The former founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show has been a part of numerous musical projects, soundtracks, and films across three decades and is now set to release his debut solo album of original material, “Willie Watson” on September 13th via Little Operation Records.
Today, the singer-songwriter, poet, actor and multi-instrumentalist has released superb new single “Slim and The Devil” and accompanying lyric video. Follow-up to recent track “Real Love”.
“Slim and the Devil” is an adaptation of the Sterling A. Brown poem, “Slim Greer in Hell” – The story of a Faustian bargain made with St. Peter at the pearly gates in exchange for one more earthly adventure. A contemplation of the meaningless deals we make to endure when we all know what’s inevitable.
The track follows Watson’s recent announcement of his first-ever solo album of original material, recorded in Los Angeles with producers Gabe Witcher (Punch Brothers) and Kenneth Pattengale (Milk Carton Kids), and with a crack band of players.
These include Paul Kowert on bass (Punch Brothers), Dylan Day on guitar (Jenny Lewis, Nick Hakim), Benmont Tench on keys (The Heartbreakers), Jason Boesel on drums (Bright Eyes, Jenny Lewis), and new talent Sami Braman on fiddle.
The collection of songs is an unadorned reflection of Watson’s life, his mistakes, his traumas, and his gratitude to still be here, to still be alive, and to still be loved. he says: “After 30 years of playing music professionally – this is my debut album. This record is me beating the devil, or the story of what finally did it anyway. I didn’t make any specific pact or anything, but I know we’ve been tangled up most of my life. Now that he’s gone I can love myself again”.
“I was disgusted by the imagery of white nationalists taking over the streets of Charlottesville. I pulled a book of poems off the shelf called ‘The Black Poets’ and the first page I opened was Sterling Brown’s poem ‘Slim Greer In Hell’. The story is second to the honour aimed at the poet himself because history has told me that all the people in his position have been robbed by white folk artists and completely cast aside.”
Willie Watson has spent most of his musical career as a favorite of musicians in the know, including Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, John Prine, John C. Reilly, Sara and Sean Watkins and many more.
Willie Watson was born and raised in upstate New York and as a teenager, Watson and Ketch Secor co-founded Old Crow Medicine Show – a group of remarkable players obsessed with early American traditional music. He remained in the band as one of its main creative forces until he departed in 2011.
Watson appeared in Joel and Ethan Cohen’s “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” in the role of The Kid and also as a part of the soundtrack, performing with Tim Blake Nelson on the Oscar-nominated “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings.” He also appears on the soundtracks for the Coen Brothers “Hail, Caesar!” and “Live By Night.” Watson previously released two albums of covers, “Folk Singer Vol.1” and “Folksinger Vol 2.
Photo: Hayden Shieber
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