IV and the Strange Band Sign with Shooter Jennings Record Label

The bloodlines of Jennings and Williams are running together once again as the great grandson of Hank Williams, grandson of Hank Jr., and the son of Hank Williams III has signed with the record label of the son of Waylon Jennings.

Though Shooter Jennings himself has been singed to Elektra Records imprint Low Country Sound, Shooter has used the Black Country Rock label over the years for one-off releases such as Record Store Day packages, live albums from his mother Jessi Colter, and other specialty products, while also releasing full albums from artists who fit the “too rock for country, too country for rock” attitude of the label, including Hellbound Glory’s album Pinball from 2017.

IV and the Strange Band is the project from Hank3’s son Coleman Williams, who decided to get into the family business at the age of 30. After first planning to release an EP on 4-20-2021, huge interest in the 4th generation performer had him pulling those plans, heading out on the road to refine his chops, and heading back into the studio for a more refined effort that is expected for later this year.

“Coleman and I have a lot of mutual friends, and until now we’d never met before,” says Shooter Jennings. “When one of those friends connected us and I had a chance to hear the music, I flipped out and became one of his biggest fans. I immediately saw the importance in his story and point of view, told in conjunction with a fresh take on where country music could go from here.”

Coleman has similar complimentary things to say of Shooter, adding, “Shooter Jennings is an innovator and a musician who has always strived to make his own sound but still keep a respect for the classics. Based upon his style and creativity, he is exactly the type of person who I would want to have sign my band. From the beginning when Shooter flew across the country to hear us play, I knew he was someone the band could trust and grow with. The years of our families’ ties are wonderful but to just naturally gel like we have is something I believe is really special.”

Those ties go back to Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr. being very close friends, with Hank Jr. looking toward Waylon as a mentor, nicknaming him “Watasha,” which means “Old No. 1” in Japanese. The two famously collaborated on the song “The Conversation,” where Jennings and Jr. sit down to talk about Hank Williams, who was a huge influence on Waylon. Jennings recorded a couple of tribute songs to Hank, including the #1 “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?”

When it comes to Shooter Jennings and Coleman’s father Hank Williams III, the history in the past was a bit more spicy. When Shooter first emerged with his band The .357’s and released his 2005 debut country album Put The O Back in Country, Hank3 basically accused Shooter Jennings of stealing his persona, and a smoldering, mostly one-way feud ensued. Shooter was always complimentary of Hank3, and eventually Hank3 seemed to ease some of his hostility toward Shooter, if the feud hadn’t been mostly for show anyway.

If there was any lingering bad blood, hopefully the IV and the Strange Band signing has buried that hatchet.

“He’s the fourth in line of men who have done things their way, blending and bending genres and keeping the story going for generations to come,” says Shooter says of Coleman Williams. “I’m very proud to continue the tradition of our families coming together to help each other and forge the way into the future of country music.”

Expect more news on new music from IV and the Strange Band later this year. Meanwhile, his debut single “Son of Sin” is out now, and the Strange Band have more tour dates forthcoming.

IV and the Strange Band – Spring 2022 Tour Dates

March 2 – Little Rock, AR – White Water Tavern^@
March 5 – Nashville, TN – The Basement^@
March 6 – Memphis, TN – Hernando’s Hideaway ^@
March 10 – Pigeon Forge, TN – Rusty Creek Forge^@
March 21 – Nashville, TN – The Basement %
April 11 – Cudahy, WI – X-Ray Arcade*
April 12 – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle Brewing*
April 13 – Fort Wayne, IN – Piere’s*
April 14 – Canton, OH – Buzzbin Art & Music Shop*
April 15 – St. Louis, MO – Red Flag*
April 16 – Little Rock, AR – Whitewater Tavern*
^ Coleman Williams solo
@ with Willi Carlisle
% with J.D. Pinkus
* with Eyehategod
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