Old Crow Medicine Show Co-Founder Willie Watson Confirms Debut Solo Album & Coast-To-Coast Tour

Old Crow Medicine Show co-founder Willie Watson detailed his self-titled debut solo album, arriving on September 13 via Little Operation Records/Thirty Tigers. The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist also shared the single, “Real Love” and North American Fall Tour dates.

While Watson’s musical skills have appeared on OCMS albums, films by the Cohen Brothers and collaborations with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, John Prine, John C. Reilly and Watkins Family Hour, Willie Watson marks the musician’s first solo album of original material.

A debut album is a milestone, but for Watson, releasing the new record was also an achievement in a different sense.

“After 30 years of playing music professionally – this is my debut album,” Watson stated. “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 captured the new album in Los Angeles with producers Gabe Witcher (Punch Brothers) and Kenneth Pattengale (Milk Carton Kids). He assembled an all-star band for the record 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 Sami Braman on fiddle.

The first listen from Willie Watson is the single “Real Love.”

“’Real Love’ is a love song I wrote for my wife,” Watson said. “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.”

Watch the Joseph Wasilewski-directed music video for “Real Love” below featuring Willie and his wife Mindy slow dancing through significant locales in their life together:

Willie Watson has a busy tour schedule on the horizon including dates supporting Old Crow Medicine Show. Watson also announced solo North American Fall Tour dates around the new album. Among the stops are Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Seattle, Vancouver, Denver, Kansas City, Nashville and New York City.

Tickets for the fall dates go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 21 at 10 a.m. local.

Willie Watson Tracklist:

1. Slim and the Devil
2. Real Love
3. Already Gone
4. Sad Songs
5. One To Fall
6. Harris and the More
7. Mole in the Ground
8. Play It One More Time
9. Reap ’em in the Valley