Spotify sensation R.LUM.R., with SeanFresh, to play Stickyz

It's a Friday in late January and Reggie Williams is doing laundry.

The Nashville, Tenn.-based singer-songwriter had been in Chicago and Los Angeles, writing songs, and is back home for a few days before hitting the road on a tour that will take him and his intoxicating blend of soul, pop and electronica to Stickyz Rock 'n' Roll Chicken Shack for a Saturday show. Little Rock's SeanFresh will open.

Recording under the name R.LUM.R (say "R Lamar" -- it's a combination of his first and middle names), Williams has been persistently making his way up. His debut EP, Afterimage, was released by PRMD music in 2017 and a 2016 single, "Frustrated," included on Afterimage, has been streamed more than 31,000,000 times on Spotify alone. In August, he performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

"It was more than I expected it to be," he says of his appearance on the show. "Everything was so smooth. It's a well-oiled machine. I wanted for nothing. It was awesome. I grew up watching bands play on Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien and never in my wildest dreams did I entertain that I would be there so quickly."

He'd better get used to it, because he will likely return to the late night shows.

Williams, 28, grew up in Bradenton, Fla., listening to his mother's soul records. By junior high, he'd discovered Linkin Park and prog rock group Coheed & Cambria.

"They made me want to start writing songs and play guitar," he says of the latter. He was also taken under the spell of King Crimson and krautrock groups, which play an experimental style of rock music influenced by 1970s-era German groups.

He studied classical guitar and Japanese at Florida State University and began recording as Reggie Williams. He switched to the R.LUM.R moniker in 2013 and moved to Nashville in 2015.

"Frustrated," with its '80s synth opening and electronica-inspired percussion, is also a showcase for Williams' vocals, which range from a soulful croon to a heavenly falsetto. Rarely has a song about self-doubt and confusion been so satisfying.

Afterimage, it should be noted, is more than just "Frustrated." "Love Less" and "Suddenly" are both pleasing doses of cool, indie-soul pop. It makes one anxious to hear a full-length album, though Williams is coy about a specific date for a new album.

"I'm writing toward [a new LP]. I definitely have more stuff coming out," he says.

In the meantime, there's the tour with bandmates, keyboardist Mitch Snyder and drummer Garrett Tyler, that will have him in America for the next few weeks before a trip to play dates in Europe and then back to the states for the summer festivals.

"You've got to keep moving," he says. "It's 2018. Time to hit it."

Right after the laundry is done.

Weekend on 02/01/2018