IV & the Strange

“Patience is a virtue.” Those words are tattooed across Coleman Williams’ right arm, forever reminding the alternative-country singer/songwriter of the benefits of takingone’s time.The lesson wasn’t always so clear. As the great-grandson of HankWilliams Sr., grandson of Hank Williams Jr., and only son of Hank 3, Coleman spent years waging an internal battle with the expectations thrust upon him by his own lineage. He represented the fourth generation of country music’s most legendary family—hence his nickname, “IV”—and the pressure to launch his own career was enormous. Although Coleman would eventually make his mark with Southern Circus—the genre-bending debut from his band, IV and the Strange Band, combining southern storytelling and country textures with 100-watt guitar amps and DIY attitude—he needed to break free first and discover his own musical approach along the way.