Willie Watson Releases New Bluegrass Version of “Gallows Pole”

Singer-songwriter Willie Watson has released a new music video for his song “Gallows Pole”, which is actually a cover popularized by Lead Belly. The song has also been covered by Led Zeppelin. The video premiered on NPR Music earlier today. The video features Watson performing the song on top of a gorgeous forest-like setting, accompanied by a band and a few extra characters who sing the song with him.

“Gallows Pole” is from Willie Watson’s new album Folksinger Vol. 2, which is out now. Watson is also heading out on a long tour throughout America. Check out the track list and the the tour dates below.

“I’m not trying to prove any point here,” Watson says, “and I’m not trying to be a purist. There’s so much beauty in this old music, and it affects me on a deep level. It moves me and inspires me. I heard Leadbelly singing with the Golden Gate Quartet and it sounded fantastic, and I thought, ‘I want to do that.’ I heard the Grateful Dead doing their version of ‘On the Road Again,’ and it sounded like a dance party in 1926, and I wanted to do that, too. That’s the whole reason I ever played music in the first place—because it looked and sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun.”


FOLKSINGER VOL. 2 TRACK LIST

1. Samson And Delilah (feat. The Fairfield Four)
2. Gallows Pole
3. When My Baby Left Me
4. Dry Bones
5. Walking Boss
6. On The Road Again (feat. The Fairfield Four)
7. The Cuckoo Bird
8. Always Lift Him Up And Never Knock Him Down
9. John Henry
10. Leavin’ Blues
11. Take This Hammer (feat. The Fairfield Four)


WILLIE WATSON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

9/26 — Berkeley, CA — Freight & Salvage*
9/27 — San Luis Obispo, CA — SLO Brewing Company*
9/28 — Los Angeles, CA — Largo at the Coronet*
9/29 — Pioneertown, CA — Pappy & Harriet’s*
10/7 — San Francisco, CA — Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
10/13 — Louisville, KY — Zanzabar†
10/14 — Ann Arbor, MI — The Ark†
10/15 — Bloomington, IN — The Bluebird†
10/17 — Newport, KY — Southgate House Revival Room†
10/18 — Chicago, IL — Old Town School of Folk Music†
10/19 — Cleveland, OH — Music Box Supper Club†
10/20 — Lexington, KY—The Burl†
10/21 — Columbus, OH — The Basement†
10/23 — Washington, DC — Songbyrd†
10/25 — Brooklyn, NY — Rough Trade‡
10/26 — New York, NY — Mercury Lounge‡ (SOLD OUT)
10/27 — Hudson, NY — Club Helsinki†
10/28 — Ithaca, NY — The Haunt†
10/30 — Philadelphia, PA—Boot & Saddle†
11/1 — Allston, MA — Great Scott§
11/2 — Burlington, VT — Higher Ground Showcase Lounge§
11/3 — Portsmouth, NH — The Music Hall Loft§
11/4 — Rockland, ME — The Historic Strand Theatre§
11/5 — Holyoke, MA — Gateway City Arts§
11/31 — Birmingham, AL — Workplay (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/1 — Decatur, GA — Eddie’s Attic (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/2 — Charlotte, NC — Neighborhood Theatre (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/3 — Asheville, NC — The Grey Eagle (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/6 — Athens, GA — The Foundry (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/7 — Carrboro, NC — Cat’s Cradle – Back Room (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/8 — Bristol, VA — Birthplace of Country Music Museum (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/9 — Chattanooga, TN — Barking Legs Theater (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/10 — Knoxville, TN — Barley’s Tap Room (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/11 — Nashville, TN — 3rd & Lindsley (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/14 — Austin, TX — Cactus Café (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/15 — Houston, TX — Mucky Duck (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/18 — Santa Fe, NM — Meow Wolf (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/20 — Phoenix, AZ — Valley Bar (ON-SALE 9/29)
2/22 — San Diego, CA — Casbah (ON-SALE 9/29)

Michael Pincumbe: I love everything involving Pop Culture! My interests include music, movies, and TV shows. I am consistently looking for the latest music news on Twitter. I am also a student at Bowling Green State University majoring in Media Production, with a minor in Music Business. In addition to writing for mxdwn, I am currently finishing an internship with WKRC in Cincinnati, working with the morning production crew and writing stories for the early morning news.
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