Yasmin Williams | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | Virginia, United States |
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| Years active | 2012–present |
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| Website | www |
Yasmin Williams (born May 31, 1997) is an American composer and fingerstyle guitarist from Northern Virginia. [1] [2] [3] [4] She plays several instruments including the kalimba, harp guitar, and guitar with the strings facing up while on her lap. [5]
Williams grew up in the town of Woodbridge in Northern Virginia. [4] In December 2017, she graduated from New York University with a degree in music theory and composition. [6] [7]
Williams became inspired to start learning guitar on her own after playing Guitar Hero II . [3] After being gifted her first electric guitar and amplifier, Williams practiced by ear until the release of her first EP Serendipity in 2012, when she was still a teenager. The project's production and recording were entirely handled by Williams herself. [8] From there Williams also became proficient in bass, twelve-string guitar, and classical guitar, before deciding to adopt the acoustic guitar as her primary instrument. [8]
She later developed her style of playing the guitar by setting it face-up on her lap, tuning the strings to a specific harmony, then playing it using finger picking. She also adds in other elements such as two handed lap-tapping for added rhythm in her mainly instrumental compositions. [9] [10] Pitchfork described her musical approach: "Williams’ inventive style, which has also involved wearing tap shoes and taking a cello bow to her instrument, has made her stand out in the field of solo guitarists." [9] Rolling Stone describe her songs as "textured, harmonious soundscapes." [2]
In 2018, Willams independently released her first studio album, Unwind. The album honed her signature finger-style technique, and also utilized non-Western instruments such as the kalimba. The album features the composition "New Beginnings", which she wrote in high school. [11]
Williams's second studio album, Urban Driftwood , released in 2021 through Spinster Records, was written in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown and was influenced by the Black Lives Matter protests during that summer. [12]
In 2024, she released her third studio album, Acadia, through Nonesuch Records. The album entered the UK Album Downloads Chart, peaking at #100, and the UK Americana Chart, peaking at #39. [13]
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