“I’m a quiet person, and introverted, so my music is very exposed,” East London songwriter Jnr. Williams has said of his soulful ballads, describing the vulnerable quality of his debut EP, Where We Start, set for a March 8 release. “For me, the environment I was in growing up and being a black man where we’re told not to express emotion was tough. The songs I write expose that, and they don’t shy away from that expression.”
Taking cues from contemporary vocalists like James Blake and Moses Sumney, this statement explains the soft quality of the EP’s first sample, “A Prayer,” which is getting an even softer treatment today with the release of a clip from Williams’ acoustic performance of the track. With nothing but piano for accompaniment, the recording strips the song to its bare bones, leaving Williams’ confident, quivering voice in the foreground.
Where We Start is out March 8 via Arista / Insanity Records. Check out Jnr. Williams on Spotify.
