Willi Carlisle Releases GAS STATION Video Featuring Tyler Childers Puppet

Willi Carlisle and a puppet version of Tyler Childers star in the 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.

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.'

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!'

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

OCT 1 - Toronto, ON, Canada - Longboat Hall

OCT 2 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place

OCT 3 - Lakewood, OH - Mahall's

OCT 4 - Charleston, WV - Mountain Stage

OCT 6 - Lexington, KY - The Burl

OCT 7 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East

OCT 8 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway

OCT 9 - Cape Girardeau, MO - Scout Hall

OCT 10 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads

OCT 28 - Indianapolis, IN - Turntable

OCT 29 - Columbus, OH - Skully's Music Diner

NOV 1 - Ardmore, PA - Ardmore Music Hall

NOV 2 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby's All Right

NOV 3 - Somerville, MA - Crystal Ballroom

NOV 4 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse

NOV 6 - Portland, ME - First Parish Church

NOV 7 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground

NOV 8 - Kingston, NY - Assembly

NOV 10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird

NOV 12 - Washington, DC - Union Stage

NOV 13 - Carrboro, NC - Stanczyks

NOV 14 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl

DEC 3 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater

DEC 5 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge

DEC 6 - Boise, ID - Shrine Social

DEC 9 - Vancouver, BC Canada - The Pearl

DEC 10 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern

DEC 11 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios

DEC 12 - Trout Lake, WA - Trout Lake Hall

DEC 14 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent

DEC 15 - Felton, CA - Felton Music Hall

DEC 17 - Los Angeles, CA - Sid The Cat Auditorium

DEC 18 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar

DEC 19 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy + Harriet's

DEC 20 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar