William The Conqueror: International Showcase Fund (AmericanaFest 2016)
William the Conqueror is not what you might expect. He could be the alter-ego of that one-time treasure of the folk circuit, Ruarri Joseph. But perhaps not. William is his own man, with his own voice – and who is to say which voice is the more authentic?
You only need to listen to Ruarri Joseph attempt to explain the need for his “transition” into William to understand that this is no marketing tactic, or rebrand; this is a man on the verge of a precipice, looking for an outlet that doesn’t need to be sanitised; a genuine narrative of self deconstruction; an audience’s opportunity to watch the car crash unfold before their eyes; to follow a suppressed artist along a journey into the essence of self, paradox and identity and all the madness that might lie beneath.
“I want people to hear the stories from a different perspective. After three years of keeping William in the dark, I want to switch things up. Ruarri can go off the radar; it’s William’s turn now.”
Why AmericanaFest, Ruarri? “As well as the style of our music sitting so neatly with Americana sensibilities, the attitude and ethos of AmericanaFest in Nashville is about keeping music real and rooted in the traditions of song writing and performing. That’s precisely what inspired us to create William the Conqueror and how we feel we can make the most impact.”
“Bursting with retro-infused energy; a myriad influences, underpinned by a taste for good, old-fashioned roots”