Article Contributed by Missing Piece Group
Published on 2026-09-29
Photo: Courtesy of Mike Vanata
Willi Carlisle and a puppet version of Tyler Childers star in the hilarious video for Carlisle’s latest single, “Gas Station,” a standout track from Carlisle’s upcoming double album, The Universal Bubba. In a rare in-studio collaboration, Carlisle co-wrote the song with Childers and co-producer Kenny Miles.
The video also features puppet versions of Childers’ band, the Food Stamps, many of whom played on The Universal Bubba, fresh off making Childers’ acclaimed album Snipe Hunter. The song and accompanying video encapsulate the energy of The Universal Bubba, a driving recollection of life on the road with an earworming sing-along chorus. And in the case of the video, directed by Western AF’s Mike Vanata, a lot of hot dogs and puppets.
Watch the music video for “Gas Station”
Pre-save/pre-order The Universal Bubba
Of “Gas Station,” Carlisle says:
“Coming into the recording session, this song felt like a strong draft, like something left in the fridge to proof or set like a dough. I liked it though: my whole life summarized. All this work, hauling, beating up the highway, singing for hours, just to eat dinner at the gas station. It was late in our two weeks of recording before we got to this song, and I kept wondering if we would cut it.
“But Tyler came into the studio, wild-eyed, guitar in hand, no shoes, a little haggard. He had an idea, and took my kinda simple blues progression and changed the feel. It became a lot more direct, less tongue-in-cheek. More honest. We stood, started singing, changing words here and there, agreeing and disagreeing. We cut a take with the drummer. We sat in a circle with pen, paper, instruments. Tyler suggested, ‘goodle days’ instead of ‘good old days.’ Kenny kept nodding, fixing mistakes. We kept shaping verses, agreeing that my choruses were working. Suddenly I realized, this was a cowrite! But the red light was already on, the tape rolling. We were writing and recording at the same time. Wild as hell. In the long run, it felt like we should both be singing it, so we doubled up on the choruses.
“Tyler’s joke at the top captures some of the energy we had there—getting in a ‘knife fight at apple day’ might be the spirit of this whole record. It’s a record that should sound like getting drunk at the Civil War reenactment, cruising for tail at the cattle auction, dropping acid at the square dance.”
Recorded in secret in the Bywater District of New Orleans, Carlisle cut 17 tracks for The Universal Bubba that expand his sonic scrapbook and capture the off-kilter characters living in his songs. The album was created in an all-time DIY effort, with Childers and his band joining Carlisle for two weeks of recording in New Orleans. Across the record, Carlisle embraces new sounds and instrumentation—including synthesizers, double electric guitars and more fretless 19th-century-style banjo than he has used on any previous album. With plenty of room to stretch across styles, The Universal Bubba has plenty of embellished folksongs and somber tales on its latter half.
Exploration aside, Carlisle’s mission as a folksinger largely remains the same—documenting the stories and struggles of everyday people and balancing the humor and hope of existence.
“I want to make a universal folk music. Songs for all kinds of weirdos,” says Carlisle. “I want to write songs that prove the old weird America didn’t go anywhere, that we are living and dying for it every day. I believe there’s noble work to do in that context. That if we feel despair, we don’t need to because there’s so much good work to do.”
As Rolling Stone says, “Carlisle is here to do the work to make country and folk music a place of inclusivity and empathy.”
In that vein, Carlisle has announced “Bubbas In The Community,” an initiative put together by Carlisle that invites mutual aid groups, nonprofits and unions in different cities to set up a table on his tour to help fundraise, gain recognition and expand their reach in their respective communities.
Speaking about the importance of bringing attention to these organizations, Carlisle stated, “In an age of increasing inequality and divisiveness, I want concerts to foster solidarity among working people. Most music, even political music, doesn’t do this all that directly. This is one small way to make our social character more important than our social content. I hope our shows become a big tent where people share ideas, inspiration, and work!”
Fans can recommend their favorite organizations in their community by filling out the online form available through Carlisle’s official website.
Last week, Carlisle embarked on an extensive North American tour in support of the album, beginning in Minneapolis and running through mid-December.
The Universal Bubba Tracklist
1. Mason Jar at the Center of the World
2. Gas Station
3. Use Me Up
4. Good Morning, Midnight
5. Marlboro Vinyasa
6. The Master’s Hammer
7. Contact High
8. The Universal Bubba
9. The Universal Bubba, Part Two
10. She Only Loves Horses
11. Ditchdigger’s Song (Dust and the Devil)
12. Sadly Enormous
13. I Ain’t Crazy
14. Red Leather, Yellow Leather
15. Old Milwaukee Onestep
16. Bigger’n Dallas
17. Golden Dragon Buffet
Willi Carlisle 2026 North American Tour Dates
October 1 – Toronto, ON – Longboat Hall
October 2 – Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place
October 3 – Lakewood, OH – Mahall’s
October 4 – Charleston, WV – Mountain Stage
October 6 – Lexington, KY – The Burl
October 7 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
October 8 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
October 9 – Cape Girardeau, MO – Scout Hall
October 10 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads
October 28 – Indianapolis, IN – Turntable
October 29 – Columbus, OH – Skully’s Music Diner
November 1 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
November 2 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right
November 3 – Somerville, MA – Crystal Ballroom
November 4 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse
November 6 – Portland, ME – First Parish Church
November 7 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
November 8 – Kingston, NY – Assembly
November 10 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird
November 12 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
November 13 – Carrboro, NC – Stanczyks
November 14 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
December 3 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
December 5 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
December 6 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social
December 9 – Vancouver, BC – The Pearl
December 10 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
December 11 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
December 12 – Trout Lake, WA – Trout Lake Hall
December 14 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
December 15 – Felton, CA – Felton Music Hall
December 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Sid The Cat Auditorium
December 18 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
December 19 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy + Harriet’s
December 20 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
