Chelsea Williams: Without the support of a record label, or radio play, Chelsea managed to sell nearly 100,000 copies of her independently released records the old fashioned way, by playing on the street.
Interview conducted on March 05, 2020
by Dan Locke
Unlike many LA transplants, Chelsea Williams didn’t arrive as a starry-eyed dreamer seeking a catapult toward fame. It would have been a little soon for that anyway, considering she got there before she’d even started walking and talking.
Dan Locke: How did you discover music?
Chelsea Williams: My mom was a singer and songwriter. I remember falling asleep on the couch on the weekends listening to her sing and jam with her musician friends. She is responsible for some of my first memories of music.
What was your first and last concert you went to?
The first concert I went to was Johnny Lang at the Key Club in Hollywood. I think I was 15 and completely in love with him. He is such a passionate player. He throws down his whole heart. The last concert I went to was… wait for it… Wayne Newton. I was in Las Vegas for a friend’s wedding with my husband. Neither of us are big on Las Vegas, but we decided to have a “when in Rome” kind of mindset for this trip. So, we hit up the biggest buffet we could find and then went to go see Wayne-F-in-Newton. What a great performer and showman. It’s no wonder he’s had such a long career.
What was the first guitar you learned how to play and how did you get it? What is your favorite guitar now? And do you have a name for it?
My first guitar was a Takamine that my mom bought from one of her friends. I still have it. I wrote some of my first songs on that guitar. My new favorite guitar is a Takamine 12 string. It makes everything sound sparkly and whimsical. I actually do have a name! I call her Sparrow because she’s a little songbird.
How was it to be picked by Rolling Stone Country in 2017 as one of the Top 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know?
My God! I grew up reading Rolling Stone and idolizing the bands and artists featured in that magazine. All I can say is that it is surreal. What an honor and a privilege.
In 2019, you released a string of acoustic covers. What’s your favorite artist to cover (one which you have not done yet)?
I’ve been on a Nina Simone kick right now. Maybe I’ll work up the courage to cover her one of these days.
As far as you know, have any of the artists you done covers for, heard your version of their song?
A while back I did a cover of a Crosby Stills and Nash song (Helplessly Hoping) with a couple of friends. I guess they found it on YouTube. When their management contacted me asking for my address, I thought they were going to send me a Cease and Desist notice. But a couple of days later flowers showed up at my apartment with a card signed by David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. I was beside myself.
I know you use loop pedals, what’s your loop setup?
I use a Boss RC-30. It’s the only looper I’ve ever used. It’s really fun to play with. I like to get creative with layering vocal parts and rearranging songs. It can be pretty tricky to trigger the pedals when I’m performing in heals though. Haha! Maybe it would be easier if I practiced in heals instead of my fluffy slippers.
Do you still play out on the street?
I do! Busking is so much a part of me and how I developed as an artist. It’s hard to imagine ever giving that up. There’s really nothing like it. It’s thrilling, intimate, ego-crushing, ego-building and exhilarating all at once.
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