Williams bringing guitar prowess to Iowa City’s Mission Creek Festival

Who says playing video games isn’t good for kids? Yasmin Williams is proof that handling joysticks can lead to a meaningful career.

Williams, 27, was an obsessive “Guitar Hero 2” player as a preteen.

“That game changed my life in so many ways,” Williams said while calling from her Alexandria, Va., home. “It introduced me to the world of rock and metal.

“I grew up in a house that was filled with hip-hop, R&B and gospel,” she said. “Thanks to ‘Guitar Hero,’ I loved bands like Nirvana, who I discovered when I was 12 years old. Nirvana’s music fit my angsty mood.”

It didn’t take long for Williams to master “Guitar Hero 2,” and she took the next logical step.

“I asked for a guitar and my parents bought one for me and it was just awesome,” Williams said.

After playing power chords for a year on her electric guitar, Williams picked up an acoustic six-string and it felt right. At that point Williams put her clarinet, which she played in the school band, down and focused on the guitar.

“I started by learning the Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ and I never looked back,” Williams said. “The acoustic guitar was my instrument.”

Williams and her guitar were akin to Linus and his blanket throughout her teen years. However, there is a “Guitar Hero” effect. The instrumental recording artist plays the guitar on her lap and taps at the strings, which is just how she played the joystick.

“How I handle the guitar goes back to the ‘Guitar Hero’ days when I would just put the controller down and hit the buttons,” she said. “It made sense for me to handle the guitar in the same manner.”

Williams, who will perform a Mission Creek Festival concert Friday, April 7, 2023, at Riverside Theatre in Iowa City, studied music composition at New York University, and has been a professional musician since graduating in 2017.

“Unwind,” her 2018 debut album, is full of soothing, wistful and atmospheric songs. However, “Urban Driftwood,” her latest album, is an ambitious, surprising and melodic production. Such lovely compositions as “Swift Breeze” and “Through the Woods” are gentle and elegant tracks.

Pandemic effect

Her latest tunes were crafted during the pandemic — a period where she almost gave up on her career.

“It was an extremely weird time,” Williams said. “All of my shows were canceled and I didn’t know what to do, so I almost quit music entirely. I was wondering if I should just get another job.”

Williams explored opportunities in computer science but her parents convinced her to stay with her art.

“My mother and father talked me out of moving in another direction when I was not in a good head space,” she said. “I was sitting around and thinking about things too much, and then they said the right things to me. I owe them everything.

“They encouraged me from the start, and they were out there during my first school talent show when I played John Butler’s ‘Ocean.’ I ended up finishing second during that contest.”

Williams, who is a big fan of fellow acoustic guitarists Leo Kottke and Kaki King, can’t imagine changing careers.

“This is it for me,” she said. “After making this album, my mindset is where it needs to be. I’m excited about the future.”

A new album, yet to be titled, will drop in autumn.

“I’m happily working on fresh material and I look forward to playing new places,” Williams said.

Iowa City scene

She has yet to set foot in Iowa.

“That's part of the reason I’m excited about the Mission Creek Festival,” she said. “I’ve never been to Iowa. I’m wondering what it’s about. I can’t wait to check out the cocktail bar scene. I love making cool drinks and ordering them.

“I’m looking forward to hanging out. I hear Iowa City is pretty cool, and I’ll finally get to experience it.”