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Austin,
TX: Dubbed "the silver pompadoured, baritone beltin', Lone Star beer
drinkin', honky-tonk hellraiser" by The Austin
Chronicle, Austin's hometown hero Dale
Watson is announcing the release of his new studio album, Call Me Insane. The album was recorded in
Austin with veteran producer Lloyd
Maines (Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff Walker) and will be released on June
9 in North America via Red
House/Ameripolitan Records on CD, digital, and vinyl. Watson is the
torchbearer for "real" country music and has christened his brand of American
roots music “Ameripolitan” to differentiate it from the current crop of
Nashville-based pop country. Embracing Honky-tonk, Outlaw, Texas Swing and
Rockabilly, Dale is a direct musical descendent of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings,
Merle Haggard and all the great Texas roots artists. Dale’s song “I
Lie When I Drink” was featured on NPRs All Songs Considered’s podcast of SxSW
artists that they're excited to see and Dale has a full SxSW schedule, including
an appearance TONIGHT on ABC’s
Jimmy Kimmel Live from SxSW when he’ll join
the JKL house band Cleto and the Cletones broadcasting live from SxSW. The show
will air this evening on ABC; check here for regional stations and air times: http://abc.go.com/shows/jimmy-kimmel-live. Dale will also MC
the first SxSW “Ameripolitan” showcase featuring the best of Rockabilly, Texas
Swing, Outlaw Country and Honky-tonk music. (Scroll down for a complete SxSW
schedule and tour dates.)
Album
highlights include “Jonesin’
For Jones,” a love song to the music of the legendary George Jones; “A
Day At A Time,” a song about "getting by by barely getting by"; “Call
Me Insane,” the album’s moody title track; “Bug
Ya For Love,” a fun warning to all the single ladies; “Mamas
Don’t Let Your Cowboys Grow Up To Be Babies” is the only cover song on the
album (written by Tony Joe White/Ed and Sally Bruce) and yes, it is an answer
song to the Waylon Jennings/Willie Nelson hit. “Crocodile
Tears” is a tear-in-your-beer country song that sounds like an instant
classic and “Burden
Of The Cross” reveals Watson’s serious side.
Call Me Insane was recorded in Austin by
Watson and his ace touring band, “His
Lone Stars”: Don Pawlak (pedal steel), Mike Bernal (drums & percussion),
and Chris Crepps (upright bass & background vocals). Dale plays electric
guitar throughout. They were joined in the studio by Danny Levin on piano, Jon
Blondell (trombone), Joey Colarusso (saxophone), and Ricky White (trumpet), aka
the Honky-tonk horn section. “Doing over 300 shows a year and a plethora of
recording projects through the years, the Lone Stars are a part of me as much as
my right hand, he says. "They know what I want them to play on my songs before I
even know.” Maines also added acoustic guitar as well as production
ideas.
“Having
known Lloyd over 20 years and worked with him as a musician, I knew he was
a great guy and picker," Watson says. "But having Lloyd produce your record is
like letting your mom in your kitchen. You know you gonna like what comes out
and it's amazing how such basic ingredients can be made even better. He is an
artists' artist.”
The
admiration is mutual. "I've been a Dale Watson fan since I played steel guitar
on some of his early records," Maines says of the sessions. "My early musical
influences are the same as Dale's. We both grew up playing 'real' country music.
Dale is one of a very short list of today's artists who still keeps it
'real country.' I'm honored that he asked me to produce his new record. I think
he knew that I would maintain the integrity of his passion for the
music."
Since
the release of El Rancho Azul in 2013, Watson’s profile has risen considerably
via appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS), PBS
series Austin City Limits and The Sun Sessions, and trading quips as a
guest on NPR’s Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me. A veteran touring
artist, he and His Lone Stars work hard, performing over 300 shows a year.
Watson also put his money where his heart is and took over ownership of two
struggling Texas honky-tonks, the Little Longhorn Saloon in Austin (home of
Chicken $#!+ Bingo) and The Big T Roadhouse in St. Hedwigs (outside San
Antonio). If not on the road, he and His Lone Stars perform at one of them each
Sunday. Already in 2015, Watson was part of The BADDEST of the BAD Tour with the
Reverend Horton Heat and has recorded segments for Sirius XM Outlaw Country, NPR’s Woodsongs Old Time
Radio Hour, Music City Roots, and NPR Mountain Stage. A national tour to
support the record’s release will begin in late June.
The
Alabama-born, Texas-raised Watson may be the hardest working entertainer today
and is rapidly approaching legendary status. He carries the weight of his love
for Ameripolitan music proudly on his shoulders and tirelessly spreads its
gospel. Call Me Insane is a well crafted
example of an artist at the top of his game, having fun with every living moment
of life’s experiences with a focus on that of the honky-tonks. It’s the
soundtrack of dance halls and beer joints - places Watson loves. But beware, he
lies when he drinks…
RECENT
KIND WORDS:
"I am Dale Watson's biggest fan." -
Willie Nelson
“Country music’s a crazy, gold-diggin’ whore, and Dale Watson
wants a divorce.” -
The Austin Chronicle
“Watson plays genuine roots music that would do
Hank proud. And Watson is proud to spread the word about keeping it real with
the Ameripolitan Music Awards, named after the term he coined to describe
American roots music. The awards recognize artists whose work hours roots
traditions without conforming to the current watered-down definitions of
‘country’ music.” -
KUTX
“Graced with a deep, fluid George Jones-ish voice,
Watson was mesmerizing, whether making fun of The Voice’s faux-country judge on
“Old Fart (Song For Blake)” or simmering through a train-chugging original such
as “My Baby Makes Me Gravy.” - The
Philadelphia Inquirer
“Nothing else is Dale Watson. In he strode in a long
black Cash-worthy coat with long leather cuffs and a tux shirt. His white hair
was ship’s prow, or perhaps a mighty iceberg. And his Telecaster guitar,
festooned with silver coins of every size and denomination, glinted in the
footlights. All through, Dale’s banter was loose and wry. His guitar tone was
just platonically perfect. And his band, notably Don Pawlak on pedal steel,
cohered into the very essence of country music.” - Music
City Roots
“To call Dale Watson’s music country is like calling
Ray Charles’ music soul ... both have an air of authenticity that transcends
genres and demands that they be put into a class of one. Ray Charles is gone,
but you can see Dale Watson…"-
The Troy Record
"...he proved that he is the real deal, and when it
comes to tradition, sometimes you can't get too much of a good thing."
- Country
Standard Time
"This songwriter prides himself on crafting
authentic, old-school country music, which he does quite masterfully. Watson
definitely nails the old-school country star persona." -
No Country For New Nashville
" He’s spent the past two decades proving there are
still powerful tales to be told from the honky-tonk pulpit, and he's brought
that message to the faithful.” -
The Nashville Scene
DALE
AT SXSW 2015:
WED
3/18
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) - taping from 4:30
pm to 7:30 pm; a limited number of tickets are available,
Austin,
TX @ The Saxon Pub/Ameripolitan Official SXSW Showcase - evening
Dallas
Wayne (8pm)
Earl
Poole Ball (8:35pm)
Rosie
Flores (9:10 pm)
Mark
Stuart (from The
Bastard Sons Of Johnny Cash - 9:45pm)
Ray
Benson (of Asleep
At The Wheel - 10:20pm)
Amber
Digby (10:55pm)
Jesse
Dayton (11:30pm)
Bill
Kirchen (12:05am)
Suzy
Boggus (12:40am) - doing a set of Merle Haggard songs backed by The Lone
Stars
Dale
Watson & His Lone Stars, (1:15am)
finale
w/anyone left standing (1:40am)
TH
3/19
Austin,
TX @ The Highball - 8pm
KDRP
Live At Mercado - 5pm
Austin,
TX @ Holy Mountain/Atomic Music Group Official SXSW Showcase -
midnight
FR
3/20
Austin,
TX @ The Broken Spoke - 9:30pm
Atomic
Music Group Day Party @ C-Boys Heart & Soul- 3pm
Sirius
XM Outlaw Country w/Mojo Nixon - 5
pm
SA
3/21
Luckenbach,
TX @ Luckenbach Dance Hall - 12:30pm
Mason,
TX @ The Odeon Theater - 7pm
SU
3/22
Austin,
TX @ The Little Longhorn Saloon (Chicken $#!+ Bingo)
ABOUT
DALE WATSON
Dale
Watson is a honky tonk hero and country music maverick, a true outlaw
carrying on where Waylon
Jennings left off. A member of the Austin
Music Hall of Fame, he stands alongside Waylon Jennings, Willie
Nelson, and George
Strait as one of the finest country singers and songwriters from the Lone
Star State.
Although
Dale has made his name as a Texas artist, he actually was born in Alabama.
Moving to Houston as a teenager, his musical journey began right out of high
school as he started playing clubs and local honky-tonks. In 1988, it led him to
move to Los Angeles on the advice of rockabilly singer-guitarist Rosie
Flores. He played in the house band at the legendary Palomino
Club in Hollywood for a couple years and recorded a few singles before
moving to Nashville to write songs for a publishing company run by Gary
Morris (writer of such country/pop hits as “The Wind Beneath My Wings”).
Commercial country did not fit the fiercely independent songwriter so Dale
relocated to Austin, Texas where he got a record deal and wrote several songs
poking fun at the industry side of Nashville, including “Nashville Rash” from
his Hightone debut Cheatin’ Heart Attack and
“A Real Country Song” from his 1996 follow-up Blessed or Damned.
After
making three albums with Hightone, Dale released The Trucking Sessions on Koch Records in 1998. Including 14 original driving songs,
the album received high praise and caused critics to compare him to
chart-topping writer Red
Simpson, who was responsible for some of the most iconic trucking tunes in
country music.
Just
two years after this success, Dale’s fiancee died in a car accident. As
chronicled in the Zalman
King documentary Crazy Again (2006), he turned to drugs and
alcohol to cope with her loss and nearly died of an overdose. Dale then checked
himself into a mental institution and left a year later, releasing his tribute
album to her called Every Song I Write Is For
You (2001). After recording a few more
albums, he decided to take a break from touring and moved to Maryland to be
closer to his daughters.
Back
in Texas and on the road in 2006, Dale has been trucking ever since, touring
around the world and acting in films ( The Thing Called Love, On the Borderline), on
television ( Friday Night Lights) and most recently, on
stage in Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a southern
gothic musical by Stephen
King and John
Mellencamp . His rumbling baritone has also been heard on commercials for Shell, Monster.com and On
the Border Restaurants.
Dale
signed with Red House Records in 2011 to release his 20th album called The Sun Sessions. Hailed as “one of the best
country albums of the year” (Atlanta Journal
Constitution), it was recorded at Memphis’ legendary Sun
Studios with The
Texas Two (bassist Chris
Crepps and drummer Mike
Bernal) in the stripped-down style of Johnny Cash’s earliest recordings. He
followed this with El Rancho Azul, 14 fresh honky-tonk originals
about marriage, heartbreak and honkytonkin'.”
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