Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo

Formed as a trio in May of 2008, Aaron Williams (Vocals, Guitar), Eric Shackelford (Drums, Vocals) and Z (Bass, Vocals) have the blues deeply rooted in the music they love to play. The trio all met while Aaron was hosting a blues jam at the now defunct club, The Cuda Café. Not to long after this fateful night the band was playing all over their hometown of Madison, WI.

As word continued to spread beyond their hometown the trio began to tour all over the Midwest playing sold out shows in North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. As the band continues to grow musically they’ve fused blues, roots and rock music into and original sound that a growing fan base is recognizing and following.

Achievements to Note:

This stripped down trio has been catching a buzz across the Midwest and South with their constant touring (over 170 shows in 2012) and exciting live shows. With a second round Grammy nominations in 2011 for “Blues Album of the Year” and “Best New Artist” they’ve been skyrocketing towards a nationwide breakout. Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo have been featured on several national broadcasts including CNN and WGN. They also had the distinct pleasure of being named WAMI Blues Artist of the Year (2012). A Madison Favorite the last six years (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) as voted on by Isthmus Newspaper readers and taking home 6 MAMA awards in 2010 & 2011 including the coveted Artist of the Year has been a testament to the bands success in a very short period of time. They have had the pleasure to play at some of the Midwest largest festivals including, Summerfest, BAM Fest and Forward Music Fest. They’ve shared the stage with such notable artist as the Los Lonely Boys, Jonny Lang and Buddy Guy. Their debut release, “It Ain’t Easy,” won Blues/Rock Album of the Year 2010- Real Blues Magazine, 10:49 their second studio album was Grammy nominated and the brand new Live album, Live Loud Harmony has been critically claimed as “one of the best Live albums of 2013.” The band looks to move forward and bring their sound to more and more fans looking for real original American music.

On their new Live album, “Live Loud Harmony,” Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo follow in the footsteps of musical archetypes like Ronnie Earl, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, The Black Keys, Kenny Brown and R.L Burnside. These artists inspire them not just for their work, but for their approach to their art. They exist outside the traditional economic constraints of “success” and “failure,” and do their own thing on their own time. “They would all be playing music whether there was money in it or not,” says Williams. “All of them would be homeless rather than do something else. In my mind, you’re either a musician or you’re not.”

“Live Loud Harmony” is a tour de force of authenticity, covering sounds from blues, rock and roots. It’s music the way it was meant to be played, with a music-is-my-life, let’s-hit- the-road attitude. “You can’t chase a record or an idea. You get to the real meaning, make it as good as you can make it and suffer the result.” William’s appreciates the simplicity of the approach. “If it moves you, then it’s done. If it’s perfect—but you’re still not moved—then you’ve still got work to do. Music is personal, what one person likes isn’t going to please everyone. We’re in a business that you have to just accept, bad or good and just go with it.”