Dale Watson Sets April Release for New Album ‘Unwanted’

Dale Watson has announced Unwanted, a new album arriving Apr. 24. Pre-save and pre-order options are available now through Forty Below Records, with a lead single available to stream. The release continues Watson's long-running commitment to outlaw and Ameripolitan country, delivered with clarity, grit, and purpose.

The opening track, "Willie Waylon and Whiskey," captures Watson's devotion to true country music and was sparked by a moment at Sam's Town Point in Austin. "Austin taught me how to swing," Watson says. "Memphis taught me how to feel." The studio version of the song is now available, setting the tone for an album rooted in lived experience rather than nostalgia.

Unwanted features 12 tracks, all written and produced by Watson. The album was recorded in Austin and Memphis with The Lonestars and additional musicians, reinforcing an ensemble-driven approach. "Everybody on this record knows how to make the music breathe," Watson notes. "That's the difference." The sound is lean and hard-hitting, blending honky-tonk, outlaw country, western swing, and rockabilly into a cohesive Ameripolitan statement.

Collaborators across the record include The Lonestars, Celine Lee, The Memphians, Katie Shore, Matt Hubbard, and others. Watson's wife, Celine Lee, is depicted on the album cover and may also appear on the album, underscoring the project's personal nature.

Lyrically, Unwanted spans sharp-edged pride and deep reflection. "I don't apologize for the way I lived," Watson says. "Those songs kept me company." On the other end of the emotional spectrum, the reflective ballad "If You Really Love Me (Outlive Me)" confronts loss and endurance. "You don't get to stay this long without losing people," he adds. "That song came from sitting with that truth."

The album's release arrives amid continued vitality in the outlaw scene. "Outlaw country isn't nostalgia," Watson shared. "It's alive, it's loud, and it's still being written."