There is an aura surrounding Clark Williams that seems not so much timeless as just plain old.
With his lean, wiry frame, broad grin and out-sized ears, the 30-year-old Chattanooga singer/songwriter wouldn’t look out of place in a Hooverville tent during the Great Depression. On stage, his performances of original material and traditional string band music exude a period-appropriate authenticity that seem a fitting accompaniment to a Dust Bowl-era western exodus.
“People don’t really sing as freely as that anymore. I love that [older] sound. I love the rawness of it and the informality of it,” says Williams, who performs under the moniker “Big Kitty” as well as comprising half of local string band duo The Old Time Travelers.
Staff photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Photographed Tuesday, June 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn., Clark Williams is a local singer/songwriter and an old-time musician. He performs his original music, both solo and with a band, as Big Kitty.
Discography
2015:”TR-002″2013: “Recordings of Ferns”2012: “Little Kitty’s Christmas Harp”2011: “Florence”2009: “Birds & Birds & Birds”
What’s next…
In September, Clark Williams will move from Chattanooga to Sebastapol, Calif., to be closer to his wife’s family. He also is nearing completion of his next project, a 7-inch vinyl single featuring two songs about the Scenic City: “Chattanooga” and “Chattanooga, Tenn.” The single should be available this fall, he says.