William Clark Green

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Allister Ann

A man with a guitar.

William Clark Green

$20 ($15 adv.).

media release: Roots-Americana singer/songwriter William Clark Green released his sixth album Baker Hotel on March 25 (via his own Bill Grease Records). The Eastland, Texas, native has been selling out venues across his home state and beyond for the last 15 years, making a name for himself as a gritty performer with a big ol’ voice and a powerhouse band. During the recent lull in live performances, Green took stock of his career, re-prioritized, and challenged himself and his sound. Baker Hotel is the creative universe born out of the process. 

“What this record means to me is self-reflection, realizing that I just turned 35 and it’s like, ‘Where am I at in life? Where do I want to be? Where did I think I would be?’ Not being able to work [during the lockdown], I had a lot of time to sit and think about myself, and what’s really locking me down, and that’s what I think this record is about,” Green says.

On Baker Hotel Green sharpens his contemporary roots sound while exploring outside it, from indie folk (“Feel Alive”) and swampy country (“Dog Song”) to Southern rock anthems (“All Pot No Chicken”) and traditional Western balladry (“Me, Her and You”). Songwriting themes are similarly balanced, probing deeper into Green’s soul and examining personal convictions, optimism, doubt, and raw truth. Nowhere is the cohesive blend of vision and voice more evident than the album’s first single “All You Got”, a pop rock gem that goes down way too easy for a potential breakup song. 

Green knows his way around being relatable while also complex, with heartfelt sentiments and turns of phrases like in “Gun to Your Head” when he harmonizes with a pitch-perfect lilt, “Would it kill you to give a little more than you take”. And just try to get the vocal harmonies of the heartbroken “Give A Damn” (“How do you make love not give a damn?”) and the effervescent, commercial-ready “Feel Alive” out of your head after listening.

In a proudly independent regional scene, it’s not easy to separate oneself – or to evolve once you have – but since 2010, William Clark Green has done both. Baker Hotel continues his growth and is a big step forward for a singer/songwriter hitting his stride.