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“Every audience has a regional vibe [that’s] wonderful,” said musician Dar Williams. “I've learned that in the United Kingdom, oftentimes they are laughing and appreciating a concert – on the inside. After the concert is when I find out I haven't bombed. Irish audiences have been so demonstrative and generous. I told an audience in Dublin that I couldn't do an encore because I'd just caught my family's stomach bug and had to throw up. They applauded with gusto. Canadian audiences appreciate every kind of humor. New England is very different from the Bay Area, too! You can really feel it. These have been my general experiences.” Williams’ latest album "Hummingbird Highway" is a cohesive collection of songs that celebrate the everyday moments at home, and when she’s on the road touring. This interview with the New York resident was edited for length and clarity.

Q: Was “Tu Sais Le Printemps” from your new album influenced by any time you’ve spent in France?

A: I'm positive that any time in France will stay with you forever. Back in 2002, our honeymoon was morning coffee, a couple of museums, long dinners and about 10 miles of walking every day across bridges, around cathedrals and through ornate flower gardens. But you don't have to go to Paris to know the effect that spring can have on memory and inhibition.

Q: Why did you decide to include a few French phrases in the song?

A: There is a beautiful photo of French defiance that I saw in 2016. It was of three lacy bras, blue, white and red, hanging from a wrought iron balcony. Romance is so important. Originally the whole song was in French, but alas, high school-level aptitude was insuffisant, one might say.

Q: Do you speak French or any other languages besides English?

A: I've been a diligent Spanish app learner for three years, and I remember having enough French to tell a drunk teenager on a boat that he had to get to an upper deck because of the gas fumes. I thought, “Enough French to be helpful. I'll take it.” That said, I told an audience in Paris that my babysitter had pants with many corridors.

Q: How do you maintain your health when you tour?

A: I have a long list of ways to stay healthy – sleep, water, stretching, hand-washing – and a long list of things to do when you're unfortunately sick [that includes] lemon water, ibuprofen, apple cider vinegar shots, lowering the keys to every song! My life changed when I learned that reducing inflammation is key. I feel like turmeric supplements cut my illnesses down to an eighth of what they'd been in number and duration.

Q: Do you work on songs when you’re traveling?

A: I love walking through a museum, thinking my thoughts, then getting a coffee and working on a song. I also love being at home with my guitar and messing around with different chords to jumpstart things. The best is when songs just come up in daily life.

Q: Do you have any upcoming trips planned?

A: We have a national tour for Hummingbird Highway from the winter through spring of 2026, and then I'm off to the UK and Ireland for the first time since 2018.

Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A: I've started looking for new trails that are close to my house. My touring life is all about loving the rest of the world. My non-touring weekends are about discovering my own turf.

Q: What are your five favorite cities?

A: Montreal, Edinburgh, London, Berkeley and Pittsburgh.

Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?

A: In 1999, I drove up to Montreal to finish writing songs for “The Green World.” I did all the things. I went to museums, drank coffee, walked through every neighborhood … and had nothing song-wise. But I was very alone and on my own time, which I loved, and it was like I let the whole city soak into me. Lo and behold, near the end of the trip, I started or finished about half the songs for the album. It was amazing, and that was only the beginning of my love story with Montreal.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist. You can reach her at www.jaehakim.com, follow her on Instagram and X @goawaywithjae, or read more from her on Substack (jaehakim.substack.com).)

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