Check Out Patrick Williams’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Williams

Hi Patrick, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always had an active imagination. As a kid I loved to play an album, pick up my air guitar, and sing along with the band. Back then I couldn’t even listen to music without being an imaginary member of the band. Today it feels like a dream to make a record of my own, and capture some of that imagination in a set of original songs.

I eventually learned to play guitar in college through the generosity of many other guitar players. They were patient teachers and welcomed me into their jam sessions. I remember writing my first song at that time, sitting in the stairwell of my highrise dorm because it had natural reverb. I was shy about my playing and the stairwell seemed like a semi-private space in a crowded building. One guy heard me playing guitar and singing and stepped into the stairwell. He was very kind and encouraging about what I was playing. It made me feel on top of the world and motivated me to keep going. His name was Taylor O’Connor. It turned out that he was a highly gifted piano player, and one of the best musicians I’ve ever known. We ended up becoming best friends and music partners, and we eventually made a demo album together in the 90’s called “The Quick And The Dead”. Taylor got me singing into a microphone and introduced me to multitrack recording. I was immediately hooked and knew that making music was something that I would want to do the rest of my life.

We sent the demo album around to every representative we could find. In those days it meant mailing out cassette tapes with cover letters. We were excited when a label responded and offered us a small record deal. The deal was that the label would pay for us to re-record the album in a professional studio and cut us a bunch of CDs. We would then tour around, promote the album and sell our CDs while hoping to build a fan base. But there was a problem. I’d finally finished school (which was an incredible amount of work for me) and had just landed my first engineering job. There was no way I could give up finally landing a good job and salary only to remain a broke student, touring around the country in a van, playing music in clubs. At that time it was only Taylor and myself so we also needed to find a drummer and bass player to form a band. Sometimes I think about the adventures I missed out on had we taken that deal and tried living the dream of music.

As an engineer I continued writing and recording songs in my free time, but as I started a family, and my career and responsibilities grew, it eventually squeezed out all time for music. There were years when I didn’t write any songs or even play the guitar, as the energy demand of my job left nothing remaining for music when I got home.

After many years in my career, one seemingly ordinary day I was called into a meeting and was laid off. It was a massive shock to my system and a course correction for my life. It shifted my focus and made me aware of how I was spending my time. Was I pursuing meaningful things? Once COVID hit, I used that as a catalyst for making music again. I knew music was important to me so I set the goal to make an album. I wasn’t sure if I could still write a song but I wanted to try. One of the first songs I wrote was the title track, “For The Sake Of The Dead”. It was inspired by my father in law, Tom Twomey. He had read a compilation of Walt Whitman’s poetry years ago and had recommended the book to me. I couldn’t stop thinking about the poem “Hymn Of Dead Soldiers”. I had recently lost my dad and my sister, and that poem sparked much contemplation about their lives, and how to grieve and honor them. Whitman wrote the poem after witnessing many young men die in battle during the civil war. I saw it as a reflection of how these young men, who hardly got a chance to express love during their short lives, were pleading for the living to take up all that love left behind and release it into the world. The thought of finding another reason to love, in this case, for the sake of the dead, resonated with me. It spoke of the urgency behind all human potential. It felt pressing and it moved me forward. I started making more songs around the theme of death and loss, and love. It was a way for me to grieve my own loss and grow it into something new. By the time the album was finished I had also lost my mom to dementia. The song “Saturn” is about that experience. I had also joined a rock band in 2021 and was learning how to write songs with the band. “Saturn” came out of a collaboration with the fantastic lead guitarist in the band, and my great friend, Rich Spangenberg. Another song on the album, “After She’s Gone”, came from a collaboration with my long time music partner, Taylor O’Connor (the guy from the stairwell). He had released a solo album of improvisational piano songs several years ago from which that track was adapted. It was a pleasure to collaborate with him again after so many years.

This new album, “For The Sake Of The Dead”, which was sparked from Whitman’s poem, is in memoriam to loved ones who have passed away. It’s a plea to release love urgently for my own sake, and for the sake of the dead who can no longer love here on Earth. The songs were written and recorded from 2021-2024, though the origins of some songs date back much further. These songs helped me travel through grief and loss, and they touch on vulnerabilities as I struggle to be open hearted. They represent the peace, joy, and meaning that come from making music each day. It’s my hope that others will enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoyed creating them.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One obstacle was that I wanted drums and bass on the album and I was not a drummer or bassist. I know some very talented musicians, and some were able to help out despite COVID lockdowns and hectic schedules. But when my wife got me a drum kit for Christmas in 2021 it was all the inspiration I needed to learn to play. I had the time to learn and I hoped I could lay down something straightforward and suitable for the songs on the album. Writing the bass and drum parts was easier for me than playing them. The same was true for piano and harmonica. I’m thankful for the grace and ease of modern digital recording which allowed me to take these parts one at a time and provided me space to learn and to stretch my abilities. Having real musicians play those parts would surely make the album better but it was inspiring and fun to play these instruments to my fullest, and at my own time and pace. It kept the album progressing along and when it was done I had about 20 new songs. 14 made the final cut of the album.

Another obstacle was deciding whether to release the album at all. I read somewhere that the pursuit of meaning requires us to risk something. I think meaning fills up what is put on the line. The song “Wichita” relates to this idea. It’s a privilege and pleasure to share such an important part of myself and I’m grateful for the ability to release creative works onto streaming services. At the same time, it is a vulnerable thing to do. There is a part of me inside the music that gets exposed and remains open to others. If or why that matters is something I don’t understand, but it has still been a hurdle for me. There is something safe about writing a song and sticking it under a file folder, sharing it only with those you love and trust. Publishing it is terrifying and rewarding. It matters a great deal, and it also doesn’t matter at all.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As an engineer I designed new products, kept existing products running, led large and small groups of engineers, and worked with many intimidatingly smart people. I am very grateful to have had such a rewarding career and work with so many talented people. I’m also grateful for the path I’m on now. It all reinforces my belief in providence.

After a long career, I now support and tend to my family at home. I make music every day. I recently wrote two books, one on health and one on personal finance. I love reading books, especially those that help me see things through a new lens. I also enjoy backpacking and have been exploring the many Appalachian mountain wilderness areas in NC and surrounding states.

What’s next?
Lately I have been recording the rock band, RetroFusion, that I joined a couple years ago as a lead singer and rhythm guitarist. We plan to release an album of original songs later this year. I want to keep collaborating with the band and with other musician friends. I love how collaboration makes songwriting go to unique places and how it tends to bring out the best of each contributor which makes the end result better. It’s not something one person could ever do on their own.

I’ve also been remastering the original demo album “The Quick & The Dead” that Taylor and I made together. I’ve been adding background vocals, bass, and drums to the songs that need them and I hope to release it next year. I also hope to publish my books next year, do more writing, and continue backpacking in the mountains.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.patrickwilliams.info
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@PatrickWilliamsSongs
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/for-the-sake-of-the-dead/1751652434
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/NzmU7QGSR71xjtHR8
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1WgXfyR5EvRC5ttdgmZpXo?si=dUPk9FqeQ22o6B-a_ZyJ4A