A.A. Williams signed to Reigning Phoenix Music, and drops new single “Just a Shadow"
Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) proudly announces the signing of acclaimed singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist A.A. Williams, whose work blends haunting melody with a distinctly heavy edge. This marks a powerful new chapter in the artist’s evolution. To inaugurate the partnership, Williams unveils her new single Just A Shadow, a work of stark intimacy and emotional gravity.
Just A Shadow descends into the quiet ache between light and dark, where Williams’ evocative voice becomes both a confession and a companion. It is an elegy for the self you cannot escape, a meditation on the beauty and terror of one’s own reflection. Rather than banishing the darkness, Williams meets it with open eyes in an act of understanding, an embrace of what shapes us, scars us, and ultimately helps define us.
In Williams’ own words: “‘Just A Shadow’ is an ode to the darkness inside. A part of you since you can remember, a cruel friend lurking just outside of view. A presence that you’ve accepted, its familiarity brings cold comfort. You’ve tried to resist it and step into the light, but you’re scared that you’re nothing without the dark.”
The new single appears alongside a striking animated video by Costin Chioreanu, which you can watch below:
RPM co-founder Gerardo Martinez celebrates both the new release and the label’s partnership with Williams: “A.A. WILLIAMS is one of the most compelling voices in contemporary music. She is unafraid to explore vulnerability with a rare poetic depth. We’re honored to welcome her to the RPM family, and ‘Just A Shadow’ is a stunning introduction to what we’ll build together.”
Just A Shadow lands before her highly anticipated 2026 UK and EU tour. The tour kicks off on the 27th January in Norwich and continues across the UK and Europe through March 7. Tickets are available now HERE.
Having made her debut live appearance at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands off the back of a self-titled EP, A.A. Williams has since toured across the globe with the likes of CULT OF LUNA, EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, RUSSIAN CIRCLES, SLEEP TOKEN and THE SISTERS OF MERCY, as well as establishing herself as a headline artist - including a show at the iconic Queen Elizabeth Hall inside London’s Southbank Centre.
Standout festival appearances have dovetailed with two album releases - 2020’s “Forever Blue” and 2022’s “As The Moon Rests”, which both received widespread critical acclaim and put A.A. Williams firmly in the slipstream of the wave of female vocalists taking textured, epic, and folk-rooted heavy music into new and progressive directions. A BBC session at the legendary Maida Vale Studios only bolstered Williams’ credentials.
Not one to rest on her laurels, she has also released a selection of ‘companion pieces’ - a collaborative single with Japanese post-rock titans MONO (“Exit In Darkness”); a solo covers collection recorded during 2020’s pandemic lockdown — “Songs From Isolation” — that garnered praise from THE CURE’s Robert Smith and SMASHING PUMPKINS' Billy Corgan for her unique take on their original songs; and perhaps most impressively, 2021’s arco saw the multi-instrumentalist completely rework her debut EP from rock instrumentation to a string ensemble, utilising her classical training and arrangement skills to stunning effect.
With new label partner Reigning Phoenix Music, 2026 will serve as a major milestone for A.A. Williams.
