USA Network’s “Damnation” Show Features New & Forgotten Country Roots Music
Since many of your favorite independent country and roots artists get little to no love from mainstream radio, other outlets have opened up to help feature their music to wider audiences. Similar to previous cable and Netflix shows like Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, and The Ranch, a new series on USA Network called Damnation has been sliding in cool songs from some of the finest artists from the independent roots world, while mixing in many of roots music’s forgotten greats.
Since debuting on November 7th, the series has featured songs from Austin, TX’s The Whiskey Shivers, Oklahoma-based songwriter John Moreland, British folk singer Laura Marling, and Canada’s Colter Wall, who has been a favorite for movie soundtracks as well. A lot of great old time legends have also been featured on the show such as bluesman Blind Willie Johnson, singer/clawhammer banjo player Clarence Ashley, gospel singer Shirley Ann Lee, folk singer Blind Alfred Reed, and others.
Damnation is a period drama starring Killian Scott, Logan Marshall-Green, and Sarah Jones. Set in the 1930’s in the American Heartland, the series follows a preacher as he rallies a town to stand up to industrialists and a partial government. There are a total of 12 episodes of the USA Network series coming, with the show being distributed internationally via Netflix.
So far there has only been four episodes, but the soundtrack has been something worth delving into on its own. You can find a run down of the songs featured on the show below, as well as a Spotify playlist for those who want to listen along. Feel free to pipe up in the comments if you see omissions, and we’ll try to update with the songs from new episodes as they become available.
Episode 1
- “Graves” – The Whiskey Shivers
- “Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls” – Blind Alfred Reed
- “The Farmer’s Curst Wife” Damnation Cast
- “Careless Love” – Lonnie Johnson
- “Ain’t No Grave” – Bror Gunnar Jansson”
Episode 2
- “Which Side Are You On” – Natalie Merchant
- “Devil’s Spoke” – Laura Marling
- “Bye and Bye I’m Going to See the King” – Blind Willie Johnson
Episode 3
- “There’s a Light” – Shirley Ann Lee
- “American Flags in Black & White” – John Moreland
- “Dark Holler Blues” – Clarence Ashley
Episode 4
- “Snake Mountain Blues” – Colter Wall
- “Mother’s Children Have a Hard Time”- Blind Willie Johnson
- “Keep You Lamp Trimmed and Burning” – Blind Willie Johnson
(Note: Some older songs not available online have been replaced by more contemporary recordings by cool roots revivalists like Luther Dickinson and Derek Trucks.) Also, make sure to follow Saving Country Music on Spotify.
Gerry A.
December 14, 2017 @ 12:40 pm
Thanks for this article! Been tuning into this show since the premiere and, man, is it good! Highly recommend to all those who have not seen it. Certainly captures life in the American heartland at the time and the music chosen is spot on.
Bo Fiddley
December 14, 2017 @ 1:02 pm
Nice shoutout to Luther Dickinson and Derek Trucks. I got to see them both two summers ago when the North Mississippi All Stars opened for Tedeschi Trucks Band. I was pretty let down that they(TTB that is, I wouldn’t expect the same opener) didn’t come back this past summer but oh well.
Side note, anybody watching/watched Godless on Netflix? Solid music brought to you by musical supervisor T Bone Burnett, who never disappoints.
Jacob W.
December 14, 2017 @ 2:04 pm
I’ll have to check this out during Christmas break, sounds pretty cool. Thanks for the heads up.
kapam
December 14, 2017 @ 8:20 pm
Sounds like an interesting show – dramatically and musically! Will keep an eye out for it.