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WP: It is. I’ve never quite thought of it as that actually, but it is. Stylistically and I feel it is and it

also is this one other thing, Ian, and I’ve never quite considered it that, but it is like a different
chapter of “Swamp Cabbage” for two reasons. We, as white folks in the southern US, if we’re self-
examining at all we ask ourselves what role do we play to perpetuate racism in our country and we
also ask ourselves, what has been the influence?
What aspects of multi-culturalism, black culture and

white culture in this country, what aspects have
influenced me to be who I am and what are the
positive aspects of that? With “Swamp Cabbage”, I
was kind of on this adventure. I was pondering
probably the archetypical southerner that I could
have been if I’d stayed in the south. That’s what I
was lyrically writing about. It was almost a comedic

adventure of that. So “Swamp Cabbage”was more
lyrically about me exploring the person I could have
been had I remained in the south and not moved to
New York and not travelled the world.

But The Unlawful Assembly was me exploring and
giving reverence to the black music actually that

very much influenced who I was as a musician and
to black culture in the south that influenced me to be the person that I was. I realised that this is a
very tricky subject because I’m playing music that was essentially not of my own history, but my
ancestors created a scenario that created for better or for worse the music that I’m rearranging
now. Almost historically, I’m exploring what part my people or whatever played in that. I don’t

know that’s the best answer I can give you. It is a continuum of "Swamp Cabbage", but whereas
lyrically with "Swamp Cabbage", a lot of it I think was satirical, The Unlawful Assembly is a very
serious project. We can get people dancing live and we put smiles on people’s faces like I’ve never
seen, Ian.

The beauty of this project is that when I play it live, I’m almost getting in tears just talking about
this because it’s like the music is dredged out of such deep sorrow. It comes from servitude. It

comes from convict labour and all of these things but yet when it’s performed in the modern-day,
by black and white musicians coming together, people who hear it, they’re smiling. Black and
white people listening to it. They’re smiling, they’re dancing, it’s almost like we’re helping to mark
an era that has passed. I feel like it’s an honour to be doing this, but it is a very serious
responsibility and I hope we pass the test, ultimately. That’s what I have to say about that, but
that’s an excellent question.

BiTS: I have to say, Walter, that I’m a great admirer of your music. I have been since "Swamp
Cabbage". I think that the new album that you’ve done is absolutely terrific and I have played it on
my radio shows and will continue to do so, but I want to ask you just before you go, please, to tell
me something about this project that you’re doing for the Library of Congress. What’s that actually
about?

WP: I am exploring the music of what we call the homesteaders and that’s the nicer name for it.

The white homesteaders who lived out in the Okefenokee Swamp, which is a swamp in southeast
Georgia near where I grew up. They lived on the islands in the Okefenokee Swamp between the