Music Discovery of the Day: Willi Carlisle’s Rhythm-Driven New Single “Gas Station”
A neon-yellow gas station sign glows against the dead of night, set alongside miles of desolate highway. There is a singular, quietly melancholic, yet deeply familiar comfort in ducking under the harsh fluorescent hum of a roadside convenience store to grab a bite after endless hours behind the wheel. Folk and country troubadour Willi Carlisle seizes upon precisely this headspace, transmuting it into a propulsive, high-tempo road anthem: “Gas Station”.
Coming on the heels of the rooted folk sensibilities of “Mason Jar At The Center Of The World” and the dive-bar grit of “Marlboro Vinyassa”, Carlisle shifts into higher gear ahead of his forthcoming double album, The Universal Bubba. Slated for release on November 6 via Signature Sounds, this latest cut celebrates the scrappy struggle of surviving on roadside snacks with unbridled, runaway exuberance.
The behind-the-scenes genesis of the track is just as kinetic as the recording itself. When producer Tyler Childers stepped into the studio—barefoot, bone-tired, yet carrying an unmistakable wild glint in his eye—what began as a rudimentary melodic sketch underwent a sudden metamorphosis. Setting up in the round alongside co-producer Kenny Miles, the ensemble spontaneously rewove the lyrics and cadence while the tape rolled. The shared vocal charge of Carlisle and Childers joining forces on the chorus captures that raw, lightning-in-a-bottle studio energy with unfiltered immediacy.
The single’s freewheeling spirit hits a fever pitch in its accompanying visual, directed by Mike Vanata. Descending upon a service station alongside an anarchic crew of Muppet-style puppets and scarfing down hot dogs for dinner, Carlisle steers the visual toward an explosive finale. In a charming touch, one of the unruly felt companions is an uncanny miniature replica of Childers himself.
Weaving together the dust of county fairs, creaking cowboy boots, and the unvarnished candour of the open road, The Universal Bubba is already poised to become one of the year’s most character-rich records. As we keep the single on heavy rotation and mark November 6 in our calendars, anticipation is high to experience the double album in its entirety.
