Mike Watt Announces New Project with Todd Congelliere

Bass legend Mike Watt has announced a new project with guitarist/singer Todd Congelliere called Jumpstarted Plowhards. The group is rounded out with a rotating cast of drummers, including Watt’s former Minutemen bandmate George Hurley, Hole drummer Patty Schemel, and Watt’s other musical partners Jerry Trebotic and Raul Morales.

The band will be releasing their first album, Round One, on October 4th with four more albums planned. Watt and Congelliere had shared bills since the early ’90s and began working together after a 2017 West Coast tour, during which the bassist suggested they collaborate.

“He’d supply Todd with bass parts recorded to click tracks and Congelliere would flesh out the songs with guitars and vocals and recruit different drummers to complete respective tunes,” a press release explains. “In the Summer of 2018, Todd received a CDR with 15 selections, headed to his Clown Sound studios and got down the business feeling both excited and overwhelmed. After laying his parts, and getting watt to record spiels on two songs, Congelliere began contacting drummers. As each song started taking shape, a prospective drummer usually popped into his head.”

The release goes on to say that the band will record five installments of their album series before playing, adding that Round Two is already taking shape and will be tracked later this year. Stay tuned for more details as we get them.