I’ll Play the Blues For You – Interview With Aaron Williams
This month, I sat down with Aaron Williams, lead singer and guitarist for Madison, Wisconsin’s Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. The band also features Eric Shackelford on drums, along with “Z” on bass and vocals. Their first gig in Evansville is Thursday, November 4th, at Lamasco Bar.
Johnny Full-Time for News4U: It’s been hard work, but Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo will perform in Evansville on November 4. Excited?
Yeah, we are really excited! We just love playing. Whether there is one person or 100, we have a blast. We just prefer 100!
You’re getting into new markets, winning awards; and you’ve shared the bill with The Black Keys and Jonny Lang, among others. What’s the reaction amongst the band through all of this?
It's really fun sharing all the accolades and high profile gigs with Eric and Z. When we're on the road, and go through growing pains, those kinds of gigs and awards make it worth it on those “hard” nights. When we get to play with a guy like Jonny Lang in front of 3,000 people, or play a huge festival, it keeps the fire lit. The awards are just as cool, kind of like the icing on the cake. And, to be recognized by our fans or peers is very special.
Your debut CD, It Ain’t Easy, was self-released. Last year, you told me that you wanted to establish your sound before taking a crack at a label deal. Are you still interested in that? Have you gotten offers?
Offers are hard to come by that are worth anything these days. The offers do come in; but we are focused on what we want as a band, and we feel we have a great team working behind us. I’ve gotta mention Shirley at SJK PR, because we owe a lot to her. We haven't found the label that can provide for us as much as they want in return. We have a few labels, though, that we will be in talks with when our new CD is completed.
Have Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo gotten back into the studio to work on new material?
We’re going into the studio after the first of the year. We've road tested a lot of new material. We'll throw in a new song and see how it goes and find out if people like it. Ultimately, that’s what we want - people to love, dance to, and buy our music. We are really excited to get back into the studio and hear these new songs take life!
A professional musician is something you want to be the rest of your life. You’ve got the creative side down. Are you learning the tricks to make the business side of it run smoother, so that you can reach your goal?
I think I'm always learning. I'm making it now, and love what I do. Really the only way to learn how to "make it" is to do it. We’ve tried and we've failed; but more times than not, we've tried and it worked out great. Tab Benoit once got a great piece of advice: "If you wanna have a long career in music, play the blues." And to a point he's right. In the blues world, there aren't many HUGE stars, but rather a lot of great artists making a living. It's a good thing blues is what I love.
Blues IS a huge part of your life, but you, Shack, and Z come from different backgrounds. What are some of the different musical genres that influence your sound?
I’m the blueser, by far. Eric really likes old Motown and funk. Z, he's a rock/metal guy. Really, in the end, we all like the same music, and the blending of our backgrounds makes for a new sound. Our common ground is the "edginess" in the music we like. The rawness. Some people don't like our music because of that in your face, raw quality. Our two favorite comments, though, are: "You guys sound different than anyone else" and "That’s a lot of sound for just three guys."
Let’s talk about your influences from a playing standpoint. Who are some guitarists that inspire you?
My big three are, Ronnie Earl, Jimi Hendrix, and John Lee Hooker. Ronnie… what a huge guitar tone he has! I love reverb and I get that from him. Jimi is a guitar player that sings – that’s me. He was violent with his guitar. He played AT his Strat. I take that from Jimi. And from John Lee Hooker - "I can boogie all night long." His simplicity in his music was masterful.
You recently got an endorsement from Daddy Mojo Stringed Instruments. Are you playing the new cigar box guitar at live shows? What kind of difference does it bring in terms of sound?
I sat down and looked at the new songs I've written, and I think the cigar box is going to take over the new CD! I love the sound. It is harder to play than I thought. Going from six [strings] to four, I thought would be easy... not for me! I've worked the cigar box into a few songs live, and it's fun to see the reaction. Cameras start flashing and you get some weird stares. It goes back to that raw sound. I love the simple, fat sound it creates.
Everyone loves free stuff. How can folks get some free AWATH music?
Head over to our website: www.aaronwilliamsandthehoodoo.com, sign up for our newsletter, and get a free EP. We try and make our fans happy, without them we are nothing!
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Credit | AaronWilliamsAndTheHooDoo.com
