Wayne Hancock || IV and The Strange Band

“Patience is a virtue.” Those words, tattooed on Coleman Williams’ right arm, remind the alternative-country singer/songwriter of the power of taking his time. As the great-grandson of Hank Williams Sr., grandson of Hank Williams Jr., and son of Hank 3, Coleman, known as “IV,” felt immense pressure to carry on the family legacy. He battled those expectations before finding his own path with Southern Circus, the debut album from his band, IV and the Strange Band.

 

“Before I even knew who I was, people were expecting things of me,” Coleman says. “But singing about a bloodline didn’t appeal to me. I wasn’t interested in fitting into an existing shadow.” Instead, he found solace in Nashville’s underground scene, where he championed the house-show circuit as a teenager, finally feeling a sense of belonging among artists who valued principles over pedigrees.

 

Coleman left Nashville after high school, traveling across America and developing diverse musical tastes. Over the next decade, he became a history buff, poet, and educator, all while refining his unique sound—a blend of amplified and acoustic music that defines Southern Circus. Producer Jason Dietz and musicians from various backgrounds joined Coleman in creating an album that fuses southern storytelling with rock and roll grit.

In 2021, Coleman debuted with “Son of Sin,” the first single from IV and the Strange Band. “I like to say, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stranger,'” he explains. “The most genuine people are those who allow themselves to be the weirdos they truly are.”

 

Southern Circus reflects Coleman’s journey, with songs like “Inbred,” “Malice,” and “Drinking Sad” exploring themes of hypocrisy, discord, and outlaw country. “PT Barnum always said, ‘The clowns are the heart of the circus,'” Coleman notes. “I feel like I’m the clown of this southern circus.”

 

Southern Circus is Coleman’s homecoming, an album that honors his family’s legacy while establishing his own. To create it, he had to leave home, explore new sounds, and challenge expectations. The result is a powerful statement from an artist who’s not just inheriting a legacy—he’s earning it.