Jess Williamson

Jess Williamson
Jess Williamson performing at SXSW 2019
Jess Williamson performing at SXSW 2019
Background information
OriginAustin, Texas
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Guitar
  • Banjo
  • Keyboard
Years active2011–present
LabelsMexican Summer

Jess Williamson is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles.[1][2] Her fifth and most recent album, Time Ain't Accidental was released in 2023.

Career

Williamson was born in the suburbs of Dallas, and began playing music while a student at the University of Texas at Austin.[3][4][5] She released her first two albums on her own imprint, Brutal Honest: Native State in 2014,[6][7][8] and Heart Song in 2016.[9][10] Following Williamson's move from Austin to Los Angeles, her third album, Cosmic Wink (2018) was released on the label Mexican Summer.[11][12]

On February 26, 2020, Williamson announced her fourth studio album, Sorceress, and released its first single, "Wind on Tin".[13][14] Sorceress was released on May 15, 2020, on Mexican Summer[15][16][17] and received general praise,[18][19][20] with a positive critic score of 74 on review aggregator sites Metacritic and Album of the Year.[21][22]

In June 2020, Williamson released the single "Pictures of Flowers" with collaborator Hand Habits.[23][24][25] National Public Radio's Ann Powers named it her favorite song of 2020.[26]

In July 2022, Williamson announced Plains, a collaboration project with singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee. They released their debut album, I Walked with You a Ways, on October 14, 2022.[27][28]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

  • Medicine Wheel/Death Songs (2011)
  • Texas Blue Digital EP (2022)

References

  1. ^ Zhang, Cat (May 16, 2020). "Jess Williamson: Sorceress". Pitchfork.
  2. ^ Chris Parton, Joseph Hudak, Marissa R. Moss, Brittney McKenna, Jeff Gage (May 17, 2018). "10 New Country Artists You Need to Know: May 2018". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved August 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Cavazos, Daniel (January 21, 2014). "These 4 women are taking Austin's music scene by storm".
  4. ^ Yeske Taylor, Katherine (April 20, 2020). "Jess Williamson Shares Pride in New Project, 'Sorceress'". American Songwriter.
  5. ^ "Jess Williamson". Mexican Summer. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  6. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (January 30, 2014). "Jess Williamson: Native State". Pitchfork Magazine.
  7. ^ Jan-Willem Dikkers (2018). "Jess Williamson". Issue Magazine.
  8. ^ "On being the captain of your own ship, comfortable collaborations, and figuring out what works for you along the way". The Creative Independent. May 13, 2020.
  9. ^ Scheim, Benjamin (December 16, 2016). "Jess Williamson: Heart Song". Pitchfork Magazine.
  10. ^ "Made in the Shade". Austin Monthly. November 2016.
  11. ^ Jan-Willem Dikkers (2018). "Jess Williamson".
  12. ^ Chris Parton, Joseph Hudak, Marissa R. Moss, Brittney McKenna, Jeff Gage (May 17, 2018). "10 New Country Artists You Need to Know: May 2018". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved August 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Jeff Heinzl (June 25, 2020). "Jess Williamson: Sorceress". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  14. ^ Roberts, Christopher (February 26, 2020). ""Jess Williamson Announces New Album and Tour, Shares Video for New Song "Wind on Tin"". Under the Radar.
  15. ^ Axeman, Stephen (March 30, 2021). "Jess Williamson on "Sorceress"". Under the Radar Magazine.
  16. ^ Jeff Heinzl (June 25, 2020). "Jess Williamson: Sorceress". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  17. ^ Rettig, James (April 30, 2020). "Jess Williamson – "Smoke"". Stereogum.
  18. ^ Zhang, Cat (May 16, 2020). "Jess Williamson: Sorceress". Pitchfork.
  19. ^ Currie, Jordan (May 15, 2020). "Jess Williamson Casts a Bewitching Country Rock Spell on 'Sorceress'". Exclaim!.
  20. ^ Eric R. Danton (May 18, 2020). "Jess Williamson Has a Magic Touch on Sorceress". Paste Magazine. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  21. ^ "Sorceress". Metacritic.
  22. ^ "Jess Williamson: Sorceress". Album of the Year.
  23. ^ Lia Pikus (June 24, 2020). "Jess Williamson Shares New Song "Pictures of Flowers" Feat. Hand Habits". Paste Magazine.
  24. ^ Tom Breihan (June 24, 2020). "Jess Williamson – "Pictures Of Flowers" (Feat. Hand Habits)". Stereogum.
  25. ^ Aaron Schmidtke (June 26, 2020). "Jess Williamson and Hand Habits unite on "Pictures of Flowers"". Earmilk.
  26. ^ @annkpowers (December 11, 2020). "My favorite song of the year is included in this list @jessswilliamson @hand_habits" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  27. ^ "I Walked with You a Ways". Bandcamp. October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  28. ^ "Plains". July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.