Swamp Dogg
releases animated video
for new single “Billy”
New album Sorry You Couldn’t Make It
out this Friday on Joyful Noise Recordings
Swamp Dogg aka Jerry Williams today released an animated video for his new piano ballad “Billy” from his forthcoming album, Sorry You Couldn’t Make It, out this Friday via Joyful Noise Recordings and Pioneer Works Press. Created by Mike & Julia McCoy, the “Billy” video animates the song’s tragic narrative.
Its creators explain: “Swamp Dogg’s song captures the bittersweet essence of the human experience. In the video we tried to convey the color and beauty of life paired with scenes of quiet isolation and loneliness that are felt after a deep loss. The song is sad, but hopeful as we see life continue to grow. We were honored to be a part of Swamp Dogg’s art and hope that the accompanying video reminds everyone that there is still a bright world in the midst of your darkest moments.”
In other recent news, Swamp Dogg’s 2018 album also produced by Ryan Olson (Poliça), Love, Loss, and Auto-Tune, was name-dropped by Zoë Kravitz’s character in Hulu’s High Fidelity series as an homage to the original movie’s moment that references The Beta Band. Swamp Dogg is confirmed to play a special album release show headlining Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 19th, a day before supporting John Prine’s sold-out show at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theatre on June 20th.
“Billy” follows recent singles, “Good, Better, Best,” “Memories” (his duet with John Prine), and first single “Sleeping Without You Is A Dragg” featuring piano by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and backing vocals by Jenny Lewis and Channy Leaneagh (Poliça) that collectively earned praise from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone (‘70 Most Anticipated Albums of 2020’), NPR Music, Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, Paste, and Brooklyn Vegan, among others.
With the support of Pioneer Works Press, Swamp Dogg recorded Sorry You Couldn’t Make It at Nashville’s Sound Emporium backed by a crack studio band led by Derick Lee, a keyboard virtuoso who worked as the musical director of BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel Show for nearly four decades. Nashville guitar firebrand Jim Oblon combusts his way through lead duties, while frequent collaborator Moogstar and other special guests, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), John Prine, Jenny Lewis, Channy Leaneagh and Chris Beirden of Poliça, and Sam Amidon join the action throughout join the action throughout.
The follow-up to 2018’s critically acclaimed, Olson-produced Love, Loss, And Auto-Tune, torry You Couldn’t Make It allows Williams to finally dive into the sound he grew up playing: country. While the 77 year-old’s most enduring persona is the psychedelic soul superhero Swamp Dogg—a musical vigilante upholding truths both personal and political since 1970’s immortal album, Total Destruction To Your Mind—he will tell anybody who will listen that he’s considered himself country this entire time. “If you notice I use a lot of horns,” Swamp says. “But actually, if you listen to my records before I start stacking shit on it, I’m country. I sound country.”
These are narratives about love, of missing the one you love, of compassion, family and friends, and even the kind of love that transcends death. Produced by Ryan Olson (Poliça), Sorry You Couldn’t Make It sees Swamp come full circle, and closes what has felt to him like unfinished business. “They didn’t have any blacks in country until Charlie Pride came along,” he says. “But in time, all things change and that’s what has happened to country music.” Surveying today’s Nashville reality, Swamp sees opportunity: artists as divergent as Darius Rucker and Lil Nas X are converging in a genre that he once worried might never give him his shot. “I’m anxious because it’s like I’ve taken all my money and put it on one horse,” he says. “But I believe in this horse.”
Pre-order Sorry You Couldn’t Make It HERE.
Sorry You Couldn’t Make It Tracklisting:
- Sleeping Without You Is A Dragg
- Good, Better, Best
- Don’t Take Her (She’s All I Got)
- Family Pain
- I Lay Awake
- Memories (feat. John Prine)
- I’d Rather Be Your Used To be
- Billy
- A Good Song
- Please Let Me Go Round Again (feat. John Prine)
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