Willie Watson on Country Music News International Radio Show!

November 8th interviewed by Nigel Sharpe for Country Music News International Radio Show

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Willie Watson: The Folksinger Who Found His Own Voice

Willie Watson, born William Currie Watson in upstate New York, has spent three decades navigating the currents of American traditional music. While he is instantly recognizable to many as a co-founder of the seminal string band Old Crow Medicine Show, his journey—marked by a deep appreciation for the folk canon, a significant artistic split, and a hard-won transition to writing his own songs—tells a profound story of creative evolution and self-reckoning.

The Foundation: Old Crow Medicine Show and the Old-Time Revival

Watson’s profound connection to folk music was forged not just in scene, but in a revelatory moment in an apple orchard in upstate New York in 1997. As a restless high-school dropout facing his first heartbreak, he met a man named Ruby Love who possessed a deep knowledge of the American folk songbook. Singing songs like “Worried Man Blues” and “Tennessee Waltz” that night was, for Watson, the first time music felt like a way to make sense of his life. Within months of this foundational encounter, he met the musicians with whom he would co-found Old Crow Medicine Show (OCMS).

OCMS, obsessed with pre-war string band and jug band music, began busking, famously being discovered by Doc Watson in Boone, North Carolina. Doc Watson’s immediate praise—”Boys, that was some of the most authentic old-time music I’ve heard in a long while”—cemented their path. Willie Watson’s role was pivotal; as a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, harmonica) and powerful vocalist, he helped revitalize this traditional American sound for a new generation, achieving mainstream success, notably with the platinum-selling song “Wagon Wheel.”

However, after nearly two decades as one of OCMS’s main creative forces, Watson departed in 2011. This separation was born from a desire to pursue a sound that remained authentic to the roots of folk music, signaling a need for a more personal, stripped-down direction.

The Solo Years: The Interpreter and the Collaborator

Following his departure, Watson embarked on a solo career, initially focusing on his strengths as a powerful interpreter of traditional songs. This led to his first two solo albums, Folk Singer, Vol. 1 (2014) and Folksinger, Vol. 2 (2017). Both were produced by his long-time friend and collaborator David Rawlings (Gillian Welch’s musical partner), highlighting Watson’s commanding vocals and intricate fingerpicking on guitar and banjo. These records cemented his reputation as a dedicated folksinger, one who could make the “old songs sound fresher,” continuing the legacy of the American folk songbook.

Beyond his albums, Watson became a respected figure in the broader Americana and folk community, frequently touring with the Dave Rawlings Machine. He also ventured into acting, appearing in the Coen Brothers’ film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), where his performance of the Oscar-nominated song “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings,” alongside Tim Blake Nelson, brought his talent to a wider audience.

Finding His Name: The Debut of the Songwriter

The most significant chapter in Watson’s career began in 2024 with the release of his self-titled album, Willie Watson. Though it was his third solo LP, he considers it his true debut because, for the first time, it featured his own original songs. After decades of diligently interpreting the songbook, he finally felt he had “lived and lost and simply witnessed enough” to sing his own stories.

Self-Reckoning and Sobriety

This transition was intensely personal, born from a need to shed the excess of hard living that nearly broke him in his 30s. After the dissolution of relationships, Watson slowly got sober. He recognized that the shift needed to be more than just abstinence; it had to prompt deep change and growth. He wanted to force himself into challenging, uncomfortable situations, which motivated the creation of these nine songs—the only album he ever felt deserved to bear his name.

The songs emerged from a process begun in 2020 with co-writer Morgan Nagler, an actress and songwriter. Their collaborative method involved discussing an idea, sitting in silence, and then scratching away at it separately, often with Watson “wriggling around on a couch, as if wrestling with his past”. The resulting tracks are profoundly honest and potent, using his deep understanding of the old folk lexicon to craft his new entries.

Track Highlights and Vulnerability

Working with producers Kenneth Pattengale and Gabe Witcher (Milk Carton Kids and Punch Brothers, respectively), Watson assembled a modest ensemble, carefully ensuring the band served as a frame beneath the songs, rather than a distraction.

• “Reap ’em in the Valley” acts as the transfixing finale, a talking-gospel masterpiece that recounts the foundational 1997 apple orchard rendezvous with Ruby Love.
• “Real Love” harkens back to rural New York, opening himself up to the wreckage that comes with falling for someone for the first time, resolute despite the pain.
• “Already Gone” is a devastatingly elegant survey of the damage left behind by bad choices, with the line: “There’s no hearts to break here. They’re already gone.”
• “Slim and the Devil,” a witty acoustic opener, is an adaptation of the Sterling A. Brown poem “Slim Greer in Hell,” serving as a sly contemplation of the meaningless deals we make to endure. Watson aimed to honor the Black poet, stating, “history has told me that all the people in his position have been robbed by white folk artists and completely cast aside.”

Watson has finally stepped out from behind the “costume” of the traditional folksinger, proving to himself and others that he is a bona fide songwriter dealing with the difficulties of his past to suggest a renewed future.

Style and Authenticity

Willie Watson’s commitment to authenticity extends beyond his music to his visual presentation. He possesses a distinctive style, often favoring vintage workwear and traditional Americana aesthetics—a look that mirrors the timeless quality of his sound. His interest in clothing led him to create his own line, the Willie Watson Manufacturing Co., reflecting his deep appreciation for craftsmanship and the stories woven into both fabric and song. This seamless blend of visual and auditory aesthetic reinforces his identity as an artist focused on honesty, imperfection, and the enduring beauty of traditional forms.