“Life’s a stage,” says Brooklyn-bred, New Orleans-based Renaissance woman Cole Williams. Since moving here, she’s become a local staple. She models, DJs at WWOZ, is active in a number of community projects and makes genre-bending, soulful music. Her signature sound is based around a powerful, fluid voice that slides easily between styles, flirting with rock, blues and reggae but never falling fully into a single box. She was nominated for Best Female Vocalist at the 2017 Best of the Beat Awards and her local presence continues to grow.

On Wednesday, Mar. 14 at 10 p.m., Williams will kick off a residency at Maple Leaf Bar (8316 Oak St.), performing with zydeco legend  Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and his band, Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots. Tickets are $10 at the door. Williams and the Sunspots will reunite on Saturday, Mar. 31 at 9 p.m. for Williams’ long-running African Rock Saturdays residency at Marigny Brasserie (640 Frenchmen St.).

Don’t miss these exciting sets, and be sure to check out Williams’ latest single, “Free,” below and streaming now on Soundcloud.