South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Williams can’t wait to revisit Montreal
Working on an album during a pandemic can be challenging, but singer-songwriter Dar Williams said it all worked out fine. “Luckily, (‘I’ll Meet You Here’) was mostly in the can before the pandemic,” said the New York-based musician. “I did overdubs in an isolated room with people in masks looking at me through the other side of the Plexiglas — a little like the boy in the bubble.” Williams is currently on tour supporting her latest album. For the latest updates on her concerts, check out her website (https://darwilliams.com/ concerts/).
Q: How has traveling around the world impacted your artistry?
A: Every region offers a different palette and world of metaphors. They have all shown up in my songs. I have songs called “Iowa,” “New York is a Harbor,” “Southern California Wants to Be Western New York” and a new one called “Berkeley.” Also, after all these years on the road, I love prairies, mountain towns, desert parks and coastal cities so much. Sometimes, I think I keep writing songs so that I have an excuse to keep visiting (these places).
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: I can’t wait to get back to Montreal. I love staying near the Old City, getting croissants and coffee at Olive et Gourmando and walking to the Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal or to the Musee d’art contemporain de Montreal — two of my favorite museums in the world. At night, I walk up toward the street where “So Long, Marianne” was written and give a nod to the giant mural of Leonard Cohen on Crescent Street.
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?
A: I remember my parents brought us in to New York City and did their best to make it exciting for us, despite the schlepping. They kept a brisk pace through the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum, took us to a hibachi restaurant and told us to look for the Little Red Lighthouse on the way in and out on the Henry Hudson Parkway. These trips gave me a lifelong love of all cities, but I’m sure I managed to complain while we were there. Parents, don’t give up!
Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?
A: I speak French and that’s why I love going to Quebec. I finally started learning Spanish and I’m excited to see how it helps me rediscover the places I already love, like New York City, Los Angeles and
Albuquerque.
Q: What would be your dream trip?
A: I would love to take a very slow boat trip from Homer, Alaska, through Ketchican and Sitka, then to the islands off of British Columbia, then to Vancouver — stopping at the Museum of Anthropology — going down to Bainbridge Island (in western Washington) and ending with a day at the Seattle Art Museum and dinner at Wild Ginger. Someday.
Q: What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A: If I weren’t a traveling musician, I’d love to be a travel agent. I try to find hotels where I can park once and walk around for days. And it’s also really fun to listen to audiobooks that take place in places where I’m traveling, like (books by) Edward Abbey in Utah, Tony Hillerman in New Mexico, and Zora Neale Hurston in Florida. I love adding the fourth dimension of time travel to any trip I take.
For more from the reporter, visit www.jaehakim.com.