Country Music Star Sets Solo Album After Leaving His Band: Old Crow Medicine Show's Willie Watson Announces Self-Titled LP

Old Crow Medicine Show co-founder Willie Watson has left the band to embark on a solo music career.

By Stephen Andrew

Country music star Willie Watson has set a release date for his debut solo album, after leaving his band, Old Crow Medicine Show, most famous for their song "Wagon Wheel." This week, Watson announced that his self-titled LP will drop on September 13th.

Along with the new album announcement, Watson — who helped found Old Crow Medicine Show in the late '90s — also released the first single, "Real Love," and its accompanying video, directed by Joseph Wasilewski. The video follows Willie and his wife Mindy as they slow dance through significant places in their relationship. 

"'Real Love' is a love song I wrote for my wife," Watson said in a press release. "It kinda turned out to be the story of my life and it's clear now that she's standing in the center of everything. We've been looking for each other for a long time and now we can't even remember all the struggle it took to get here."

"After 30 years of playing music professionally – this is my debut album," Watson added. "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."

Watson recorded his debut album in Los Angeles with producers Gabe Witcher (Punch Brothers) and Kenneth Pattengale (Milk Carton Kids) and with a crack band of players including 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 massive talent Sami Braman on fiddle. 

Next month, Watson will head out on a major North American tour running through December, after first playing the The Trails End Music Festival in June. A full list of tour dates is below, with the bulk of them on sale Friday, June 21st at 10AM local. Find tickets here.

TOUR DATES:
June 28-29 – Etna, CA – The Trails End Music Festival 
July 18 – Exeter, NH – The Word Barn  
July 19 – Portland, ME – State Theater *
July 20 – Trumansberg, NY – Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival  
July 23 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena 
July 25 – Burlington, VT – Nectar's  
July 26 – Hiram, ME – Ossipee Valley Music Festival  
Aug 22 – Salt Spring Island, BC – Pitchfork Social  
Aug 23 – Victoria, BC – The Orillia Street Music Hall  
Sept 21 – Lyons, CO – Planet Bluegrass 
Sept 25 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theater  
Sept 28 – Lexington, KY – The Burl 
Sept 29 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark  
Oct 1 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-Fi Annex 
Oct 2 – Evanston, IL – SPACE 
Oct 4 – Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House 
Oct 5 – Green Lake, WI – Thrasher Opera House 
Oct 6 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota  
Oct 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Pico Union Project 
Nov 1 – Felton, CA – Felton Music Hall  
Nov 2 – Petaluma, CA – Mystic Theater & Music Hall 
Nov 3 – Berkeley, CA – Freight & Salvage  
Nov 6 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern  
Nov 7 – Bellingham, WA – Wild Buffalo  
Nov 8 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios 
Nov 9 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret  
Nov 11 – Missoula, MT – Top Hat Lounge  
Nov 12 – Bozeman, MT – The Rialto  
Nov 15 – Fort Collins, CO – The Coast 
Nov 16 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall  
Nov 19 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads
Nov 20 – St Louis, MO – The Pageant *  
Nov 21 – Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom West *
Nov 22 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater *
Nov 23 – Iowa City, IA – Hancher Auditorium *
Dec 3 – Nashville, TN – Basement East  
Dec 4 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle Music Hall  
Dec 6 – Washington DC – Union Stage  
Dec 7 – Charlottesville, Va – The Southern
Dec 8 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall  
Dec 10 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair  
Dec 12 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom 
Dec 13 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios  
Dec 14 – Ithaca, NY – Hangar Theatre 

* supporting Old Crow Medicine Show

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