Hog Branch is the production and publishing company of musician, producer, writer, and editor, Rick Watson. Music and publishing pursuits go hand-in-hand in Austin, Texas, where Rick moved from NYC seven years ago, and Hog Branch Productions is prospering on both fronts: creating educational programs for struggling readers and producing some of the best new music on the Texas Country and rockabilly scenes.
Hog Branch Productions is based on flexibility and on exploring creative solutions to your educational, audio/musical, and editorial challenges. Rather than focusing on one skill at the expense of others, we believe in utilizing all of our talents, knowledge, and resources to meet goals.
On the Educational Publishing front, Rick leverages over ten years' experience in writing and editing content, and in helping create programs for Striving and Reluctant Readers. He's completed projects for Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Princeton Review, and McGraw-Hill, among others. He has also recorded and edited audio for numerous Reading Intervention audio books and software-based media.
On the Music Production front, Rick maintained high visibilty in NYC's downtown music and theater scenes for over a decade, and now in Austin, Rick plays bass for the mighty Jesse Dayton, and he has recently worked with Texas artists Bill Rice, Jarrod Birmingham, George Devore, Dane Sterling, and Keith Davis.
Rick toured with Smith Music artist Dean Seltzer in 2009, slapping his 1955 Kay upright in support of Dean's album, Lady Luck. Rick has also worked with award-winning composer-director Content Love Knowles on musical theater projects at Vortex Theater in Austin.
Rick collaborated with singer-songwriter Jared Lightfoot on the Wicked Brew Band's album Down South, released by Smith Entertainment in April 2008. Their debut single, I'm Alright, reached Number 16 on the Texas Regional Radio Chart, and made the Top 25 on the Texas Music and Roots Country charts!
