Swamp Dogg Releases New Album 'Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St'

The Virginia-born, Los Angeles based artist, songwriter and producer Swamp Dogg has released his 26th album Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St via Oh Boy Records. 

Produced by Ryan Olson (Poliça, Gayngs) and recorded with an all-star band including Noam Pikelny, Sierra Hull, Jerry Douglas, Chris Scruggs, Billy Contreras, and Kenny Vaughan, the 12-song collection is a riotous blend of past and present, mixing the sacred and the profane. In typical Swamp Dogg fashion, it blurs the lines between folk, roots, country, blues, and soul alongside special guests like Margo Price, Vernon Reid, Jenny Lewis, Justin Vernon, and The Cactus Blossoms. Swamp Dogg will celebrate the album’s release tonight with a hometown show at Zebulon in Los Angeles.

The album’s pre-release singles like “Mess Under That Dress” and “Count The Days” (feat. Jenny Lewis) have been met with acclaim by BrooklynVegan, Exclaim, FLOOD Magazine, Garden & Gun, Stereogum, and The New York Times. In March, the feature-length documentary Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted premiered at SXSW and received raves from The Austin Chronicle and The Hollywood Reporter who called it, “a documentary that draws its voice and aesthetic from the spirit of its subject, resulting in a tight 97 minutes that feel organic and satisfying and, as befits that subject, appealingly odd.” Rolling Stone also included Swamp Dogg’s official showcase in their Best of SXSW roundup proclaiming, “Swamp Dogg sounded bold and robust, his vigor encouraging his band to ratchet up the energy… every musician on stage was locked into an undeniable groove.”

“Not a lot of people talk about the true origins of bluegrass music,” says Swamp Dogg, “but it came from Black people. The banjo, the washtub, all that stuff started with African Americans. We were playing it before it even had a name. I’m trying to touch on every kind of music I grew up loving and listening to. This is my way of letting people know that I’m not just a soul singer or whatever they think I am. I’m so much more.”

“It means a hell of a lot to put this record out on the label that John started,” Swamp Dogg adds. “He wrote some of the greatest songs of all time, songs that could make you dance inside. He was like a pastor on Sunday, getting you to think about what’s going on in the world and how we should be coping with it. I always want to give thanks to John.”

Swamp Dogg will be performing select shows around the country this year and will be showcasing at AmericanaFest in September. Find a full list of tour dates below.

Tour Dates:

5/31 – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon

6/22 – Dallas, TX – Oak Cliff Film Festival

7/12 – Brooklyn, NY – Sultan Room

7/26 – Austin, TX – Antone’s

9/17-21 – Nashville, TN – AmericanaFest

Photo Credit: David McMurry

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