Dar Williams
In Zen ideals, kotan is a state of simplicity, where all that is
unnecessary is stripped away, leaving only the essential core.
To Dar Williams, the concept represents the progression
her song writing has taken, leading to Promised Land, her
latest release on the Razor and Tie label. “On (Promised
Land), 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.”
Unafraid to explore a myriad of themes through her lyrics,
Williams treats the process of song writing cerebrally, while
at the same time discovering levels of subconscious meaning
after the writing process is complete. Her lyrical topics range
from the essential introspections into adolescence, loss and
love to more complex social issues. She adds emotion with
soul-searching and storytelling using the vehicle of her pop-
folk styled music. Simplicity isn’t the mark of the simple
when someone of Dar Williams’ talent applies it to her art –
here, it’s the mark of mastery.
- Jeff Schad
Catch the insightful and inspiring sound of Williams’ smart
simplicity this November at the following venues and times:
November 6th – Gravity Lounge, Charlottesville, VA
November 7th – The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
November 8th – The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA