Singer-songwriter gains business savvy in New Orleans
By Jann Darsie
Photo by Ryan Murray
Musician Hans Williams started early. The New Orleans-based singer-songwriter wrote his first tune — a farewell song to a babysitter who moved away — at the tender age of 6. Although he modestly says, “it was just an attempt,” by the third grade he was writing raps.
Music ended up being the ideal outlet for an energetic boy in rural Vermont who was coping with a mild form of Tourette’s syndrome. He describes himself as hyperactive, always “beat boxing.” Happily, this energy got channeled into guitar lessons at age 8 or 9. He also sang in the chorus and bonded with the local music teacher in elementary school.
He quickly moved on from rapping to folk and R&B songs that he downloaded from SoundCloud. He didn’t make a point of sharing his own work until he was a junior in high school and his music mentor Tuck Stocking encouraged him to record. It was then that he released his first song, “Guardian,” on Spotify.
His parents were music lovers, so Williams grew up listening to a variety of genres. “My dad liked funk, soul and R&B, and my mother leaned more toward folk music,” he says. These influences can be heard today in Williams’ music, along with a definite New Orleans sound.
When it came time for Williams to look for a college, he naturally gravitated toward a “music town.” He considered Los Angeles and Nashville, among others, but ultimately chose Tulane University in New Orleans. Clearly, New Orleans was the right fit for Williams, now a Mid-City resident.
By his junior year, he was gigging at Tipitina’s and, in his own words, “loving New Orleans and its supportive music community.” Williams adds: “Tips took a real chance booking me at such an early stage in my career. This is just a sign of how supportive the music community is, especially for a newcomer like me.”
Williams majored in business with a minor in music science and technology, but found that most of the case studies in his business classes centered on industries far removed from the music world. When it came time to write his final project, he chose to make a case study of his own music business – complete with a business plan, re-investments and financials.
While at Tulane, Williams got more serious about finding an agent and releasing his music. This ultimately led him to Perry Avgerinos and Noah Schwartz, who were just starting out in music management. “I sent Perry my solo ‘Body on My Shoulder,’ and he responded. He became my manager ‘on the side,’ as I thought of it then.” Avgerinos and Schwartz were forming Sheesh Media, and Williams was their first client.
This is where the Ella Project came in. Williams heard about them from a friend studying at Tulane Law School as he was putting out the word that he needed legal counsel. He had just gotten a boilerplate contract from Sheesh, because they, too, were new at this game. “I recall [attorney and Ella Project co-founder] Ashlye Keaton advising me: ‘Question this contract! Question everything!’” So the Ella Project helped Williams negotiate the contract that became the template for those to follow.
After the formalization of their relationship, Williams says, he and Sheesh have grown together, learning by doing and always striving to improve operations. “Sheesh now helps manage my tours,” Williams says, “and in a lot of ways I feel lucky that they were new in the business because they give me a lot of leeway, and did not come to the table with a lot of preconceptions.” And, fortunately, they have the same communication style and approach to relationships.
Of course, the downside is they have had to figure out a lot of things as they have gone along. But Williams feels that they are developing systems and long-term relationships that will stand the test of time.
Williams recently released his first EP, entitled “More Than One Way Home,” which will be featured on his summer tours. He works with a music distributor instead of a record label at this time. “I feel that it is difficult to broker a record deal, and the companies often promise more than they deliver,” Williams said. “I want to save myself a lot of anguish if I get a record deal.”
Knowing how important it is to have good legal advice and representation, Williams says, "I've recommended the Ella Project to all my friends who have brokered deals and needed legal counsel, whether it’s management, sync or publishing." He is spreading the word about their valuable work.
As he sets out on his upcoming tour – 24 appearances in 30 days – Williams is philosophical about the work load. Yes, it is a lot of traveling. Yes, it can be tiring. However, he feels that this is the right time in his life to work as many festivals, free public performances, opening acts and headlining gigs as possible.
“Social media is so saturated,” he said. “There is really no substitute for connecting with a live audience and developing a fan base in person.”
Hans Williams can be found at his website www.hanswilliams.com and on Instagram @hanswilliams and YouTube @hanswilliamsmusic.
Notes From Ella is presented in part with funding from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation.
