On April 14, Colorado-based country musician Cowboy Dave Wilson is set to release his debut full-length album Venture South. Produced by GRAMMY winner John Macy, this honky-tonkin’ album is a collection of stories that blends that Bakersfield Sound with Texas Hill Country – and throwing in a bit of Wilson’s mountain energy for good measure – while showcasing a cast of who’s who among country music instrumentalists (check out the list below).
“Venture South is a much more dancehall-friendly record than my previous releases – in that I think I’ve continued to hone in on the honky-tonk vibe after playing a lot of cowpunk and rockabilly music growing up,” says Wilson. “It took me a long time to understand that a song doesn’t have to be played fast and loud to be powerful.”
The best songwriters tell the stories of everyday folks, everyday musings, and what has to get done to get by. The ten tracks on Venture South show that Cowboy Dave can tell tales with the best of them. “Mama Drove A Big Rig,” premiering exclusively with The Country Note today, is one of those songs.
“Truth be told, my mama doesn’t drive a big rig for a living,” explains Wilson. “This one is based on a true story I read in a newspaper somewhere about a mother that took care of her family by driving a truck. I thought it was an amazing story that needed a song. If I recall correctly, some details are embellished for creative (and fun!) purposes.”
Check out the exclusive premiere of “Mama Drove A Big Rig” below:
Cowboy Dave Wilson’s Venture South is due out April 14. Click here to preorder.
Album details:
Producer: John Macy
Acoustic guitar: Cowboy Dave Wilson, Eugene Moles (Merle Haggard)
Upright bass: Scott Johnson
Electric bass: Leslie Brown
Drums: Andy Sweetser, Jim Christie (Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam)
Fiddle: Hank Singer (Alan Jackson, George Jones, Ray Price)
Pedal Steel: Tommy Detamore (Johnny Bush, Moe Bandy, Robert Earl Keen, Ray Price), Jay Dee Maness (The Byrds, Buck Owens, Gram Parsons, Ray Price)
Electric Guitar: Zach Boddicker, Eugene Moles
Trumpet: Gabriel Mervine
Vocals: Cowboy Dave Wilson, Kristina Murray, Loren Dorland, Zach Boddicker and Scott Johnson.
For more information on Cowboy Dave Wilson, visit his website cowboydaveband.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.