Whiskey Wolves of the West, ‘Lay That Needle Down’ [Exclusive Premiere]

Americana duo Whiskey Wolves of the West are premiering their new song "Lay That Needle Down" exclusively for readers of The Boot. Readers can press play below to hear it.

Leroy Powell, a frequent Dave Cobb collaborator, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, joins Nashville vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Tim Jones in Whiskey Wolves of the West. According to Powell, "Lay That Needle Down" is a staple of the band's live shows.

"We play it every time. I always like to believe everyone loves everything we do. There're shouts and claps most of the time," Powell says. "I think people really respond to the song, and we have great time playing it. But, ultimately, I don't give a s--t. Like Tim says, 'It's none of my business what other people think of me.'"

"Lay That Needle Down" was written by Jones and Ward Guenther, founder of the Whiskey Jam concert series, then recorded at Nashville's Omni Studios with Powell, Jones, drummer Chris Powell and bassist Chase McGillis.

"We decided we needed a piano on it, so we called Micah Hulscher," Powell says, referring to Margo Price's keyboardist. "As I remember it, we had just gotten the arrangement finalized (about 10 minutes), and we were recording our first take when Micah walked into the studio and straight at the piano. He came right in at the perfect places. That was the take."

"Lay That Needle Down" appears on Whiskey Wolves of the West's forthcoming debut album, titled Country Roots.

“It’s a nice, short record, like those great old country records that had only 10 songs on them that would last maybe 20-30 minutes,” Powell says. “That was something Waylon [Jennings] was notorious for doing. Every song counted, and I loved that. It’s not too overwhelming either. You don’t need to hear every song we’ve ever written — just the best ones.”

Country Roots is set for release on March 2.

Listen to Whiskey Wolves of the West, "Lay That Needle Down":

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