For nearly two decades, Milwaukee singer-songwriter and guitarist Hayward Williams has carved out a distinctive place in American roots music, blending soulful songwriting with blues, Americana, country, and the lived-in warmth of a road-tested performer. Since beginning his recording career in 2005, Williams has built a body of work defined by expressive vocals, memorable melodies, and a willingness to let different musical traditions speak to one another.
His music has grown steadily more expansive with each release. On Every Color Blue, Williams brought together a formidable cast of musicians and collaborators, pairing his warm, expressive voice and guitar work with an array of musical textures, including piano, organ, Rhodes, strings, horns, and guest vocals. The result was a record that moved effortlessly between soulful blues, country-inflected songwriting, and Americana.
The album earned praise from Milwaukee Record critic Tyler Maas, who wrote: “Williams didn’t just make the most of a stressful time with Every Color Blue. He also quite possibly made his best record yet.”
— Tyler Maas, Milwaukee Record
In 2023, Williams released Might As Well Turn It Up, another chapter in a career defined by restless creativity and a commitment to following the song wherever it leads. The album further reflects his approach to roots-driven songwriting, balancing a soulful, lived-in sensibility with songs that feel both personal and universal. It marked another step in Williams' ongoing evolution as an artist, setting the stage for the darker, more atmospheric territory he explores on his latest release.
Now Williams turns toward a darker, more atmospheric chapter with his new record, The Dark Side.
Moody, reflective, and deeply rooted in Milwaukee's musical character, The Dark Side explores the shadows that accompany a life spent making music: memory, loss, longing, uncertainty, and the strange beauty found on the other side of hard experience. Adding another layer of local history, the record features clips from legendary Milwaukee jazz radio host Ron Cuzner, connecting Williams' contemporary songwriting to the voices and sounds that helped shape the city's musical culture.
The Dark Side is both a new beginning and a conversation with the past—a record where Williams' intimate songwriting meets the atmosphere of late-night radio, Milwaukee history, and the enduring pull of American roots music.
Hayward Williams' The Dark Side is a record for after midnight: reflective, soulful, and unmistakably Milwaukee.