Louisville, KY has a country artist that sends a pleasant message to listeners.  His tunes are easy to sing along to, has a commercial appeal but most importantly, resonates with heart and truth.  Although you might find hits of Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean you'll also find some originality.

 

Mike Williams has impressive accolades so far in his career.  Remember the movie Mask? Yes, that dude with the warped face and Cher.  He's had his work in that and Varsity Blues as well as TMZ and the Tyra Banks Show.  If you recall the rock band Black Sunday he was in that which saw love on the Vans Warped Tour and even the CW bought some of his music.

 

This formula equals impressiveness and is a testament to his hard work ethic. Embracing his true Country music nature and roots in Gospel, it's easy to see how he resonates so well with listeners right away.  We're going to see what's in store for this artist and probably something about a beard.

 

THE INTERVIEW

 

Daniel/LLM:  Please introduce yourself and tell me what your favorite joke is.  It can be a short joke.  For example: What's the opposite of nunchucks? Some chucks. 

 

Mike Williams: My name is Mike Williams. You would think music takes up the majority of my time but actually it's golf! No idea why I started playing that sport, it's frustrating but fun at times I guess. I watch entirely too much t.v. & I am so ready for fall sports season! Go Big Blue!

Favorite one line joke? (laughs) What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator!

 

Daniel/LLM:  (laughs) Now that one I like!!!  Are you a fan of nunchucks or any type of blunt weapon?

 

Mike Williams: Sure, why not? My favorite Ninja Turtle as a kid was always Michaelangelo & he was a wizard with the chucks so yeah, big fan!

 

Daniel/LLM:  Your music has quite a surprising punch too.  The song "Conway" which plays immediately on your website, is that your first or current single?

 

Mike Williams: Yeah. I wrote about 7 or 8 songs before I decided to record a 2 track EP with the talented Dustin Spencer at Spencer Recording Studios here in Kentucky.  “Conway “was actually the last song I wrote & the one song I thought I would NOT record. However, about a week before going into the studio I was rehearsing with my brother & we just kind of thought “Conway” might be the track to record. The rest is history.

 

Daniel/LLM:  I think it has great appeal!  Upon reading about you it seems people are super excited about your debut album when it drops.  Do you have an album out already or is it coming soon?  If you have one out, when did it drop and is another one in the works?

 

Mike Williams: The only music I have available is the “Conway “EP. It features the title track “Conway” & a song I wrote called “Hellfire & Brimstone”. Both are decently laid back & a bit traditional sounding which is what I was going for.  I put together a pretty rad band over the summer; Steve Williams, Scott Gibson, Chris Lindsey, & Billy Belcher. Upon getting with these guys & playing, my writing & my vision immediately changed! I embraced the fact that my heart wanted to play country music but I wanted to embrace my rock roots. So, the direction of the new material is pretty far from the music I have available! It is pretty exciting to start recording this new stuff over the winter months so that we can hopefully release my debut album next spring or summer. I am a firm believer that anyone can play it safe so I am going to blur some lines & see what happens! Love it or hate it, you will remember it!

 

Daniel/LLM: I am totally in alignment with blurring lines my friend! You have a history of success having your music sold to the CW, having music played in a couple big movies and TVshows.  So I guess first, for chronological purposes, did you always live in Louisville?

 

Mike Williams: I was born in Grayson County which is about an hour south of Louisville. I was raised in Clarkson, KY but when I turned 25 I moved to Louisville. It was small town U.S.A. & pretty typical to what you would expect. Nothing against Louisville but I hope to reside in Nashville some day!

 

Daniel/LLM:  When did you start achieving these, in my opinion, huge successes?

 

Mike Williams: I wouldn't call it huge successes but we persisted! We were still living in Grayson County & making trips to play in Louisville at venues such as the old Brycc House & Headliners.  We played a very distinct style of punk rock music that wasn't always the most popular at the time. We didn't follow musical trends & held true to what we liked to play & through a bit of persistence we got our music heard. Be it the Warped Tour or selling some music to the CW network, it was something we fought for. I still have that same drive today! My mind is focused on music 24/7. The only thing that gives my mind a break is hitting the golf course! (laughs)

 

Daniel/LLM:  Was it as a solo artist, with the band Black Sunday or another band?

 

Mike Williams: It was through Black Sunday. My brother Steve Williams & a good friend of ours named Brent Lampton a.k.a. Slugg started the band in our late teens to early 20's & just rolled with it until about a year ago. Decided it was time to move on & start a new chapter.

 

Daniel/LLM:  I saw the desire to switch from Rock to Country as a calling to your true nature.  At what point did the call become so strong you had to go all in?

 

Mike Williams: I get asked this question ALL THE TIME! People just want to know how I could play rock music for a decade & then just out of the blue switch over to country music. I always give the same answer, I did it because when you get to the heart of the music, country music just feels more genuine and I wanted to pursue something that I grew up with.  I remember sitting in the back seat of the car on long drives singing every word to country songs. From Tim McGraw to George Strait, Diamond Rio to Garth Brooks, you name it, I knew the words. It wasn't until my high school years that I found punk rock music & it resonated hard at the time. After doing that for many years though, it was just time to get back to what I grew up with. I tell people that music is music. People want to try & define what country music is, what rock music is, what pop music is....music is music. It's meant to be fun. All genres tell the same stories. They just do it in a slightly different way.  Musical artists see that, the fans tend to be the judgmental ones who think there is a war with musical genres. It's pretty funny when people say country isn't country anymore or rock isn't rock anymore. Well, when Johnny Cash started experimenting with horns & stuff he wasn't completely accepted by country music either. People complain,. That's what they do. Now, Cash is the standard! Elvis was ridiculed. Music evolves, the listener must also evolve.

Another big reason is that country music has yet to be infiltrated by so much pop culture & the degrading values you see on a daily basis. Did you see the MTV music awards? (laughs)

 

Daniel/LLM: (laughs) Yes, good example! Would you describe that calling as a werewolf call, phone call or mating call?

 

Mike Williams: Duck call. HEY!

 

Daniel/LLM:  Well, you certainly nailed the Country sound!  Sounds easier than shaving for you.  Would you agree?

 

Mike Williams: I have a love/hate relationship with the razor. Blades are so pricey these days & musicians don't make much money! (laughs) About once every 2 months I shave it off & start again. Sometimes the itchiness gets to me.

Daniel/LLM:  Speaking of shaving, do you have one of those "Suprise! It's supper time and although you shaved when you got up, I'm back!" kind of beards?

 

Mike Williams: Surprisingly, no. If I wanted a clean shaven look, I could go about 2-3 days between shaves. However, if that weren't the case I would embrace it. Teen Wolf is one of my favorite movies ever & if I looked like Michael J. Fox in the prom scene on the reg, I would gladly rock it!

 

Daniel/LLM: Teen Wolf! (laughs) Mine looks like little bitty wires all getting together for a good time on my face. Yet, amongst the celebrating it really looks like a mess, like they're all fighting over how to make my face look even more like an exploded slinky and forgotten heroes.  Do you personally find that life is a bit less stressful for you nowadays than when you first started out? In regards to how the music scene is, I mean.

 

Mike Williams: Music is probably the most stressful business to ever be part of. I always joke about how when I have kids & they mention music I'm going to sit them down & tell them the joys of being a doctor! Don't get me wrong, music is so fun & it is so rewarding to hear something you dream up in your brain come out on CD & sound amazing. To have people at shows sing your music & have a great time because of the music I play, that is rewarding. Musicians live for that. I guess in a way it's a bit less stressful though because at this point I'm not out to prove anything to anyone except for myself. I know if I get the right opportunities & get a bit of luck I could make a living with my music. If I don't reach my goals, the rest of my life I will question if I had done things right or if I had enough talent. I am so hell bent on what I want that I refuse to give up. But you know, if it happens, it happens. I can't force it, all I can do is prepare & keep crafting my skill & have fun in the meantime!

 

Daniel/LLM:  You've travelled around the states with your music. How do you find the Louisville scene compared to other areas?

 

Mike Williams: It's tough to call out the country scene because I have only been playing live shows for about a month. The rock scene in Louisville was dwindling. The venues were closing & nobody was coming out. It's been a tough time in music over the past few years due to online sharing & all that jazz. I can see though that country music fans are a bit more hardcore. They have proven to support even the smaller artists & come to shows & buy the music & genuinely follow you from the ground up. It's good to have support when you struggle. Until you make it, it's a continuous struggle.

 

Daniel/LLM:  Do you perform here a lot or elsewhere? And what exactly is your tour or music schedule like throughout the rest of the year?

 

Mike Williams: I just put a band together in the summer as I said before. We have played a couple shows in Louisville so far. For the rest of the year we are playing some one off shows in Louisville & Bowling Green, KY. We got a show back in my hometown as well! Other than that, for the rest of the year we are focusing on the debut record. Next year though, I plan to be out & about playing shows on a regular basis.  I will keep playing KY of course but I would like to get down to Nashville & some other southern states & tear it up too!

Daniel/LLM:  Where can people find more about you at?

 

Mike Williams: My facebook page or my twitter page.  Facebook.com/mikewilliamshq or twitter.com/mikewilliamshq  -- Hit me up on there. I try to respond to everyone! If you can't make time for others, why should they make time for you?

 

Daniel/LLM:  Is there anything else you would like to add?

 

Mike Williams: Beards, music, & Teen Wolf? Check. Not really, think we covered it!

 

Daniel/LLM: (laughs)  Well, you’ll love this one then. I always like to end my interviews with a very unique last question. So here we go... Let's say that you were swimming in a lake. The sun was high and bright, the breeze was very faint and, luckily, it was a dump free zone.  As you treaded water to admire the suns rays glistening off the top of the water an Angel appeared and offered you a message, one for you to share with others. This is cool because it's the same message as one of the motto's you go by in life.  What is the message, which lake are you at and what song of yours best represents this situation?

 

Mike Williams: I can't swim! So we will say I was drowning & an angel saved me! “Hellfire & Brimstone” says it best. It's the story of my Dad & growing up as a preacher's son. I respect him so much for what he does on a daily basis. He means the world to me. The message is simple, God is good & Jesus saves. Treat others with respect & be polite but ultimately do what you think is right. Pray a lot & keep going.

 

Daniel/LLM:  I hope you found this interview unique and fun, much like your music!

 

Mike Williams: This interview has been fun. Kept me on my toes!

 

Daniel/LLM:  I thank you for your time and wish you great success. I look forward to reviewing that album! Take care!

 

Mike Williams: No problem! I look forward to recording that record!! You guys take care! God bless!

 

Story and interview by

Daniel C. Morrison - Louisville Limelight