Today, Austin-based singer-songwriter William Harries Graham announced his fourth full-length album Annie’s House due out October 25 via Strolling Bones Records. The album, Graham’s debut on the label, is a blend of Americana, rock 'n' roll, and folk, which showcases his storytelling prowess, weaving personal and vivid memories into his music. Along with the announcement, Graham unveiled the album’s lead single “Ohio State,” which encapsulates the album’s thematic exploration of love, nostalgia, and personal growth.
“I had the first verse, but couldn’t find the rest until I overheard a farmer talking about a pact he’d made with his college sweetheart to find each other once again later in life,” Graham said about the first single. “The feeling that you know you can’t be together now, but maybe one day…it feels like a lot of people have had a conversation like that.”
The album itself isn’t based on one single person or event in Graham’s life. Instead, it tells a thematic story of love, growing up, and getting older. Each track helps paint the portrait that ultimately becomes Annie’s House, with every song offering a small snapshot of Graham’s reflections on life and relationships.
A product of the vibrant Austin scene, Graham gravitated towards music instantly. His father, Jon Dee Graham, is a respected musician and singer-songwriter in his own right, and was named Austin Musician of the Year by SXSW. Hailed as a prodigy in his early teens by acclaimed music critic Michael Corcoran, Graham played his first gig at age 6 at the Austin Music Awards - to a crowd of over 1,000.
Absorbing as much inspiration as possible, Graham poured over records by everyone from Gregory Alan Isakov to Julian Lage. Penning original music and playing around town, William cut his teeth over countless shows at coffee shops, bars, and “everywhere in between” before finally releasing his debut album in 2015, Foreign Fields, garnering acclaim from No Depression and Austin American-Statesman.
Graham’s two most recent releases, there are only endings (2023,) and JAKES (2019) impressed the likes of NPR Music, The Austin Chronicle and Atwood Magazine, which praised his songwriting as being “a gloomy but freeing ode to lost love.” He has also shined on stage at SXSW and played on bills with artists including Arcade Fire, Los Lonely Boys, and James McMurtry.
As William Harries Graham invites listeners into Annie's House, he aims to evoke reflection and connection. “When people hear this album, I want them to walk away from it with some reflection on their own lives and experiences.” He says. “The music that I personally connect with is always music where I see some part of myself in it. I hope you see yourself in Annie's House.”
Annie’s House Tracklist
1. Yourself
2. Annie Are You There
3. Brooklyn
4. Ohio State
5. George And Steve
6. On The Outside
7. Maybe That’s The Way
8. Philly
9. Galway Coast
10. Same As When We Were Kids
