From his first self-released album in 2001, through sixteen more, over thirty singles, and collaborations with the likes of King Khan, Mark Sultan, Jon Spencer, Deke Dickerson, and the 5.6.7.8’s, Bloodshot Bill has parlayed his unique blend of rockabilly, R&B, and garage rock into feverishly prolific productions that tap into the very roots of mutant rock’n’roll. As his reputation has grown, Bloodshot Bill has been deemed a rockabilly wildman, a primitive, a seminal punk, a throwback to the wild ’50s, and the deranged spirit of psychobilly madness. His latest album, Psyche-o-Billy, on Goner Records, exudes raw energy and authenticity via a frenzied, stripped down soundscape that defies all rules and descriptions.
Written during the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded at Bloodshot Bill’s home studio in Montréal, Québec, Psyche-o-Billy is equal parts joyous, moody, plaintive, searching, and deeply steeped in that old weird America documented via the otherworldly tunes captured on Harry Smith’s Anthology Of American Folk Music. “My music is for weirdos,” Bloodshot Bill confirms. “I want ‘em to feel good…or bad… Whatever way they wanna feel!”
“Like Roy Orbison with a head injury!” —John Waters