IV and the Strange Band Sign with Shooter Jennings Record Label
The bloodlines of Jennings and Williams are running together once again as the great grandson of Hank Williams, grandson of Hank Jr., and the son of Hank Williams III has signed with the record label of the son of Waylon Jennings.
Though Shooter Jennings himself has been singed to Elektra Records imprint Low Country Sound, Shooter has used the Black Country Rock label over the years for one-off releases such as Record Store Day packages, live albums from his mother Jessi Colter, and other specialty products, while also releasing full albums from artists who fit the “too rock for country, too country for rock” attitude of the label, including Hellbound Glory’s album Pinball from 2017.
IV and the Strange Band is the project from Hank3’s son Coleman Williams, who decided to get into the family business at the age of 30. After first planning to release an EP on 4-20-2021, huge interest in the 4th generation performer had him pulling those plans, heading out on the road to refine his chops, and heading back into the studio for a more refined effort that is expected for later this year.
“Coleman and I have a lot of mutual friends, and until now we’d never met before,” says Shooter Jennings. “When one of those friends connected us and I had a chance to hear the music, I flipped out and became one of his biggest fans. I immediately saw the importance in his story and point of view, told in conjunction with a fresh take on where country music could go from here.”
Coleman has similar complimentary things to say of Shooter, adding, “Shooter Jennings is an innovator and a musician who has always strived to make his own sound but still keep a respect for the classics. Based upon his style and creativity, he is exactly the type of person who I would want to have sign my band. From the beginning when Shooter flew across the country to hear us play, I knew he was someone the band could trust and grow with. The years of our families’ ties are wonderful but to just naturally gel like we have is something I believe is really special.”
Those ties go back to Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr. being very close friends, with Hank Jr. looking toward Waylon as a mentor, nicknaming him “Watasha,” which means “Old No. 1” in Japanese. The two famously collaborated on the song “The Conversation,” where Jennings and Jr. sit down to talk about Hank Williams, who was a huge influence on Waylon. Jennings recorded a couple of tribute songs to Hank, including the #1 “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?”
When it comes to Shooter Jennings and Coleman’s father Hank Williams III, the history in the past was a bit more spicy. When Shooter first emerged with his band The .357’s and released his 2005 debut country album Put The O Back in Country, Hank3 basically accused Shooter Jennings of stealing his persona, and a smoldering, mostly one-way feud ensued. Shooter was always complimentary of Hank3, and eventually Hank3 seemed to ease some of his hostility toward Shooter, if the feud hadn’t been mostly for show anyway.
If there was any lingering bad blood, hopefully the IV and the Strange Band signing has buried that hatchet.
“He’s the fourth in line of men who have done things their way, blending and bending genres and keeping the story going for generations to come,” says Shooter says of Coleman Williams. “I’m very proud to continue the tradition of our families coming together to help each other and forge the way into the future of country music.”
Expect more news on new music from IV and the Strange Band later this year. Meanwhile, his debut single “Son of Sin” is out now, and the Strange Band have more tour dates forthcoming.
February 24, 2022 @ 9:48 am
Folks, just going to acknowledge that to me, it feels a little strange to be gabbing about country music at this moment. But there is some important stuff happening (like this signing), and artists doing stuff they’ve had planned for a while that I don’t want to get completely buried with other news. So I move forward, but not without acknowledging there are bigger concerns in the world at the moment.
February 24, 2022 @ 10:18 am
i know what you mean Trigger, i guess we all feel the same right now but the best thing we can do is keep on doing what we do best.
Curious to hear what comes out of this collab.
February 24, 2022 @ 2:45 pm
Not sure what Shooter is seeing here. Voice? Eh….songwriting? Eh…
Ive really tried to give it a chance, but im not hearing a Hank level talent. At all.
And you know im a homer for Team Williams.
February 28, 2022 @ 9:51 am
Im completely with you on that comment…120%. I hope for his sake & career he gets some vocal & guitar lessons quick but it just don’t seem like he’s got it…. He wasn’t “born 2 boogie” per se…pun intended!
February 25, 2022 @ 10:38 am
Big fan since the age of 10 of Hank Sr , which led me to Bocephus and his music .
Really trying to give the younger Williams a real chance .
But we all know that the kids have really big shoes to fill , it’s not gonna be easy to fill the shoes of Hank and Bocephus.
These 2 men have left a huge legacy, with a long list of legendary songs .
I wish all the Williams kids well , do your music , your way – if it’s good people will listen .
February 24, 2022 @ 10:26 am
It’s best we stay out of it and go on with our lives. The United States has won just 1 military conflict the past 77 years and the pandemic revealed we are no longer the sacrificing kind. When it comes to foreign affairs, isolationism is the best policy.
February 24, 2022 @ 1:38 pm
The sacrificing we don’t do anymore isn’t just related to human lives (which I’m against). We don’t want to sacrifice any of our freedoms or liberties for any cause. During the pandemic, masks, shelter in place, and supply chain disruptions sent a good portion of this county into a insurrection. A war – not those skirmishes in the jungle and desert – with Russia and China would require a sacrifice of our freedoms and liberties that this county couldn’t stomach – rations, war bonds, limited travel…
February 24, 2022 @ 1:20 pm
What is strange about it?
America isn’t at war. Two Eastern Europe nations are feuding. That doesn’t impact country music.
February 24, 2022 @ 1:36 pm
You may not have noticed the past several decades; but America promotes democracy abroad; so we’ll be there to support Ukraine. With Putin basically threatening nukes on anyone that interferes, it’s only a matter of time before we’re in the middle of it.
February 24, 2022 @ 1:58 pm
Was just vocalizing how I personally feel strange with so many other big issues at hand talking about country music. I’m not trying to couch anything in any certain way, or trying to make some stance. Just saying.
P.S. – We’re NOT getting into a political discussion here about Ukraine.
February 24, 2022 @ 5:12 pm
I hope what I said isn’t interpreted as being political, or at least pro a specific party. Both parties have stepped in to help democratic countries and allies in times like this, which often leads to some military response.
There’s been plenty of political comments in the last few days I’ve consciously not responded to in order to not contribute to sending these comments off the rails.
February 26, 2022 @ 10:49 am
I was thinking about Hank …IV hope you do well
February 24, 2022 @ 2:14 pm
You’re good Trig.
SCM family is International.
Your site brings cohesiveness.
Daniele, & everyone else in Europe.
Know we are thinking about you.
Sending ♥️.
February 24, 2022 @ 9:49 am
The single is bad right? I kind of trust Shooter though.
February 24, 2022 @ 9:52 am
Also semi on topic: Shooter’s new single with Yelawolf, “Rock and Roll Baby” is a stone cold jam, even though it is not the type of stuff I typically go for.
February 24, 2022 @ 3:37 pm
I love the song & video makes me feel good.but Yelawolf has that affect on me.????
February 24, 2022 @ 10:12 am
I’ve seen some people hate the single, and some people love the single. All I would say is that if you hate the single, right after it was released and Coleman already had an EP recorded they were planning to release as well, some folks saw that the potential for this project was outpacing the results, put everything on hold, put IV and the Strange Band on the road where they’ve been—which is the best place to tighten up and refine your chops—and are now eyeballing something bigger and better for his debut. So I wouldn’t draw tons of conclusions from the single just yet.
Also, I’m not seeing anything about Shooter being the producer on anything just yet, though he might be. We all think of Shooter as a producer first these days, but here he’s acting in the role of label owner.
February 24, 2022 @ 10:05 am
This is the first news that’s made me think Hank IV might actually not be a scam and made me think we might actually hear the release of actual music. It’s been all PR and marketing and no substance to this point (except for some bad live clips). His camp has been more focused on pushing merch and branding than actual music – a lot of the cart before the horse. Shooter on board might put this project back on my radar.
February 24, 2022 @ 10:21 am
Well I trust Shooter. And I am a big fan of his music. So the signing is good news to me, we need some good news right about now.
February 24, 2022 @ 10:48 am
Speaking of Jessi Colter, wasnt she supposed to be recording a new album produced by (ew barf) Margo Price? Any updates on that??
February 24, 2022 @ 10:54 am
Yeah that’s been a couple of years ago now. Maybe it’s just waiting top be released. Maybe Jessi or Margo got cold feet. I really don’t know. It’s like the Holly Williams album produced by Dave Cobb. We know something’s out there. It just appears the folks involved are not ready for us to hear it yet.
February 24, 2022 @ 11:06 am
Woah woah woah. A Holly Williams album produced by Cobb? That actually might be a real thing? I loved her album The Highway. Waitin on June is an absolute heart wrencher.
February 24, 2022 @ 11:10 am
STILL NO “O” IN CUNTRY !!!
February 24, 2022 @ 11:29 am
Hmm…????…this is odd given the past history of Hank 3 & Shooter, but regardless how some folks may feel about Shooter he stood tall through that one-sided feud he always supported Hank 3 & played his music on his radio show. I was in high school when Hank 3 put out Lovesick, Broke, & Driftin’ & when Shooter put out his first album I always loved both of their music & own most of their albums.
I enjoyed Coleman’s single but not sure if I will invest in him like I did Hank 3 or Shooter, but maybe Shooter can work with him & make his music not feel like a carbon copy of Hank 3’s & at the same time be something cool that true or outlaw country fans can dig.
February 24, 2022 @ 12:25 pm
I think this outlaw bit has done got out of hand.
February 24, 2022 @ 6:19 pm
Off topic a little, but I’ve always wondered why the album Julie Roberts did with Shooter as a producer has never seen the light of day yet. I know Julie was excited about the project. I have all the respect in the world for Shooter working with so many different types of artists.
February 24, 2022 @ 6:48 pm
DK,
Good question. I wondered the same thing. I do not think she is that talented, but that is just me. However, this project just kind of disappeared.
February 24, 2022 @ 8:01 pm
Hopefully, the Putins will wind up like the Ceaușescus–by their own people.
“Watasha,” which means “Old No. 1” in Japanese.
OK, I learned something new.
I heard Hank Jr. call Waylon that in “The Conversation” and also in “If You Don’t Like Hank Williams,” though I couldn’ tell exactly what he was saying. I always figured it was some American Indian name. Like Kemo Sabe (which also looks more Japanese than Indian).
February 24, 2022 @ 8:18 pm
Not touring out west unfortunately, would like to see him. As to “Watasha” meaning “old number one” that is certainly not true. I listened to the heck out of Habits Old and New and Bocephus dropped the name in “If you don’t like Hank Williams” and I always wondered about it (assuming it might be an Ad-lib but having never heard the original). Then when I read this story I couldn’t get over the idea that it sounds a bit like a Japanese word but too much like one of the words for “me” (watashi). From what I could find, it looks like it could be a word but does not have that meaning. Possibly Bocephus just bullshitting or maybe it’s a native American word. Waylon was huge on the Navajo nation so maybe that could be a clue. Waylon is undoubtedly popular among Japanese country music fans as well, I highly recommend any fan or fellow songwriter/musician types to head there for a festival if you get the chance. If so please report back about how to say “old number one” in Japanese.
February 24, 2022 @ 8:37 pm
Look, I’m not a linguist, and I don’t speak Japanese. What I can tell you is Hank Jr. most definitely believed he was calling Waylon “Old #1.” It may be some sort of regional slang that you may not be able to locate in a dictionary, but I doubt Hank Jr. made it up out of whole cloth, because why would he do that, and why would he continue to call Waylon that if it was incorrect?
February 26, 2022 @ 11:47 am
Ichi is the Japanese word for “one” and it doesn’t take a linguist to Google that. Chances are that either it is the wrong language, or it is some bullshit that Bocephus made-up during his rowdy years. Either way, it’s easy to fact check and we all agree that is important. Whatever it is, it’s definitely not “old number one” in Japanese. My guess is it is a native American language (if it is real at all).
February 26, 2022 @ 5:32 pm
I don’t think it’s easy to fact check at all. You can diagram prefixes and suffixes all you want. If something is a colloquialism or an an idiom—like many nicknames are—then it can very well not “translate” exactly to what it should, and still be correct. I just busted out my Waylon biography and it says on page 245, “Hank used to call me Watashi, which means ‘old number one’ in Japanese. I called him Bocephus.” Hank Jr. spelled it “Watasha,” in the song “The Conversation” and in other places.
Look, maybe it is made up. But just because Google Translator doesn’t recognize it doesn’t mean it’s incorrect. It’s been established from the mid 70’s that Hank Jr. called Waylon “Watasha.” If someone wants to offer me some sort of definitive proof it would never mean “old number one” in Japanese to anyone, I’ll offer a correction. What is definitive is everyone involve thought that was the translation.
February 27, 2022 @ 11:30 am
So as I mentioned before it has been a long time since I lazily studied Japanese, apparently they do have a “sha” sound, though it is actually “shya” sound because it is a combination of characters, that said I still am not convinced but will get in touch with my friend who lives in Japan and loves country music. I still think it is very likely to be incorrect but I have certainly been wrong before.
February 27, 2022 @ 5:17 pm
My friend in Japan got back to me, his opinion is that possibly it was someone told Hank “watashi” as in look out for number one, or more likely it was a combination of a mistranslation and a foggy memory, but to his knowledge (studied Japanese here and has lived in Japan with his Japanese wife and kids for ten years working in education) it isn’t a Japanese word. Now, based on my experience playing country music in Japan, and multiplying that based upon Hank being aa huge star, I imagine that Hank and all the Japanese guys he was with were absolutely hammered the entire time. Being unfamiliar with the language on top of that makes translation issues very likely. I personally had a ten minute conversation with a guy asking if I like “sazzan lock” and until he mentioned “Linnahd Skinnahd” I had no idea what he was talking about, and I had some basic knowledge of it. That said I still think it sounds like a native American word and maybe that is the key.
February 27, 2022 @ 5:23 pm
Thanks for following up. This has been an anecdote in country music since before I was born. I guess only Hank Jr. really knows where it came from. Maybe it is Native American, though I would venture to guess Hank Jr. got the annunciation or spelling wrong before he got the origin of it wrong. But like you said, maybe everyone was drunk, and it’s a complete figment of imagination.
February 24, 2022 @ 8:58 pm
Wild guess but could it be that they’re using the word for “me” and saying it means “old number one” in reference to the phrase “looking out for number one”, meaning oneself?
February 26, 2022 @ 12:02 pm
Japanese does not have a “sha” sound, they only have have “sa, shi, tsu, se and so” I think it would be unlikely that this would be true. It is entirely possible that Bocephus asked a Japanese person and misheard, or that it was another language entirely,or he was making things up to be weird. I’m not a linguist, just a metal fabricator who took a little Japanese and played country music over there many years ago. In fact I am very certain Bocephus played at the same bar at one time, country music is big over there
February 25, 2022 @ 8:10 pm
Are none of you people familiar with Jack Daniels? It has a wonderful effect on the sense of humor, and a person’s ability to bullshit.
February 25, 2022 @ 9:44 am
Country music sounds like pop garbage now so I stick to the older stuff I don’t even tune in on a “country radio station” anymore it’s all garbage. Eric church ,Luke combs and Chris Stapleton can save country music alot of those other singers need to switch over and stop ruining it.
February 27, 2022 @ 10:03 pm
Look if Hank said it that’s just what the fuck it is ok, don’t argue with the legend.
February 28, 2022 @ 3:04 am
Who cares what language the nickname “Watasha” came from? This is about Shooter Jennings and Coleman Williams working together to record an album. That’s what’s important. They’re working together. I’m glad. I’ve always been a fan of Hank Williams, Sr., Hank Williams, Jr., and Waylon Jennings ever since I was a child. I love listening to their songs. Hank, Sr. and Waylon were class acts and still are to me. As for Bocephus, he’s also a class act to me. I’ll be a fan of real country music til my dying day because today’s so-called “country” music just plain sucks.