Dale Watson - Unwanted

ABOUT

Dale Watson is a living legend of American roots music. With Texas-sized defiance and drive, he's spent four decades flying the flag for his own brand of honky-tonk, outlaw country, western swing, and rockabilly. That signature sound has a name — "Ameripolitan" — and its originator is Watson himself: a singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, actor, cultural architect, and rule-breaking traditionalist for the modern world, championing the traditions that fly in the face of the homogenous mainstream. 

With Unwanted, he fires another double-barreled shotgun blast of country twang and honky-tonk bang fueled by the heartaches, hard-won lessons, and high-speed thrills of a life largely logged on the road. Singing with a booming voice that could cut through the chaos of a packed dancehall, Watson runs the show like a roots-rock ringleader. He salutes his vices on the galloping "Willie Waylon and Whiskey," reflects upon a lifetime of loss with the gorgeous ballad "If You Really Loved Me (Outlive Me)," and gets wistfully contemplative on "Life is Like a Song." Entirely written and produced by Watson, Unwanted is the sound of an Ameripolitan diehard with plenty of life left in the tank, speeding toward a horizon of his own making.

NOTABLE FACTS

  • 2026 Performances at Global Music Fest and Willie Nelson's Luck Reunion @SXSW

  • Shared stage w/ Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam

  • Appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Austin City Limits, NPR’s All Things Considered

  • His album El Rancho Azul is still a staple in roots radio rotation

  • Austin Music Hall of Fame  / Multiple Austin Music Awards including Best Country Artist

  • Featured in Friday Night Lights, On the Borderline, True Blood, Country Strong, Yellow Rose

  • Performed for U.S. troops internationally as part of multiple Armed Forces Entertainment tours

PRESS/ARTIST PRAISE

  • “I’m one of Dale Watson’s biggest fans.” - Willie Nelson

  • “Dale Watson’s music is genuine, stellar country music with a thru-line that goes straight back to Hank and Lefty.” - Johnny Knoxville

  • “An Austin honky-tonk hero.” - Rolling Stone

  • “Watson delivers country music the way it’s meant to be: raw, honest, and rooted.” - No Depression

  • “Watson remains one of the great modern voices of country music.” - The Washington Post

  • “Watson built a cult following on integrity and tradition.” - Billboard

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TOUR