I was talking to a dear friend today named Ken Rockwood about music, record labels, and moms when this story came up.

I’ve been playing in the beautiful NYC music venues for almost 3 years now. The first real show I had was at 2:00am on a Monday night at a fantastic spot called “Rockwood Music Hall” (Ken Rockwood owns this little spot). I would play my tunes to 10, sometimes even 11 people if my love showed up. All the while Ken would tell me “don’t stop making this music”.

Last year Ken started talking to a few of his buddies at a major record label about how I could do them some good. Unfortunately, I did not fit in the game plan for the label. Ken’s mother did not take this news too well.

One day Ken and his mother took a trip up to this record label to meet the head hancho, the cheese, the bossman of the entire label. Now Miss Rockwood is no ordinary woman. I’ve heard that she is the epitome of class and a Lower East Side Bombshell living a life of adventure. Mama Rockwood walks right up to this man, looks him dead in the eye and says “you know you really dropped the ball with This Zach Williams guy!” To which he politely replied “Oh yeah?”

When Ken told me this, I smiled to myself and thought- I don’t need no record deal! I don’t need financial security. I don’t need to live in an apartment bigger than the 550 square feet I live in now. All I need is valuable moments, meaningful stories, fearless friends, and a song. Hearing this story about this sweet woman who enjoys my tunes was a good reminder to keep the main thing the main thing. Make music, moments, and friends.

I hope to meet Miss Rockwood someday.

For the past few months we have been In the studio with one thing in mind.. To make a record that clearly represents the music that all of you have helped us create. It has been several years since I have even tried to record a song. Just the feeling of “this is it” scared me. Mainly because each one of our shows has a fresh expression. Each time we get together with a group of listeners another moment that had never been made was being create. The thought of finalizing these tunes struck fear in my heart.

Now that we are finished and I sit and listen to the album as a whole I can’t help but think that it’s just like coming to a show. The stories, the highs and lows, the spirit of experiancial instrumentation, the screams, the wispers and the motivation is all there. We actually just ended up capturing beautiful moments of time and packaged them in a nice little case.

I couldn’t be happier with the final result. I am so grateful for all of the people who believe in this music. I hear these songs and I think of you. I am a blessed man. I can’t wait for our Album Release Show!  I hope we can all get together and celebrate this special moment and look forward to creating more.

Zach Williams “Story Time” Album Release Show

Purchase Tickets HERE!

Mercury Lounge NYC

June 9th

6:30pm Doors Open (Dusty Brown kicks us off)

The past two months have been an up and down mess of thoughts, decisions, colors and frustrations. We finished the first 5 tracks of our record. I can’t believe it. I am grateful to be apart of such a beautiful music community here in NYC. As Lars Deitrech from The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music lead the brass section with his perfect display of conviction and freedom I couldn’t help but think about where we have come from. From the ice cold waters of the North Atlantic to the thick hot dirt of Georgia… here we are. Making music together. Music that means something to us. Music that tells stories of confusion, hope and the past. As we venture off into the great unknown I am hopeful. I am happy to know that my life is surrounded by beautiful stories. I am thankful my family is loved by thoughtful people in a beautiful city. I’m happy to think of the future. Where will we be? What will make us happy? What will be our convictions? I believe we will be better. I believe we will know how to love more, forgive more, fight better, create better and love each other for all of it. This week I played at a beautiful theatre in Austin Texas called “The Paramount”. As I sat in the green room surrounded by posters of other artist who had found themselves in this beautiful hall I couldn’t help but wonder; What was Houdini thinking while he was performing on this stage? Was Ella Fitzgerald taken by the view from the edge of the stage? Could Aretha sing stronger in this room than others? I could feel the presence of greatness on this stage. A timeless America. I place where people came to pause their life. To think more about the beautiful and strange things that surround our existence. Are we experiencing greatness on a daily bases? Go for a walk without you’re phone. Walk deep into the woods somewhere. Lay down on your back in the middle of nowhere. I’m going to do the same. Let me know what happens. Zach

Holy Moly we are playing SXSW!  Hope to see you there!

Love

January 2nd at 10:00pm we will be playing at the beautiful venue known as The Living Room.  This is a larger venue than the spots where we usually play.  You might be able to find a place to sit!  Special guest include Lars Dietrich on the saxophone and Sascha Groschang on the cello.

Hope to see you there to celebrate the new year!

The Living Room-154 Ludlow St

January 2nd 10:00pm

Passing of the Tip Jar

So it is Advent and I am waiting on many beautiful things to happen.  With excitement I rock back and forth on chairs at restaurants as I wait for Christmas in New York City, a baby named Loretta Williams, and my last show of the year.  It has been a year to remember.  Thank you for being apart of it.  Thank you for listening to our music.  Thank you for singing with us.  Thank you for showing up.  We are grateful.

We have put together a new song that I have been saving for the last show.  It’s a story song that I wrote  from a dream I had a couple months ago.  It’s a song about a lion and a dragon falling in and out of love.  Strange.

Come to Rockwood Music Hall December 11th.  Lets welcome in the cold winter together inside a tiny beautiful room.

When: December 11th 10:00pm

Where: Rockwood Music Hall 196 Allan Street (corner of Houston and 1st Avenue)

Cost: Free, but be prepared to buy something… anything… something.

The Road, The City, The Conversations
I will never forget the “To Write Love on Her Arms” tour.  In my life I have met many good souls, but only a handful of times have I met spirits of people that I am deeply connected with.  People that I know I would be fine with dieing beside as an old man.

Josh Moore- A musician from Chapel Hill.  Josh is the kind of guy that doesn’t do something unless he sees value inside it.  He has his own path and its full of beauty and bravery and a touch of ridiculousness.  He introduced me to the songs of Daniel Johnston.  His father introduced him to Daniel Johnston.  He has stories worth listening too; stories about America, music, strange thoughts and renewal. We were never able to actually connect a high five, but that doesn’t carry much weight with me. I believe that you will enjoy Josh’s music.  Take a listen.

Jamie Tworkowski- A young man on the front lines of a movement that is opening up opportunities for people to see truth and value in each other.  That is why Jamie is a soul that is not like any other.  He has his own battles and turmoil inside him, but he is honest about it and he invites love, compassion and commitment into the deepest parts of his soul.  I pray that Jamie will be protected as he strives forward on this mission that his life has found.

Aaron and Michelle Moore - A married couple who spend every waking moment helping people find truth and beauty in their lives. I watched them answer hard questions about truth, love, vengeance, and pain with a beautiful display of honesty, vulnerability and awareness.  It was like watching two old folks dance together in their kitchen.

Denny Kolsch- A story of redemption.  A person that only speaks when he absolutely needs to and when he does, you should listen, because he has thought about whatever it is he is sharing.  He is friend that will take much longer than a week long road trip to get to know.  His story of addiction, family, love, and redemption is something that I enjoyed listened to at every show.  There is something life-giving about being around someone who has seen darkness overtake them and was rescued from it.

I had many more conversations with souls that I cannot name. I am grateful for the trust and openness shown in these hard conversations — conversations about suicide, addiction, self-harm and depression that needed to be had, conversations that I truly believe have opened the opportunity for hurting souls to find help.   Two of these conversations compelled me to write this note to you.

A Father in Philly
A father from Philadelphia PA came up to me after the show and told me that his son tried to kill himself last week.  He went on to tell me that he had never heard of TWLOHA before and that he was glad we were in town.  He told me that he didn’t know about his son’s pain.  He did not know how to connect with him, or how to let him know that he could trust his father with anything that he needed to share.  He said that the tour helped them find a common ground.  I pray that it does.  I pray for hope, restoration, and trust to build inside this home in Philadelphia.

A Daughter in Boston
A girl who could not have been more than 15 years old raised her hand during the Q&A time and told the crowd that she had been hurting herself and that she was afraid that she didn’t know how to stop.  Afterwards she came up to me and told me that her father was in the crowd, and that this crowd of caring strangers was the only place safe enough to tell him about her pain.  I pray for truth to set this soul free.  I pray for love and understanding from both sides of the relationship between her and her father.

Some other news:

A Daughter in Brooklyn
I’m back in NYC now awaiting the arrival of a new life: a girl who will most definitely be able to tell me what to do and where to go. When she speaks I will listen, when she hopes I will hope and when she sings I will sing.  I can’t wait to see what she does to the 500 square feet that we call home here in Brooklyn, NY.

Thankfulness
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I’m thankful for the kind-hearted people who have surrounded this music with thoughtful words.  I am thankful for my family who has helped me and believed in me time after time.  I am also thankful for my friends who welcomed me back home to Brooklyn with open arms.

I miss the road already.  Come to Brooklyn everyone.  We are waiting for you.
Zach

November 16-22 we might be coming to your town!

We might be coming to your town this week!
Nov. 16- Boston Mass.
Nov. 17- Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 18 - University of Maryland
Nov. 20 - Birmingham Alabama
Nov. 21 - Atlanta GA
Nov. 22 - Woodstock GA

go to TWLOHA.COM to find out more!