Bashful Blues

A.A. Williams thought she was too shy to be a solo artist. But, after growing tired of life as a classical musician and stumbling upon a guitar outside her flat, the post-rock singer/multi-instrumentalist found herself supporting Sleep Token and sharing a label with Opeth. She tells Prog about her unlikely journey - and why she wants to play Wembley Stadium one day.

- Matt Mills

On paper, it looks like A.A. Williams is mounting a comeback. Her latest album, Solstice, arrives almost four years after its predecessor, As The Moon Rests, and her European tour in February marked her first time onstage in 15 months. But the London-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has been busy this whole time: quietly releasing the standalone single Splinter, switching record labels and, in 2023, even touring the US with Sleep Token.

“It was bonkers, frankly,” she says of supporting the fastest-rising band in progressive metal history. “It was their first US headline tour, so you’re watching this thing explode in real time, which is quite fun. Their fans are so passionate — you turn up to the venue at 11am and they’re already queuing — and you’re playing to full rooms every night because they want to get their spot, and they’re actually paying attention to you!”

Since she put out her self-titled debut EP in 2019, Williams (Alex to her mum) has been collecting star endorsements as if they were gold rings in a videogame. Sleep Token aside, her first solo gig was at the Netherlands’ progressive music haven Roadburn, and, by the time the pandemic hit, her gloomy yet dynamic take on post-rock had earned her the approval of The Cure and The Sisters Of Mercy. She made a double Aside single with Japanese avant-garde institution MONO in 2021, she’s played every alternative festival worth attending, and this summer she’ll support Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan’s side-hustle A Perfect Circle.

Yet, as the musician talks with Prog over a video-call from her home, she doesn’t radiate larger-than-life ‘next big thing’ energy. With an antique dark brown shelf at the back, her office looks like it’s from a period film set. She’s wearing all black, half her face is hidden behind her jet-black hair, and she admits that she’s a shy person.