Jesse Dayton has tour dates in the UK over the next fortnight. The Texan’s new record ‘The Outsider’ is more than suggestive of the fact he’s flown somewhat under the radar in terms of popularity in recent years in spite of having worked with such luminaries as Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Glen Campbell – while scoring countless films for Rob Zombie.
The new album was recorded while on tour in Atlanta, Denver, Nashville and Austin and mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer/producer Vance Powell (who has worked with the likes of Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Jack White). About ‘The Outsider’ Dayton says, “It’s a lot like ‘The Revealer,’ his previous album), but even more stripped down with some sweet acoustic guitar songs and some raw electric guitar work”. Influences on the new album range from the George Jones-inspired singing on ‘Changin’ My Ways,’ and the Outlaw country twang of Waylon Jennings on ‘Belly of the Beast.’
One stand out track from the new album, ‘Charlottesville’ is a passionate declamation of the rise of the alt-right in America and the rally in Virginia which resulted in the killing of Heather Heyer last summer. The song includes rousing lines such as “Well my granddaddy, he fought those sons of bitches, those nazis and those snitches…/We better rise up to the power/This ain’t no time for cowards.”
Of the song Jesse Dayton says: “I saw white men marching, chanting racist slogans, carrying torches and Nazi flags on my TV in 2017 America and had to write this song. I’m shocked we’re not hearing more of these songs. We need them now more than ever,” says Dayton of the coverage of the white supremacist rally. “Hearing Neil Young’s ‘Ohio’ or Joe Strummer from the Clash sing ‘Know Your Rights’ as a kid played a big part in my political consciousness. I love that it drives the Right crazy that I sound more hillbilly than they do, but I’m still progressive politically and more informed [than they are].”
Jesse Dayton tour dates:
TUE AUG 28 – Hen and Chicken Bristol
SUN SEP 02 -Brudenell Social Club Leeds
TUE SEP 04 – Greystones Sheffield
WED SEP 05 – The Lexington, London
THU SEP 06 – Naked Lunch Cafe Liverpool
FRI SEP 07 – Cluny 2 Newcastle
SAT SEP 08 – Millport Country Music Festival, Millport
