Dale Watson is an undeniable outlaw country original and widely recognized as one of the most important independent voices keeping traditional country music alive. Over the course of his career, he has released more than thirty albums, each one a testament to his enduring, larger than life persona and his relentless authenticity in the face of whatever latest fad country music might be coming at him with.
Whether it’s honky-tonk, outlaw country, western swing or rockabilly he’s playing, his signature “Ameripolitan” sound has earned him the status of a genuine living legend and the kind of rule breaking traditionalist that has blazed a trail for artists like Joshua Hedley, Brennen Leigh and Charley Crockett to break their own rules and rail against the homogenous mainstream.
Today the celebrated country crooner gives us the first taste of his forthcoming album with his rockabilly tribute to three of life’s great W’s, ‘Willie, Waylon and Whiskey,’ as he announces his new full-length entitled, Unwanted, for 24 April on 40 Below Records.
“This song was written on stage in San Antonio at the Lonesome Rose Bar,” Watson shared about the song. “Inspired by a large man standing in front of me all night because he was wearing a shirt that simply said Willie Waylon and Whiskey. I asked if it was a band name or a song name and he just said, ‘No, I just saw it in Walmart and liked it.’ Well, I liked it too, so I wrote the song on the spot. I knew it would be a keeper when by the second time the chorus came around the entire crowd was singing it with me.”
Listen to ‘Willie, Waylon and Whiskey’ below
Over 30 years on from 1995’s Cheatin’ Heart Attack, that critically-acclaimed debut record whose success convinced him to abandon a backup career in motorcycle repair, and regularly playing more than 300 shows a year, his new album is a raw, rowdy honky tonk record, recorded in Austin and Memphis — two cities that have always lived large in Watson’s history — and fueled by the heartaches, hard-won lessons, and high-speed thrills of a life largely logged on the road.
Joined in the studio by his regular backing band, The Lonestars, solo artist Celine Lee, The Memphians (his go-to collaborators in Memphis, where he also runs the Wat-Sun Studio and the music venue Hernando’s Hideaway), Asleep at the Wheel’s Katie Shore, celebrated pianist (and Grammy-nominated Willie Nelson collaborator) Matt Hubbard, and others, Dale Watson is once again the booming voiced ringmaster of the wildest circus in town.
Presave ‘Willie, Waylon and Whiskey’ here. Unwanted will be released on 24 April via 40 Below Records. Preorder the album here and click here for Dale Watson’s latest tour dates.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source holler.country ’
