Hans Williams Releases "Holey Fence" Ahead of SONGS FOR THE NEIGHBORS

New Orleans-based Hans Williams will release his debut album Songs for the Neighbors on November 13 via Giant Music. The LP took root in the backyard of his Bayou St. John home, where late-night jams and intimate shows often drifted over fences and through open windows. Captured largely live at the house with his longtime band and producer Phin Choukas (Noah Kahan), the album pairs soulful, dreamy folk with flashes of funk, psychedelia and country.

Williams has shared the latest glimpse of the album, 'Holey Fence,' which finds him looking across that same backyard fence toward someone he can't quite reach. Hushed and haunting, it builds into a cathartic refrain of 'I wanna make it right,' reaching across the space between this life and the next.

He says, 'I wrote this album in the backyard, working through songs hoping my neighbor Jeanne would chime in. Sometimes, when it's late out, there's nobody listening back there and I wonder what weight my words hold without someone to take them in. Often I'd imagine someone on the other side of the fence - an old relative, or someone in my life who has passed on. Reminded of them by the thick air and silence of the moon. It didn't matter whether or not their spirit was there, it was the thought of them alone that proved to me they're still here, somehow. Holey Fence is an attempt to capture that feeling and reach out across the void.'

Williams previously shared 'True Feeling' featuring a layered chorus full of soul and written about Maggie the cat and Darcy the dog, as well as the soul-infused horn-kissed single 'Harding Road,' a love song to his New Orleans neighborhood and the people who make it home.

Williams' following has grown largely by word of mouth, built show by show and neighbor by neighbor, and he's now ready to take that momentum on the road. He recently announced 'The Tour for the Neighbors,' in support of the album with the North American leg kicking off on January 19, 2027. The run includes stops in New York City at Bowery Ballroom on January 28, Boston and at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on March 26 before concluding with a hometown show in New Orleans on April 10.

Williams has partnered with PLUS1 for the tour, with $1 of every ticket supporting organizations working for equity, access, and dignity for all. More information is available at www.plus1.org.

Throughout Songs for the Neighbors, Williams explores love, loss, grief and the relationships that shape our lives. His songwriting is deeply personal but rarely inward-looking, finding inspiration in the people around him and the ways they connect, influence and remain present in one another's lives. At its heart is the desire to reach across the barriers, both physical and emotional, that keep people apart.

That spirit of connection extends to the musicians who helped bring the album to life. Williams is joined by his longtime live band and friends Elliott Miller (bass), Isaac Worley (drums), Richard Rourke (keys), Jonny Campos (pedal steel) and Joe Pizzolato (guitar). Recorded largely live, the album captures the natural chemistry of musicians who have spent years playing together, allowing the songs to unfold organically rather than trying to choreograph every moment.

'I think there's something really sacred about a bunch of people playing music simultaneously and having those frequencies happening all at once instead of trying to completely choreograph the whole thing,' Williams says.

For Williams, the album is ultimately about finding ways to bring people together in a world that can often feel increasingly disconnected. 'With the backyard shows, we wanted to bridge that gap of disconnect in the world that feels so insurmountable,' he says. What began as informal gatherings among friends and neighbors has grown into something much bigger, but the sentiment remains the same: music as a way to reach one another, build community and find meaning in the people and places we call home.

Tracklist

True Feelings

Harding Road

Holey Fence

Never Too Quiet

Where It Goes

In The Dark

The Door

Easy Eyed

Marlie's Moon

2027 Tour for the Neighbors dates

Jan 19 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn

Jan 21 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West

Jan 22 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle

Jan 23 – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre

Jan 24 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis

Jan 26 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry at The Fillmore

Jan 28 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

Jan 30 – Boston, MA – Paradise

Jan 31 – Brattleboro, VT – Stone Church

Feb 2 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

Feb 4 – Montreal, QC – Studio TD

Feb 5 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern

Feb 6 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Blind Pig

Feb 7 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird

Feb 9 – Columbus, OH – A&R Bar

Feb 11 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI

Feb 12 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

Feb 13 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon

Feb 14 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line

Feb 16 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly's

Feb 18 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway

Feb 19 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall

Feb 20 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East

Mar 9 – Fayetteville, AR – George's Majestic Lounge

Mar 10 – Kansas City, MO – recordBar

Mar 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall

Mar 16 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club

Mar 19 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret

Mar 20 – Seattle, WA – Neumos

Mar 21 – Portland, OR – Star Theater

Mar 24 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent

Mar 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour

Mar 28 – San Diego, CA – SOMA Sidestage

Mar 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom

Apr 1 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada

Apr 2 – Austin, TX – Antone's

Apr 3 – Houston, TX – Meow Wolf

Apr 10 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina's

Photo Credit: CJ Harvey | Download Hi-Res Here

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