New Orleans-based and Sheesh Media favorite Hans Williams has blessed us with another incredible track. With a passionate voice, incredible lyricism, and dynamic songwriting, Williams continues to set himself apart in the modern folk scene. This release in particular rings very true to his journey.

Hailing from Vermont, Hans Williams wrote “Willows,” as a method of adjusting to a new way of life over a thousand miles away: “I wrote this track to help ground myself in New Orleans. Living here the past few years I’ve had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows that have come to shape my experience. ‘Willows’ has helped me find comfort and normalize the doubt that goes through my head as just another part of growing as a person.”

The concept of highs and lows is present in the song. It begins in simplicity, a quiet before the tempest. Williams opens up his verse in a vulnerable state, describing his struggles with isolation and mental health: “Talking at the walls, good thing they talk right back to me… When that voice starts getting angry, I go ahead and roll my sleeves. I can’t run from myself, but we can take this to the street.” Similar to willows in the wind, vocal layering sways as he teases a rising momentum in the song. Slowly building, exploding, collapsing and reconstructing itself from the foundation, “Willows” is a first person account of Williams taking on his consciousness one on one, bracing for the fight of his life. The connection between his poetically written mental battle and the rise and falls of the instrumental coincide to deliver a clear purpose of the song – one that we can all relate to.

Filled with honesty, passion, and artistic integrity, Hans Williams new single may be his strongest to date. His path ahead is exciting to say the least. With an upcoming show at the historic Tipitinas in New Orleans and an EP teased for 2023, the sky is the limit for this dynamic rising star. Williams is setting a new standard for folk music, and his ability to not only show evolution through his releases, but to open up about his personal growth in his songs – shows that he will be a name we will see for years to come.

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