Sweetwater Hillbillies - On the Road

Merrimack Records, LLC is dedicated to providing listeners with the very heart and soul of American roots music: everything from the backcountry sounds of Blues, Folk, and Country, to the city-inspired vitality of Jazz and Rock 'n' Roll, showcasing some of the most exciting musical artists today. From Merrimack Records LLC comes On the Road, the new album by Muscle Shoals all-stars, The Sweetwater Hillbillies. This hearty, foot-stomping collection of songs, as the record's title suggests, takes listeners on a rip-roaring tour of the traditions and legacies of Southern music: from the Folk and Bluegrass of the Depression-era 30s, to the Western Swing of the 40s, to the Memphis Rock 'n' Roll made most famous by Sun Studios in the 50s, all the way to the Southern Rock that would put Muscle Shoals, Alabama on the map in the 60s. Written over the past 33 years, produced by Joe Melnikas and Donnie Gullett at Muscle Shoals Music in Alabama, On the Road features such legendary musicians as long-time Southern Rock veteran Travis Wammack, fiddle player Donny Carpenter, guitarist and singer Shane Rollo, and piano and accordion player S.E. Willis. Travis Wammack, "the fastest guitar player in the South", delivers lightening quick, gun-slinging solos throughout the record and also sings lead vocals on "I'm a Gypsy", "Rattlesnakes Are Followin' You", and "Woman". Donny Carpenter's masterful fiddle playing brings listeners through the campfire-laden, muddy railroad yards, to the backwater Cajun swamp, all the way to the wall-rattled clubs and beer halls of the Delta. His vocal stylings on "It's Just Another Southern Day", "Just an Ole Soft Shoe", and "Mountain Dew" are pure Southern. Shane Rollo's singing on "Backwater Slap Jar Soul Sauce", "Baton Rouge", "Babe", "I'm an Outlaw", and "I Get Psyched About Motorcycles" are high-voltage, unpredictable, and wildly entertaining. Long-time Elvin Bishop band member S.E. Willis evokes the deeply rooted history of this iconic Americana sound from start to finish, shining on such songs as "High Noon Risin'" and the title track, "On the Road", both of which he also co-wrote. His dynamic, fiery piano playing on "Woman" is reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis. Other notable musicians on the record include Will McFarlane on additional acoustic and electric guitars; Allen Watkins on acoustic guitar, banjo, and mandolin; Terry Richardson on upright and electric bass, as well as the bello; Ruth Davies on upright bass; Mitch Curtis and Donnie Gullett on electric bass; Mike Dillon and Bobby Cochran on drums; Marie Lewey and Cindy Walker Richardson on background vocals; Jan Grant Gullett on acoustic guitar and background vocals; Mitch Curtis, Will McFarlane, Donny Carpenter, and Travis Wammack on background vocals; N.C. Thurman on additional keyboards; S.E. Willis on accordion; Donny Carpenter on cabasa/shaker and washboard; and Travis Wammack on harmonica. These musicians have played, sang, recorded, and written with and for the best of the best in the industry. They ain't nothing but Sweetwater Hillbillies.