Free ✻ EP

The ‘Free’ EP was conceived on a rooftop in Bamako, Mali in 2011.

The days were fecund under the Sahel sun. As dust settled in the evenings, a magenta calm would open up the sky.

Quiet guitar meditations on Zoumana Tereta’s soku fiddle, Sibiri Samake’s donso chants, the lingering echoes of Ali Farka Touré’s voice and guitar.

Back in California, three albums back to back with Lee Bob & The Truth. Fruitful, spontaneous, true.

Solo, the rooftop sound developed and other sounds came to meet it… Elliott Smith, Jose Gonzalez, the softer side of Radiohead. 2020 was time to dig in.

Older songs like ‘Human’ were a natural fit again. Nina Simone’s ‘Peace Of Mind’ spoke to the times. The song ‘Free’ came quickly. Then changed and changed again. Each section became a different room.

Now, the sound expands. Drum choir and balafon come center stage. We dance. It feels good. It feels like a nice place to arrive. Or begin arriving.

Life Is A Miracle, in the studio ...

"It was surreal," Lee Bob recalls, "The election loomed large in all our hearts. I'd just returned from Standing Rock - so I was on fire and also very anxious. It felt unreal to be in this perfect space making music.
Also, I'd spent most of the year away from my muse. I was unravelling. I don't actually remember recording much of the album. I listen to the music now and it feels like magic. It's like a hi-fi rendering of a good trip."
~ Lee Bob [read more]

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Solidarity w/ STANDING ROCK

"After a visit to Sacred Stone Camp at the vertex of the protests, pipeline construction, and the Standing Rock Reservation our friend Lee, of Sacramento band Lee Bob & The Truth, got in touch with an album comprised of roots music from indigenous people he’s met in his career." ~ Sean Jewel - American Standard Time

Link to full interviews with Keely Dorran (Tiskamogi), sister of of the late Brianna Lea Pruett (Tiskamogi), and artists Marca Cassity (Osage), and Goodshield Aguilar (Oglala Lakota & Pasqua Yoeme).

Live on KEXP - Seattle

LB&TT live set and a discussion with Greg Vandy of KEXP about the making of "the Light", the origins of the band, travels, songs etc.

A River, A Bible & A Broken Heart [from The Singer-Songwriter Handbook]

There are 3 things a songwriter needs: a river, a bible and a broken heart. A river gives you a sense of time and place. A bible is a keeper of language and history. I will speak briefly about the river and the bible. You will find your way to a broken heart well enough on your own.

First, the river calls, "Come … come and listen." The river has existed since before the dawn of time. The river doesn't know your name; doesn't much care who you think you are or where you think you are going. "Drop everything," the river says, "I have plans for you."

NPR Music

Lee Bob Watson first tasted popularity with his California rock band Jackpot before winning fans with his punk-gospel outfit, Santa Cruz Gospel Choir. Most recently, Watson has launched a solo career after 10 years in the music industry.

Created in 10 days with minimal overdubbing, his solo debut (Aficionado) is built around a lively, natural sound. According to Watson, "The songs on Aficionado grapple with the quest for authenticity in a culture that is based on recycled themes and sounds." ~ David Dye, NPR World Cafe