Gold Coast troubadour, Karl S Williams returns to the Sunshine Coast - playing The Bunker at Imperial Hotel, Feb 8th.
Saturday 8 February sees mesmerizing singer-songwriter Karl S. Williams perform in The Bunker at The Imperial Hotel - kicking off a national tour to promote his new album 'Lifeblood', supported by Sweet Formidables.
Karl S. Williams emerged from the cane country of northern NSW, steeped in swamp water and primitive music. His songs are a distillation of life, love and the human condition - a kind of folk, soul, blues, but not as you know it.
With a voice that can soar, moan and ache with the best of them, he writes timeless music, rooted in tradition but also firmly conversant with the present. Whether solo or with his incandescent band, a Karl S. Williams show is frequently referred to as a spiritual experience delivered with a visceral conviction that leaves audiences profoundly moved.
The long-awaited follow-up to Karl S. Williams’ debut, 'Heartwood'(2014) (which garnered attention from music lovers across the globe, prompting several years of steady touring), 'Lifeblood' is the move towards longevity as an artist, a songwriter and a human. With this offering, Karl cleanses the slate and redefines the terms of engagement. 'Lifeblood' is ultimately an album of hope - a revolt against the powers that be and proof that with art and love, we shall overcome.
Written and recorded against the backdrop of several turbulent years 'Lifeblood' encapsulates both personal trials and the heartbreak of a society witnessing its own decay. The album touches on Trump-era politics, the ongoing proliferation of profit-before-people and growing disunity, disconnection and disenfranchisement in all corners.
“I feel it is necessary for any vital art to turn a mirror upon the society in which it is spawned," Karl says. "
My belief is that ultimately a society is made up of individuals who think, feel and love- so maybe the best place to point that mirror is at the heart.”
This is a people-powered project born of pure creative necessity - an approach that pervades the entire release as it is conducted entirely independently - a return to the basics.
'Lifeblood' was imagined from its inception to be stripped back, live and visceral. It is the sound of a band playing together, the performances unhinged and unadorned. Recorded at Sing Sing, Woodstock (Melbourne) and Lovestreet Studios (Gold Coast) and produced by the band’s drummer George Carpenter, the result is loud, raw, obnoxious and pulls no punches - capturing better than ever the band’s electrifying live show. This is a fitting treatment for a selection ofsongs which are uncompromising in their emotional and lyrical weight.
Karl S. Williams and his band will bring the album to the people with an expansive tour of regional and metropolitan venues from February to April 2020. Preferring smaller, darker rooms, each show on the Lifeblood tour will also feature an exhibition of Karl’s ink drawings showcasing another side of this multifaceted artist.
For all who have something to say, rage to dissipate or creed to cry to the wind, this is perhaps the album to carry with you into the days that are to come. This is the music that keeps alight the flame of hope - and the chance to see this important work live should not be missed.
Joining Karl on the night will be Sweet Formidables…
Sweet Formidables create dark, sultry folk music that is achingly raw and beautiful, driving at the core of the human experience and sweeping it all up in a whirlpool of equal parts great softness and great power.
Hannah Jane's songwriting is worthy of endless praise, her vision and musical sensibilities are rarified and wondrous to behold.
Even more wondrous is the collection of humans who complement these works with such sublime sensitivity. The violin interplay of Hannah and Matisse and the perfect blend of their vocal harmonies. The robust and dynamic rhythm section allowing the songs move, restlessly, like the ocean, or a cornered animal that may at any time teleport to the other side, taking you with it or leaving you breathless and weeping.
TICKETS: Pre-sale $18 at The Imperial Hotel (Ph: 5442 8811) or through Oztix (+booking fee).
$22 at the door if not sold out prior.
Doors open at 7.30pm
18+ event