Sorry You Couldn't Make It' is the long awaited "country album" from the legendary Swamp Dogg. Recorded in Nashville, featuring John Prine, Justin Vernon, Jenny Lewis, and others. Jerry Williams'-aka Swamp Dogg-first love was country music, listening to it as a Navy family kid growing up in Portsmouth, Virginia. While the 77 year-old Williams' most enduring persona is the psychedelic soul superhero Swamp Dogg-a musical vigilante upholding truths both personal and political since 1970's immortal album, "Total Destruction To Your Mind" - he will tell anybody who will listen that he's considered himself country this entire time. "If you notice I use a lot of horns," Swamp says. "But actually, if you listen to my records before I start stacking shit on it, I'm country. I sound country." Following 2018's critically acclaimed, Ryan Olson-produced "Love, Loss, And Auto-Tune" - his first LP to debut on 11 Billboard charts (including at #7 on 'Heatseekers') and his first chart ink since his 1970 song "Mama's Baby - Daddy's Maybe"-"Sorry You Couldn't Make It" allows Swamp to finally dive into the sound he grew up playing. With the support of Pioneer Works Press, they recorded the album at Nashville's Sound Emporium with Olson as producer once again, and backed by a crack studio band led by Derick Lee, a keyboard virtuoso who worked as the musical director of BET's Bobby Jones Gospel Show for nearly four decades. Nashville guitar firebrand Jim Oblon combusts his way through lead duties, while frequent collaborator Moogstar and special guests Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), John Prine, Jenny Lewis, Channy Leaneagh and Chris Beirden of Poli?a, and Sam Amidon join the action throughout. A band of 14 players, including Vernon, Lee, Beirden, and Moogstar, among others, provides the background for Swamp's devastating new take on "Don't Take Her (She's All I Got)." Lead single "Sleeping Without You Is A Dragg" is one of Swamp's most heartfelt songs to date and features Vernon on piano as well as backing vocals by Lewis and Leaneagh. "Sorry You Couldn't Make It" sees Swamp come full circle, and closes what has felt to him like unfinished business.
