Willie Watson

WILLIE WATSON

Shortly before turning 18, Willie Watson had a life-changing moment in an apple orchard, where he sang old folk songs with a man named Ruby Love and cried while singing for the first time—an experience that helped him connect music with meaning. That night became a turning point, eventually leading him to form Old Crow Medicine Show. After years of playing traditional folk, battling personal demons, and feeling constrained by a crafted image, Watson now reintroduces himself with Willie Watson, his first album of original songs. Written in collaboration with Morgan Nagler and produced by a supportive ensemble, these nine tracks reflect on love, loss, addiction, fatherhood, and the search for self. From the searing honesty of “Already Gone” to the sly wit of “Slim and the Devil,” Watson uses his deep roots in folk music to tell his own story—one shaped by hardship, healing, and hope. With the hat off and nothing to hide, he finally sounds like himself.