It is a pleasure to welcome singer-songwriter Willie Stratton, to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

Willie picked up the guitar at 12 years old and started songwriting soon after. Then, he developed a brief obsession with the banjo and released his first album in 2011. Willie’s record gained him an east coast audience and secured him a spot in the Gordie Sampson Songcamp a year later.

In 2014, Willie released “Deserter,” which was equally moody but with a switch to guitar; the sound was more indie rock than folk. He won the MNS Alternative Album Award and earned him a nomination for ECMA Rising Star of the Year. When he was not recording, Willie Stratton was making his way across Canada, winning fans with his quirky and charming shows and attracting attention at international events such as the Folk Alliance.

Two years later, Willie released Della Rosa, an oddball alternative country record that garnered him an ECMA nomination for Album of the Year. During the pandemic, he released the fun, up-tempo “Grease Coast,” a sound equally at home on the dusty cattle trail as it is among the pounding waves at the most daring surf spots.

Willie’s music has ranged from folk music to roots and indie rock, so it comes as no surprise that he has landed firmly in the alternative country genre. It is a shift that his fans are sure to embrace – an old-time country vibe with contemporary solid lyrics and a smooth baritone vocal reminiscent of Roy Orbison.

In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Willie Stratton spoke about his latest album: Drugstore Dreamin’. He also shared the stories behind some of his best songs.