Emerging U.K.-based artist Jnr. Williams' live video for his song "Keep Your Head Child" premieres today-watch it here!
Earlier this month Williams released his debut EP, Where We Start, via Arista/Insanity Records to critical praise-Wonderland Magazine calls the lead track, "A Prayer," "emotional" and furthering that the song's visuals are "powerful," while FLOOD Magazineadds, "With nothing but piano for accompaniment, the recording strips the song to its bare bones, leaving Williams' confident, quivering voice in the foreground." Fans can listen/download the EP here: http://smarturl.it/JnrWhereWeStartEP
Williams was born and raised in East London and comes from an artistically creative family where his siblings are painters, graphic and fashion designers alike. It was R&B that first caught his ear but through his grandmother he found jazz, which began to intrigue him further. Williams studied music at the British Academy of New Music while working at a cinema to pay the bills. Not long after leaving formal education his artistry began to develop as a recording artist and songwriter. "I'm a quiet person and introverted so my music is very exposed. For me, the environment I was in growing up and being a black man where we're told not to express emotion was tough. The songs I write expose that and they don't shy away from that expression," he says.
Williams' love for simplicity is why he prefers his voice and songwriting to do the work. "I love voices and how a tone can tell a story," he notes. Contemporary artists such as James Blake, Moses Sumney and The Weeknd have also allowed Williams to open up his imagination and shape his sound, combining his early jazz influences with a contemporary feel. Last year, his cover of Dinah Washington's "What A Difference A Day Makes" was discovered on Soundcloud and played on BBC Radio 1's "Future Sounds with Annie Mac."
WHERE WE START TRACKLIST
1. What A Difference
2. A Prayer
3. Blue River
4. Keep Your Head Child (Demo)
5. Whenever You Want
photo credit: Blue Laybourne
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