Doc – guitar, vocals, piano, drums, and bass
Haley Fleming – violin
I am in a good mood this morning for various reasons. First, it is Friday and a bank holiday weekend awaits. This equates to lie in, no school runs and some quiet time. I may even get to see some benefit to my subscription to History Hit. Secondly the sun is shining and I have a rather excellent looking sandwich for lunch today. All this positivity put me in mind to dip into the review tray that appears to be growing by the day. I spotted the name of this group Sawtooth Witch and was intrigued enough to dive into a late morning full album review of (I am told) acoustic dance music.
I will share the press information I have first and then turn my attention to a track-by-track review (you see we actually listen to the music here at Rock the Joint!).
Press release:
It began as a search for a new sound. After touring the country with several bands over the years, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Pat ‘Doc’ Dougherty reunited with old friend and collaborator Haley Fleming on fiddle to create something new. The sound was honed in taverns and bars up and down Highway 61 and slowly formed into a soulful blend of all the pages in the American songbook. A genre bending blend of hill-country blues, cosmic country, and even a little bit of house music.
Their debut album “The Chariot” was recorded by Holly Hansen at Salon Sonics in Minneapolis and mixed by Nat Harvie and in 2025 Sawtooth Witch’s lead single “The Hustle” was considered Best new Music by MSP Magazine, RACKET, and 89.3 The Current.
My Review:
The album was released on April 24, 2026 so is out on all major platforms now.
The album has eight songs and runs at just over 22 minutes.
“The Hustle” opens in style with a really strong funky country feel. It took me into this heavy beat and there is plenty of angst against all the “bullshit you say you believe in.” I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was a very enjoyable opener, danceable and I am sure great live.
“You See Me?” kept a rhythmic backbeat overlaid with a folky style of narrative song. This one is more of a haunting track—perfect with a cup of tea.
“Stories We Tell” delivers this sense of old style blues rhythm and pondering lyrics with an upbeat modern beat, stripped back and to the fore. Just from listening to the first three tracks the band has a real identity and I like how this older groove is presented with modern polish.
“The Weight” brings some soulful violin to the table, giving the song a bit of folk edge. I enjoyed the vocals from Doc here, an emotive connection to a song that carries its own weight with style, one to listen to rather than dance to.
“A madman gagging
On a silver spoon in the night…”
“Coming to America” is a snappy commercial number, surely a radio ready track that would sit happily in a breakfast playlist. I am impressed with the vocal range of Doc, he stretches to some high notes here!
“The Punchline” has a nice bass feel to it, at 2.01 it leaves the stage very quickly but is an enjoyable little track that slips nicely into the flow of the album.
“The Dream” is a track that I found interesting, especially when it changed direction a bit mid-section. It is one of those tracks that slips neatly into the latter section of the album without really demanding attention.
“Leave the Light On” closes down the album with confidence. It has a simple repeated beat and the violin sound lifting the background.
“If the truth can tear it apart
It should be torn apart…”
So…At just over 20 minutes, The Chariot doesn’t outstay its welcome—it makes its mark and slips out the door before you’ve even thought about skipping a track. Sawtooth Witch might be carving out their own lane here, and on this evidence, it’s one worth following.
Love what we do? Rock the Joint Magazine is completely free — no paywalls, no ads ruining the read — just passionate music journalism for 1,000+ readers a day. If you enjoy hanging out with us, please consider hitting the “Support Us” button and buying us a coffee on Ko-Fi. Even a small donation genuinely helps keep the magazine running, lets us publish more features, and reminds us that people value independent music writing.
You can stream music from Sawtooth Witch here
Review By Stevie Ritson
Mixed by Nat Harvie
Mastered by Huntley Miller
Printed by outta wax in Minneapolis, MN.
Photography by Tom Smouse
All songs written and arranged
By Pat Dougherty © 2026
We have some great merchandise, please do check out and support independent journalism, it is on our site, or linked here
JOIN ROCK THE JOINT MAGAZINE ON A JOURNEY FOR THE BEST IN INDEPENDENT MUSIC JOURNALISM – WE COVER ROCK, COUNTRY, JAZZ AND CHRISTIAN MUSIC. LEADING FEATURES, INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS AND EDITORIALS. SUPPORT US ON KO-FI.