WILLY COBB’S NEW ‘UNPLUGGED’ EP IS OUT NOW

Southern alt-rocker Willy Cobb’s debut EP ‘Country Punkin” inspired a first wave of acclaim, his modern take on the cowpunk tradition: a sound which reflects his love of everything from Hank Williams and Nirvana through to The Chats and Fidlar. Now Willy goes deeper into the more reflective side of his artistry as he releases the ‘Unplugged’ EP.

Recorded in the historic Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, the ‘Unplugged’ EP is inspired by two pivotal influences in Willy’s life: his love of laidback, late night porch-front jam sessions as well as the way in which the likes of Nirvana and Alice in Chains used the format to translate their explosive dynamics into sombre atmospherics. The EP’s opening song and focus track sees him rework Waylon Jenning’s classic outlaw anthem ‘Lonesome, ‘On’ry and Mean’, switching out the bitter anger of the original in favour of chilling, raw intensity – much like how Nirvana reshaped Lead Belly’s ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night?’ in their own image.
 
Willy says, “I really liked the idea of making an ‘Unplugged’ record because it helps show a more vulnerable side. Plus it’s pure nostalgia – I’ve watched Nirvana’s ‘Unplugged’ I guarantee over 100 times front-to-back. I was too young to see it when it first came out and I really wanted to encapsulate that feeling and do it myself.”
 
The EP also casts new light on Willy’s recent single ‘Boy Toy’, which trades the original’s fiery country-grunge energy for skeletal intimacy without compromising any of its heartfelt honesty. The set is completed by acoustic takes on all five songs from the ‘Country Punkin” EP.
 
‘Unplugged’ brings Willy’s unique lyrical slant into sharp focus, each song resonating with small-town misbehaviour, weary malaise and down-home pride. He is becoming a voice for the outsiders in the South, one that shows that there can be an off-kilter alternative to the conservatism of the country heartlands.
 
Willy’s rise has been backed by a variety of influential artists, with all of his music so far produced and co-written with his cousin, country singer Brent Cobb, and Jaren Johnston of The Cadillac Three. He has also joined The Cadillac Three on tour and debuted in the UK with a run of shows as guest to Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters. Like a true outlaw, Willy Cobbdoesn’t bend to genre conventions or follow the obvious route – and he’s all the better for that singular, defiant attitude. His back story was further explored in The Line of Best Fit’s recent On The Rise feature.

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