There are artists who write songs, and then there are artists who create entire worlds.
Over the last decade, A.A. Williams has carved out a space entirely her own. Blending delicate beauty with crushing heaviness, her music sits somewhere between vulnerability and power, drawing listeners into vast emotional landscapes that feel both intimate and cinematic.
With her new album Solstice arriving on 5th June via RPM, Williams returns with her most ambitious and personal work to date. Written across a transformative four-year period, the record explores growth, resilience and self-discovery, wrapped in the immersive atmosphere that has become her trademark.
Ahead of the release, we caught up with A.A. Williams to talk creativity, life on the road, the importance of visual storytelling, vintage furniture, and what actually makes somewhere feel like home.
Welcome to THIS IS MY HAUS.
“Solstice” feels like it’s coming from a really deep place - what was going on creatively or personally when this record started coming together?
There’ll have been almost 4 years between the release of ‘Solstice’ and my previous album, ‘As The Moon Rests’. I think I’ve grown a lot as a person in that time, my attitude towards myself has changed, and I’ve been trying to focus more on changing things for the better, rather than feeling overwhelmed by things I’m struggling with. Creatively speaking I felt a lot freer to explore things this time around - taking so long on the record afforded me the luxury to really dive into how I wanted the album to sound, as well as the writing of the songs themselves. I think the end result is an album that is braver, deeper, more complexed and emotionally varied, and I think thats also a fair representation of how I’ve developed as a person during the making of the record.
Your music can feel fragile one minute and absolutely crushing the next - what draws you to that balance?
I’ve always felt that you need contrast in creativity - the presence of these opposites creates emphasis on the two elements, for example if you put darkness next to light it can make the light feel lighter and the dark feel darker. If a song is loud throughout then the volume starts to lose its effectiveness after a while, so add in some softer dynamics, and the sudden shift from gentle to heavy will feel all the greater.
Your visuals, artwork and overall atmosphere always feel incredibly considered. How important is creating that full world around the music for you?
It’s hugely important, and extends across every element of my work. The visual aspect of a live show, or a music video or promotional photo will always communicate with the viewer, so its important that the message you’re sending matches the intention of the music that its accompanying. There’s nothing worse than watching an artist perform and their production being so overwhelming that you’re focusing on video walls and flashing lights instead of the performer and their music. When I play live I want to create an atmosphere that feels immersive and for the audience to let their emotions flow, I want the space to feel intimate, warm and timeless - if I include visual elements that don’t suit the music or are distracting then it immediately pulls them back to the real world.
You’ve played everywhere from intimate spaces to huge festival stages - what kind of environment makes you feel most powerful as a performer?
I love performing, whatever the size of the room. The thing that makes a real difference is having control of the space, having time to do a proper soundcheck and get stage-ready. You feel prepared and calm, and ready to take on whatever the room gives you.
Where do you feel most creative - at home, on the road, or somewhere completely different?
An awful lot of my early writing stages happen when I’m out and about, I love to work in cafes and coffee shops and I find that working away from home lets me focus entirely on the process without getting distracted by the everyday. A lot of what I do is critical listening, either listening through to sketches to think about how I can develop them, or listening to a work-in-progress to analyse the work done so far and to continue creative progress. I do almost all my listening on public transport. I find it a calm environment with very few distractions, a perfect place for me to focus on what I’m hearing, think about lyrics or make decisions. A lot of the creative process for me is in my head - planning, writing, development and such - doing all of this while watching the world go by works perfectly for me.
When you’re touring, how do you make hotel rooms, buses or backstage spaces actually feel like your space?
A lot of it comes down to possessions for me, bringing things that are familiar. They enable me to maintain habits I have at home that I enjoy, for example trying to eat healthily, listening to music when I travel, putting on cosy clothes to head down to a hotel breakfast, drinking my favourite tea before a show. I’m not someone who needs a place to ‘look’ like home, I bring home with me.
What’s the first thing you do when you finally get home after a long run on the road?
Probably change my shoes and wear something fancy. Even though a tour might be 6 weeks long you always end up pretty limited with regards to what you can bring with you. The urge to pack a bunch of fun things is definitely there, but I’m so over lugging heavy bags up flights of hotel stairs at 2am so I try to make everything very multipurpose. The downside is that you can get bored of the same items after a while.
What’s the weirdest, most meaningful or most loved thing in your home right now?
I love everything in my home to be honest. Its a product of years of living in a small space in a big city, so everything has a purpose. There’s something immensely satisfying about having the things you need, and nothing that you don’t.
If your home could speak, what would it say about you?
One of my favourite things in the world is spending time at home. I love the gentle parts of life so much, and I think the space reflects that perfectly. I have a lot of vintage furniture, G-plan room dividers and Ladderax shelving, 70s formica tables - I really love the simplicity, style, functionality and delicacy of the designs. The furniture is the defining feature of the home, I don’t have collections of trinkets or loads of stuff on the walls, its more about soft lighting, blankets, house plants… I think the design of the whole place speaks of a person who enjoys uncomplicated things and enjoys subtlety, but who also enjoys feeling cosy and soft in an unfussy way.
Finally - THIS IS MY HAUS is all about identity and the spaces that shape us. What genuinely makes somewhere feel like home to you?
A place thats calm and safe, a full fridge, soft lighting, a piano, my notebooks, my friends and family, a phone charger. As a Londoner I’ve grown up with a bit of external noise, so I find street noise oddly homely too.
Whether she's performing on festival stages, losing herself in the creative process on public transport, or returning home to soft lighting and carefully chosen furniture, A.A. Williams approaches every part of her world with the same thoughtful intention that runs through her music.
Solstice feels like the sound of an artist completely comfortable exploring both light and darkness, creating something that is at once deeply personal and universally relatable. It's a record built on growth, reflection and the understanding that strength and vulnerability often exist side by side.
With Solstice arriving on 5th June and a summer of live performances ahead, A.A. Williams continues to prove that some of the most powerful music isn't the loudest. Sometimes it's the music that quietly invites you in and stays with you long after the final note has faded.
Solstice is released 5th June via RPM.
