For the last decade, country duo Williams Honor has been writing and performing songs that tell stories.
Both born and raised in New Jersey, Gordon Brown and Reagan Richards knew they were songwriters from an early age and are now sharing their industry knowledge and musical expertise with a new generation of songwriters, ready to tell their own story.
Before forming the group, Brown and Richards had already put their personal stamp on the music industry, with their individual work and accolades extending into songwriting, performing, producing, and touring. But it’s their shared love of country music that ultimately brought the duo together.
“Both of us had a tremendous interest and connection to country music, and we both lived in Nashville at different times,” says Brown. “And as she and I both got back to Jersey, we met through a mutual friend. When we met, we started writing songs together, and then we formed Williams Honor.”
The group has since released two full-length albums, with their most recent single, “Whiskey Truck,” coming out this past summer. Now, in addition to their own bodies of work, Brown and Richards have teamed up with RiverJAM Music to be mentors for young songwriters embarking on music careers.
Founded by Meredith and Dan Kasun, RiverJAM Music is a New Jersey-based non-profit focused on the development of songwriters. The program provides mentorship for artists, as well as rehearsal space, production support, and industry exposure.
“We’re very proud to be associated with RiverJAM,” says Brown. “Meredith and Dan are doing something very special that, in our area, we have seen the need for, for a long time.”
“We wear [our hearts] on our sleeves, and we’re very proud of the fact that we’re songwriters, for obvious reasons,” says Richards. “And so now, to get to be partnered with RiverJAM and get to work with these young people, who are really serious about doing this—it’s very exciting.”
For Brown and Richards, the opportunity to work with up-and-coming songwriters is both an incredible gift and a significant responsibility.
“We’re not taking this lightly,” says Richards. “It’s songwriting—it’s fun, it’s creative, it’s music, but at the same time, we’re also talking about people’s hearts, their minds, everything about them. You’re taking on a whole entire person when you’re doing this with somebody. It’s not just putting words in a book and saying, ‘Ok, I’ll perform this, whatever.’ It’s taking on so much.”
Understanding firsthand the vulnerability involved in music and songwriting, Brown and Richards are devoted to cultivating an open and secure environment for all the artists who walk through their door.
“The biggest part of all this for creators is that what we’re offering is a sacred, safe space to create,” says Brown. “When somebody comes into the studio with me, that is sacred ground. It is literally the most important thing a creator could ever do: open their heart and try to put something out into the world that they’ll have to live with forever, and that they’ll want to live with forever.”
“This industry is not for the weak, that’s for sure,” adds Richards. “Anybody will tell you that. So, it’s really great when you have somebody you can trust, somebody you feel safe with, somebody that you just feel like you can call up or you can say, ‘Ok, I have this idea.’”
Speaking about their own dynamic and what, as mentors, they bring to the session room, Brown and Richards offer praise for one another, as their mutual respect and admiration remain at the core of their musical partnership.
“Gordon really speaks from the heart, first of all, but he speaks from experience in all different walks,” says Richards. “He’s still as passionate today as he was as a kid, and it’s definitely a great thing to be partnered with somebody like that. We really have a great relationship, in the sense that when it comes right down to it, we respect each other’s paths. We’re excited for the future, and are living for the present and what’s happening right now.”
Brown adds, “I’ve been in the room with Reagan when we’re writing with other people, and she lights it up for artists.” He continues, “She really lights it up and lets people see a side of themselves that can be playful, yet serious, yet introspective, all these things. It’s part of that safe haven. And to have those nuts and bolts for creatives—that sets people on their path.”
And when it comes to the career high points thus far, Brown and Richards say that there are far too many to count. But even still, they both agree that it all comes down to just being able to keep doing what they love.
“High points come any time you get to create,” says Richards. “When Gordon and I sit in a room, we have an idea, and it just takes off. He starts to produce that track, and we have a finished song, that is a massive high point.”
Coming up on January 7, 2026, Williams Honor will be performing at The Listening Room: Songs & Stories event, hosted by RiverJAM Music. The duo will join singer/songwriter James Maddox, as well as rock and roll icon Ricky Byrd, for an unforgettable night of music and storytelling.
“The songs that will be popping up that night will be really fun and very invigorating to the audience,” says Brown. “But, the connection that’s made with these types of shows…everyone starts playing with one another, and you kind of form a band by the end of the night. It really is a lot of fun to be a part of. But it’s also, most likely, a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration on stage that people get to experience, that they can take with them, and hopefully, they get a little piece of why we do this and some of the stories that go with it.”
Richards adds, “It’s an intimate audience, and we love the fact that people are coming to see these shows. […] When people come out to see something like that, that tells us a lot. That tells us people want to see the creative process; they want to be entertained. And so, that in itself is just an exciting thing, and it’s going to be a really, really fun show on January 7.”
Image taken from williamshonor.com / Interviewed on December 3, 2025
Leave a comment