Hannah Williams has always ploughed her own lane.
A soul sensation, the UK vocalist worked in a variety of set ups, before 2016's 'Late Nights & Heartbreak' announced the arrival of Hannah Williams and the Affirmations.
A cult phenomenon, the record made its way into the hands of Stateside producer No ID, who played it to Jay-Z.
The two used a prominent sample from Hannah on the internationally acclaimed record '4:44', propelling the singer to wider prominence.
She's taken it in her stead, though, continuing to focus on her own music, and her own distinctive approach.
New album '50 Foot Woman' lands on October 18th, with Hannah Williams and the Affirmations hitting the road in December.
We're able to share the biting, ultra-funky title cut, a song that speaks openly about the feeling of going onstage.
There's a slight psychedelic feel to the arrangement, reminiscent of those groundbreaking Temptations cuts on Motown, while adding a UK twist.
The band's James Graham explains…
This was written about the excitement and anticipation of performing. The verses convey that hyped up feeling you get before going on stage – those moments can feel like forever, and are really special.
It’s also a song about defiance. Regardless of what anybody else thinks, we’re on stage doing this, and we love it, and we’re not going to change for anybody else but ourselves. It’s an extremely positive song, ultimately about freedom of expression, liberation and empowerment.
Tune in now.
Catch Hannah Williams and the Affirmations at the following shows:
December
4 London Oslo
6 Manchester The Deaf Institute
7 Leicester O2 Academy
12 Dublin The Grand Social
14 Belfast Limelight 2
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