Music
24 Apr 24

Festival Special – Ezra Williams: "I like the casualness of it all... The one thing I always tell myself is to just have fun with it"

Credit: Colette-Slater-Barrass

As part of our special feature, Ezra Williams reflects on the magic of festivals...

Ezra Williams

I’m really excited to play All Together Now again. That was the best festival I’ve ever been to, so getting to go again is really exciting. Seeing CMAT and Pillow Queens in 2022 was a highlight for me, we were right up front and just buzzing. I also love that they have a craft section, because I’m in college working with ceramics, glass and textiles, and I have knitting stuff with me at all times. It was so much fun performing, too.

I like playing when people aren’t necessarily there to see you and catch your set just passing by. There’s something less intimidating about festivals than playing at a venue. I like the casualness of it all, and the one thing I always tell myself is to just have fun with it. A lot of my songs are lyric-based and introspective, and they’re somewhat better suited for venue stages. But when I’m playing festivals, I’ve noticed that people just want to dance. It’s important to take yourself a little less seriously.

People like to see the artist enjoying themselves on stage, just playing their songs and having a little boogie!

• Ezra Williams plays All Together Now from August 1-4 at Curraghmore Estate, Co. Waterford.