Chris Williams & Kid Reverie

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Press Kit

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Latest Release

“Haunt Me”

Out Now

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Press Release

Chris Williams & Kid Reverie Explore Power and Perspective on Cinematic New Single “White Collar”

Chris Williams and Kid Reverie return with “White Collar,” a sweeping indie-folk composition that unfolds like a quiet protest rising into a chorus of collective awareness. Built around stark piano, cinematic strings, and a mass choir that grows from whisper to roar, the song explores the fragile architecture of wealth, ego, and distance from the ground below.

The track opens in near silence with the creak of a bench beneath a late-1800s upright piano. Kid Reverie’s Steve Varney plays urgent sixteenth-note chords while eerie operatic voices drift through the stereo field like coded signals forecasting something imminent before dissolving into the ether.

One by one instruments arrive — bass, violin, cello, and lilting drums — forming a foundation beneath Varney’s fragile but determined vocal.

“There’s a target on your back, there’s power you’ll never have.”

The lyric draws a line between those who command the heights and those watching from below. Small details sharpen the critique:

“There’s a wrinkle in your suit, did nobody tell you?”
“They spelled your name wrong yesterday.”

Heavy bass and drums push forward as tension builds while strings circle and climb. Chris Williams’ harmonies enter like a hopeful whisper as violin and cello whirl around the arrangement and angelic voices gather behind them.

The emotional center arrives in a striking call-and-response chorus.

“Go and fly on your plane,” Varney sings.

From below comes the collective reply:

“We’ll wait on the ground.”

The exchange grows larger with each repetition until voices converge into a bellowing choir, confronting the spectacle of wealth and distance from the perspective of those beneath it.

“So high we can’t read your name.”
“We’ll wait on the ground.”

Then suddenly the arrangement collapses.

Drums, voices, violin, cello, and acoustic guitars screech to a halt before the solitary upright piano returns, ushering in a solemn rock-driven outro beneath angelic strings and choir — a moment filled with hope, melancholy, and sharpened perception.

“White Collar” ultimately feels less like protest than observation — a meditation on the widening distance between power and those left watching from the ground below.

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About the Collaboration

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Chris Williams (Wilmington, NC) and Steve Varney—recording as Kid Reverie (Boulder, CO)—connected serendipitously in 2020 through a shared love of the banjo. What began as informal lessons quickly evolved into songwriting sessions, eventually leading to a full-length album created entirely through remote collaboration during the pandemic.

That record, Something from Nothing (2023), marked a rare meeting of two distinct musical voices—Williams’ folk-rooted songwriting and Varney’s textured, exploratory production approach. The album was co-written, co-produced, and largely self-performed by the duo, revealing a creative partnership built on trust, curiosity, and restraint.

Their new material builds on that foundation while pushing further. For the first time, Williams traveled to Colorado to record in person with Varney at The Blasting Room Studios in Fort Collins, alongside producer Andrew Berlin. The sessions allowed for more spontaneity, expanded arrangements, and a shift in songwriting balance.

“With the first album, I was helping Chris finish his songs,” Varney explains.

“On this collection, he did that for me. It feels more collaborative on the songwriting front.”

Selected Discography

"Haunt Me" Single (2026)

"Strawberry Moon" Single (2026)

“Bees” — Single (2025)

Something from Nothing — Album (2023)

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About Chris Williams

Raised near Greensboro, North Carolina, Chris Williams grew up immersed in bluegrass, traveling to festivals with his father, a multi-instrumentalist. He learned banjo at an early age and absorbed a wide range of influences—from New Grass Revival and Bela Fleck to jazz and Americana—before stepping away from music for several years.

Following his father’s passing in 2007, Williams returned to songwriting with renewed focus. His solo albums The Farewell Tour (2019) and To Be Determined (2020) reflect a deep engagement with melody, lyrical nuance, and genre-blurring arrangements.

“I’m trying to be true to myself and articulate my truths,” Williams says.

“I listen deeply to other artists, but only to help express my own voice more clearly.”

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About Kid Reverie

Kid Reverie is the project of songwriter, producer, and banjoist Steve Varney, longtime collaborator and touring guitarist for Gregory Alan Isakov. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Varney introduced Kid Reverie in 2018 with a self-titled release that balanced intimacy and experimentation.

Across albums and singles, Kid Reverie has explored a wide emotional and sonic range, guided by Varney’s early training in piano, his grounding in traditional instrumentation, and an ongoing fascination with texture and form. His work is marked by patience, curiosity, and an openness to collaboration.