams has been a dedicated social and political activist throughout her career. Lending her talent to support various causes, she has taken part in many benefit concerts. Williams has captivated her loyal audiences across the country with her live performances and she continues to tour regularly. She will hit the road this fall with Shawn Mullins as main support.

“With every album, I’m trying to figure out what I don’t have to say, while still giving each song its due,” Williams says. Of her new album, Promised Land, Williams commented, “On this one, I was paring the stories down to their core. I wanted the songs to sound simple and down to what they were meant to be, which is hard to do. It takes a lot of knowledge to get to the point where you can say what you need to say — no more, no less.”

Williams’ growth as a person over her 15-year career has gone hand-in-hand with her evolution as an artist. Raised in Chappaqua, NY, and educated at Wesleyan University, Williams spent 10 years living in the thriving artistic community of Northampton, MA, where she began to make the rounds on the coffeehouse circuit. An early fan of her music was Joan Baez, who took Williams out on the road and recorded several of her songs. Williams self-released her debut album, The Honesty Room in 1993, then signed with Razor & Tie Entertainment in 1995, which has been her label home ever since. She has released one live album — Out There Live (2001); six studio albums — The Honesty Room (1993), Mortal City (1996), End of the Summer (1997), The Green World (2000), The Beauty of the Rain (2003), and My Better Self (2005); and one live DVD — Live at Bearsville Theater (2007).

Williams’ ability to perform witty songs that cover a wide range of social and political topics are showcased on the engaging tracks “It’s Alright,” “The Easy Way,” and “Buzzer.” Williams also does a cover of “Midnight Radio” from the acclaimed rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, as well as a cover of Fountains of Wayne song “Troubled Times.” The vigor on PROMISED LAND comes from working with a new group of people – producer Brad Wood and the stable of new musicians he assembled. Williams’ friends are also featured as guest artists – Marshall Crenshaw, Suzanne Vega and Gary Louris from The Jayhawks. Producer Wood injects her new songs with energy and momentum.

For more information on Dar Williams, visit her official website : http://www.darwilliams.com/

MySpace Profile: http://www.myspace.com/darwilliams