Hayward Williams grew up with a guitar in his hands, performing from an early age in cafés, bars, and eventually rock clubs throughout his home state of Wisconsin and around the Midwest. A high school 'Battle of the Bands' champion, the textbook lonely college kid making dinner dates with his guitar, Williams took the well-worn suburban route to musical accomplishment: he hit the ground running with a '64 Gibson that his mother bought at a garage sale, listened hard to everything from the Beatles to Buckley, and somewhere along the way began to write the tunes that would become his own voice.
In 2001 Williams quit school to join the award-winning Milwaukee based band Exit, named Wisconsin Band of the Year in 2004, by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry.
Lending bass guitar and vocals to the bands' hook-driven pop
catalogue, Williams traveled the Midwest circuit and around the country with Exit, cutting his teeth as a performer and playing everywhere from the Summerfest stage in Wisconsin, to CBGBs in New York City. The regional popularity of Exit gave Hayward entrée into larger clubs even as he was honing the catalogue of songs that would propel him toward more intimate settings.
In 2002 Williams independently released Manoverboard, a solo project recorded under a pseudonym (Hayward is sneaky), which allowed him the opportunity to play solo engagements throughout the region and served as the foundation for Uphill /Downhill, Hayward Williams's 2005 debut. A Wilco-esque collision of the radio and folk idioms that combines smart hooks with deeply textured studio atmospherics, Uphill/Downhill is an impressive collection of 12 original songs that moves elegantly from heartbreak to self-examination to wonder without the self-seriousness that might ordinarily drag such wanderings down.
Hayward's live shows have been described as having ".everything you could hope for. message, melody, and hooks" (Vital Source), and feature his facile guitar and thoughtful, distinctive tenor (imagine the honeyed side of Ryan Adams, Jay Farrar's earthy grit, the playfulness of Sam Cooke). Built on a foundation of folk, blues, and soul Hayward's songs in performance display the raw intensity common to these forms, tempered by his own easy self-possession and wry charm.
In little clubs and smoky bars around the Midwest, armed with his excellent record "Another Sailor's Dream" and his aw-shucks charisma, Hayward Williams is quietly building both a following and a career the old-fashioned way, one night at a time.
** HAYWARD WILLIAM'S PRESS
Buy me, Buy me, Buy me !
9 out of 10 stars.
Ahhh, where to start? The exquisite gruffness of a manly voice that belies the strip of a lad who appears on the photographs? The moving, intelligent storytelling, from which “Doctors” and “Problems with Hemingway” stand out – but only just – from the crowd? Or the new-alt-country-blues (and will you forgive me that phrase) of the sound, put to beautiful use on ‘Devil’s Lament’? In truth, its hard to put it into words; this is a fantastic record, one that’s a treat from start to finish. On first listen, the cover of Thunder Road strikes a jarring note; when your songs are as good as Hayward’s there seems no need to walk in another’s shoes, but several goes later and it melds in seamlessly. You’ll like this.
- Lynne Pettinger / Americana UK
[5 out of 5 stars] “The first major score for 2007! There isn’t one weak moment on this platter. From William’s own voice, that ranges from lovely and tender to raw and hoarse, to his brilliant lyrics & songs to the beautiful accompaniment of Mulvey and McMahon, this is the perfect marriage between folk, blues and country (rock).” - Ctrl. Alt. Country
“Milwaukee’s Hayward Williams is a young folkie with a ton of promise and it starts with his haunting voice which compares to the late Chris Whitley.” thepalestra.com/CNN
“Merle Haggard's mouth would fall open after hearing the country-like-it-should-be-played-in-the-21st-century. After hearing Another Sailors' Dream I felt the same after I heard Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker for the first time. Hayward Williams is young and very, very talented.” – Hanx / The Netherlands
[5 out of 5 stars] “Americana at its best. This record should be a breakthrough for Williams, who combines the passion of Springsteen with a laidback down-to-earth tone in his voice, not unlike Towne's Van Zandt. Call this Americana, roots, country, blues, folk - it doesn't matter. First and foremost it is well played music that comes from the heart. That's usually enough.” – Dagbladet / Oslo, Norway
“Hayward Williams has created a disc that deserves to be placed in that select corner reserved for the works of Ray LaMontagne or the first Wilco.” – Rocketon / Spain
[5 out of 5 stars] “The first major score for 2007! There isn’t one weak moment on this platter. From William’s own voice, that ranges from lovely and tender to raw and hoarse, to his brilliant lyrics & songs to the beautiful accompaniment of Mulvey and McMahon, this is the perfect marriage between folk, blues and country-rock.” - Ctrl. Alt. Country / Belgium
“The warm voice of singer/songwriter Hayward Williams and the excellent songs that fill out this exciting album will hold you from beginning to end.” – Plato Mania / The Netherlands
“Another Sailor's Dream represents one of the best discs of 2007.” – RimaMedia / Italy
“Impressive semi-acoustic songs sparkle.” – Plato / The Netherlands
“Hayward Williams’ new full-length album, Another Sailor’s Dream, is a collection of colorful, troubadour-folk numbers that beautifully marries banjo, dobro, piano, pedal steel, accordion and harmonica, along with a host of guitars. His naturally tender, yet raw voice remains melodious and intense from start to finish. A singer/songwriter of high caliber!” – Rootstime / Belgium
“. a rich, soulful voice able to capture a perfect blend of tradition, melody and depth of
songwriting that summons up Ryan Adams’ ‘Heartbreaker’ or ‘29.’”
- Roots Highway / Italy
Hayward released "Trench Foot" December 29th. 2005.
"As a huge Peter Mulvey fan, I had to go a bit ballistic over this album. Throw in some qualities reminiscent of Greg Brown as well, and you've got one promising album to look forward to. Wrapping up folky blues and hints of rootsy country and country folk rock, Hayward Williams is one of the most compelling artists rising on the scene these days. With a gorgeous blend of ache, gristle and whiskey-toned gruffness, his songs walk a perfect line between the sweet and bitter, the sentimental and cynical."
-CD Baby
