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Dana Williams is the future of soul pop. This was first made apparent to me when I witnessed her play a live set on a patio across from an Urban Outfitters a few weeks ago. Her smile, as big as the stage, lit up the crowd as she strummed away at her acoustic and forgivingly told stories of love, clad in all black as her curly tendrils touched the sky – and – bang, she had made everyone fall in love with her. So when Dana came to me with a song collaboration premiere request, I simply could not turn it down.
You see, us women in the music industry have to stick together. We fight every day. “I was looking through my YouTube subscribers,” she told me today over coffee, “and they’re all women. Isn’t that amazing?”
Yup.
Dana is a true appreciator of the greats – Billie, Ella – the ones who really sang with soul. It’s that very same appreciation for the classics paired with her family history (David Williams, father, played alongside Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Whitney Houston) in which Williams has crafted and sculpted – through a quicksand mound full of singer-songwriters in this industry – her own, timeless sound. Her range is expansive, her falsetto effortless – something true singers can really grow to appreciate with time and age.
Dana Williams
As coffee continues, we go on to talk about – you guess it – boys, and how sensitive songwriters are. Williams has a kind, warming tone to her speaking voice – one that you’d want to listen to a story with a warm, steaming fresh from the oven blueberry pie on the kitchen table. She’s clad in a patterned sundress, smiley and happy as can be despite the sweltering heat. Williams’ presence is effortless, confident, and simply pleasant.
Even at first listen, the collaboration makes complete sense. The Avalanches trip pop plunderphonics sound – similar to the likes of ABBA and Daft Funk – have a way with the funk and dance vibe that Williams’ emotive voice only compliments and contrasts smoothly. Maybe it’s because the track is co-written by Williams herself and M. Craft – also Australian, or because, Darren Seltmann, produced the track. That 70’s show would’ve been lucky to have “Something to Believe In” as a theme song.
The problem with music today is that technology destroys appreciation of the greats. If only vinyl completely replaced the Apple Music or Spotify’s – and you listened – you weren’t going on Tumblr and FaceTiming with your boyfriend in London while you read through Kim Kardashian’s Twitter rants.
Now, if we could’ve only seen Dana Williams and the boys perform “Something To Believe In” live following The Beach Boys on Johnny Carson – then we’d be talking.
Article: Hillary Barleaux
