Originally from Alabama, Will Stewart spent many years living in Nashville as a songwriter, front man, and lead guitarist. When he returned to Birmingham, he released his full-length solo debut, County Seat, in 2017. “Caught somewhere between the worlds of country and electrified rock,” as a songwriter he tried to turn the landscape of his home state into music. Co-produced with Les Nuby (who also engineered and mixed the album) and recorded in a series of live takes, County Seat nods to a number of songwriters who sing about the beauty of their homeland without glossing over its imperfections. There are electrified moments influenced by Neil Young, guitar arpeggios influenced by R.E.M., some Dylan-style aesthetics, as well as the modern-day take on folk by Hiss Golden Messenger. Steward intended his first full-length release as a solo artist to be a rallying cry from a Son of the South who, having returned home after a long trip, looks at his birthplace with renewed eyes.
Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/18/2020.