The most unlikely moments can give way to artistic inspiration. That was definitely the case for Chattanooga songwriter Nicholas Edward Williams when he wrote the song “Too Many Mirrors” after sharing the gym locker room with too many naked old men.
He’s quick to caution that the song’s nudity is only metaphorical. “It’s about how we see ourselves, about introspection and looking inside.”
It’s safe to assume Willaims himself was in an introspective mood when he wrote the song. After living out of a camper and playing over 150 shows a year, he was ready to find a home without wheels. He’d lived in Sacramento and Seattle, and spent most of his life in Columbus, Ohio, but nowhere that really qualified as his ‘hometown.
One formative experience happened in Upstate New York about a decade ago. Like most kids his age, he grew up playing various shades of rock guitar. But the opportunity to study under acoustic guitar guru Joan Crane opened the door to traditional finger-picking techniques and music that could be broadly characterized as “old time.”
“She taught me the philosophy of Playing It Forward,” he explains. “It’s about honoring the past and continuing to play those songs in that style.” Since then, Williams has been a regular fixture at old time music festivals, including the Spirit of Suwannee, where he’s performed for the last 12 years in a row.
After setting in to his new home in Chattanooga, Williams set about recording an album. That process introduced him to some talented local musicians: Cody Ray, Emma Du Bose, Jade Watts, and Gordon Inman
“The chemistry was instantaneous,” he recalls. That band took on a life of its own, and they now perform as The New Quintet. “Last year we played 17 shows together, including Nightfall, Songbirds, and Barking Legs.”
Another way in which Williams continues to play it forward is by hosting and producing the American Songcatcher podcast. The documentary style podcast chronicles the work of legendary American musicians and the journey a song takes through the generations.
“I’ve done episodes about Hank Williams, Billie Holiday, Bill Monroe, Son House, Elizabeth Cotten, and Doc Watson,” he recalls. But his favorite may be the two-parter about Moses Asch. As the head of Folkway records, Asch was responsible for early recordings from artists like Lead Belly and Woody Gutherie. His catalog was later acquired by the Smithsonain, who collaborated with Williams on the episode.
Nicholas Edward Williams will appear this Thursday, February 1st at the Woodshop, where he plans to perform the song Too Many Mirrors as part of the Woodshop Variety Show. Chase Waller of El Rocko and Alex of Alex the Band will also perform. Music starts at 8. There is no cover charge.