Photo credit: Kayla Jean
Last spring Rolling Stone published an article about the lyrics for an early, never-recorded Bob Dylan song called "On, Wisconsin" going to auction, and it sparked something in Milwaukee singer/songwriter Trapper Schoepp. “I just got this sinking feeling in my gut,” Schoepp told Rolling Stone. “I knew that I needed to finish what was started.”
Schoepp completed the song, adding a melody and fleshing out the lyrics—and correcting Dylan's colorful pronunciation of "Wow Wow Toaster"—then had his manager reach out to Dylan's camp for permission to publish it. To his surprise, Dylan approved and signed off on its release, making Schoepp one of the few songwriters of his generation who can now claim that he co-wrote a song with the folk legend. Rolling Stone has the story of how it all came together; you can stream the finished track below.
"On, Wisconsin" also doubles at the first taste of Schoepp's upcoming album, Primetime Illusion, produced by Wilco's Pat Sansone. The album will be released Jan. 25, 2019, and Schoepp will play a local release show shortly afterward, at the Back Room at Colectivo on Feb. 2.
