THE ‘ONE TO WATCH’ INTERVIEW

Luke James Williams: ‘I remember being 7 and proudly proclaiming I wanted the new Metallica album for Christmas!’

Luke James Williams on the music that made him, getting support from BBC6 Music and watching Sufjan Stevens give a PowerPoint presentation.

Photo: Julain Eales

17 July 2026

What is your earliest memory of hearing music?

In the lounge as a young kid with my dad, both with guitars, miming and singing along to 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy' by Manfred Mann.

Was there a music fan in your early life who you looked up to and influenced your music taste?

My older brother. I followed him through most of his phases and tastes from metal to drum and bass. I remember being about 7 and visiting a Santa's Grotto and proudly proclaiming that I wanted the new Metallica album for Christmas!

What was your parents' record collection like? How did it influence your sensibilities?

It was mostly rock and pop: lots of The Beatles, Cat Stevens, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Fleetwood Mac. My mum loves Motown too, so I remember a lot of that. All just brilliantly crafted songs with strong melodies and great lyrics, so I think that definitely shaped my tastes from a young age.

What was the first record/tape/CD you remember buying?

Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette was the first album I remember going and buying with my own money.

Is there a song/album/record which changed everything for you?

I used to go to guitar lessons with a friend and his mum had Hatful Of Rain: Best Of Del Amitri in the car. I remember hearing 'Nothing Ever Happens' for the first time and thinking, 'I want to write songs'. It was the moment I realised that whilst I wanted to be proficient at playing guitar, ultimately my real passion was in songwriting. The power and magic of that combination of words, melody and chords set the tone for a lifelong love of songwriting.

What is the record you have probably listened to the most in your life?

Probably Wildflowers by Tom Petty. My parents played it a lot when I was young, and it's still one of my favourite albums to this day and one I play a lot.

What is your 'getting ready to go out on a Saturday night' song?

I tend to gig a lot on Saturday nights and so, given the choice, my favourite thing to do on a Saturday night would be to cook a meal with a glass of wine on the go and some music on. I only have to hear the opening notes of 'Bruca Maniguá' by Ibrahim Ferrer and it instantly puts me in a good mood. It's the first song on one of my favourite albums.

What is your Sunday morning record?

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul.

What is the greatest gig you've ever seen?

Sufjan Stevens at The Royal Festival Hall on his The Age Of Adz tour. He gave a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation in the middle of the gig about the artwork for the album. The artistry and celebration of the entire universe around the album was a joy to behold. The whole night just blew my mind: the performance, the band, the setlist, the show. I've been lucky enough to go to hundreds of gigs and I remember walking out and confidently saying, 'that is the best gig I've ever seen!'

You gained early support for your music from BBC6 Music's Tom Robinson, who made 'Still In Bed' his Track Of The Year So Far in July 2019. How did that support impact you as an artist and on your visibility?

It was a huge boost when I was really just starting out as a solo singer-songwriter. It exposed me to a really wide audience of real music fans, many of whom continue to support me and my work to this day. It was a massive help in terms of getting gigs too; Tom and the BBC Radio 6 Music network as a whole are so well respected that it definitely greased the wheels.

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Photo: Bob Dylan; credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy

Louder Than War said your music was like Bon Iver, 'only with an English accent'. I love the fact that your regional British accent comes through so clearly in your music. A lot of British artists sing in an American accent, or partially conceal their regional accent. Is singing in your own accent important to you, and if so why?

When I started out in bands as a teenager I would try and imitate my favourite singers and one day a friend said to me that I needed to find my own voice. I really just tried to start singing how I spoke and it felt very natural. I think the most important thing is to do whatever feels right for you.

You have been compared to the singer-songwriter James Taylor, and you have also been associated with the folk scene, playing the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2022. Do you think of yourself as an artist who fits in with a particular genre? Is there anything about the singer-songwriter or folk genres which appeal to you in particular as an artist?

I love the intimacy and the focus on the song itself, which is the bit I love the most. My songs are voice and guitar at their core and so I probably fit best in the world of folk but I think my music definitely branches off into other areas and who knows where it might head off to in the future?!

So what's next for you? What are your recording and performing plans?

I have some festivals over the summer and I'm just booking another small run of headline dates for the autumn. I'm happily chipping away at new songs and thinking about what might come next. I hope to get back into the studio before the end of the year.