Singer/songwriter Willie Watson believes the Americana music scene is on the rise. Playing with bands such as the Dave Rawlings Machine and being a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, Watson is at the forefront of this understated musical movement.
‘The Americana scene has exploded everywhere,’ says Watson. ‘Over here it’s been a big deal, even for a few years after Old Crow had started, but it’s been on the rise, and now it’s one of the most popular genres out there.’
So who takes the credit for popularising what could be described as a more ‘secular’ and unpopular style of music?
‘It was me!’ laughs Watson. ‘I think there was a time 15 or 16 years ago when Buddy Miller and Gillian Welsch and Dave Rawlings were on the road playing and Oh Brother Where Art Thou came out and Old Crow Medicine Show was out there. We were all coming out of Nashville. There was a lot of good stuff happening. People were wanting the bluegrass stuff.’
The rest, I guess, is history.
One of the features of the music Willie Watson plays (his debut album Folk Singer Vol 1 was released in 2014) is finding songs or re-inventing songs with ‘a little bit of old-time fiddle music’.
‘Midnight Special is one such song. Nobody knows who wrote that song, where it came from. It has its roots back to the slave days of America.
‘I don’t even know how they know Midnight Special. I don’t know where it comes from.
‘Some of us think it happened by accident. Sometimes I can spend weeks digging through records, trying to find songs, because something comes up, or you remember a song from nowhere and it gets stuck in your head in the shower, and it’s so obvious that it’s amazing!’
While he only plays the banjo every three songs or so, Willie admits it’s the banjo that send the crowds wild.
‘They are desperate for it!’ he laughs. ‘I didn’t start playing banjo until I was 18 or 19; I had just dabbled. I played the guitar from 12 but the banjo is a different instrument. The right-hand thing is different; you have to relearn what you do with the right hand.’
A keen collaborative player, Willie is hitting the road for his Australian tour in solo mode.
‘You know the solo thing is good – I like to break it up. I can get worn out on my own at times so it’s good to get on the road with other people, and then I get tired of everyone and get into playing solo!’
Watson credits Rawlings as being one of his key musical mentors.
‘He’s 10 years older than me. He’s very knowledgeable about the record-industry process, how to make them and what to do it for. I have learnt the most from Dave, particularly what to look for and how to play in a studio, and what makes a good take. How to find honesty, believability, and to know whether or not you can hear whether something is believable – not that it’s necessarily technically perfect.’
Thursday 7 July – Sunday 10 July. For tickets and program information go to bellowintermusic.com.
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