Over the weekend of 5th, 6th and 7th
July, a select group of excellent Americana artists from either side of the 'Big
Pond' will assemble once again in the rural and agricultural setting of Easton
Farm Park in deepest Suffolk. The laid back ambience and wholesome feel to the
event can often belie the depth of quality emanating from the makeshift stages.
The mainstream music industry is invited but they come on the terms of the festival’s
ideals. Many of the acts have a substance that outweighs their perceived
standing but compliance is not on the agenda. So welcome to Part 1 of the 2013
Maverick Festival preview. This is the first of a trio of articles looking at
some of the artists booked for this year. The structure is going to be
geographical so stay tuned for the UK and the US, but first up is the 2013
Canadian contingent. 
With the festival usually falling fairly near the July 1st
Canada Day celebrations, artists sometimes combine their trip with the
Trafalgar Square festivities. Anyhow close musical relations and a shared heritage
between the two countries usually sees an abundance of summer visitors and this
year is no different. So hot on the heels of last year’s attendees – Sarah McDougall,
Cara Luft, Amelia Curran, Rose Cousins, Ladies of the Canyon and Corb Lund, in
2013 we have Ruth Moody, Good Lovelies, Old Man Luedecke, Leeroy Stagger and
Dennis Ellsworth. Three of the artists have already been subject to features on
this site and there is little doubt that this will be corrected for the other
two by the end of the summer.
Ruth Moody is no stranger to these shores with both solo
visits and trips with her band the Wailin Jennys. Winnipeg raised Ruth is
currently on a hiatus from the Juno award winning band and this summer’s visit
is a follow up to last winter’s highly successful solo tour. In fact she was
the first artist to be featured on this blog when playing Warwick School and
earned a favourable review The success of the those UK dates led to Ruth being
invited to join the Transatlantic Sessions line up and she delighted large hall
audiences up and down the country with her classically trained – folk influenced
vocals. She has a brand new release to support this summer’s dates and
hopefully THESE WILDER THINGS will be as good as her previous album THE GARDEN.
So look out for Ruth’s other dates as well as her no doubt prestigious spot at
the Maverick Festival. Recommended Track: We Can Only Listen - Ruth Moody
The Good Lovelies, from Toronto, are also blog favourites
with their 2012 Ross-on-Wye show earning 4th place in the end of
year gig list. The roots influenced multi instrumental harmony trio of Caroline
Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore will certainly add to their growing list of
admirers after this festival appearance. The band has recently returned to the
road after Caroline’s family addition and they will be accompanied by a live
album to give you an experience of their performing talents. Hopefully it won’t
be too long before the band follow up 2011’s LET THE RAIN FALL with an offering
of new original material. The Good Lovelies are playing a host of other UK
dates in June and July including a terrific pre-Maverick double header with
Ruth Moody in Oxford on the eve of the festival. The set by this exceptional
Canadian band is one not to be missed. Recommended Track: Crabbuckit - Good Lovelies
A very recent addition to the festival line up and all the
way from the north eastern extremes of Canada is Nova Scotia troubadour Old
Man Luedecke. This first class singer-songwriter is in the UK for a number of
dates in May before returning for the early July festival. His latest album
TENDER IS THE NIGHT received a highly complimentary review from this blog in
March and this Juno nominated artist is set for a lot more coverage here in
2013. Old Man (or Chris to some) raised his UK profile a little last year
especially with an appearance at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival and hopefully can
continue this momentum with his forthcoming visit. Festival goers will adore
his catchy songs, thoughtful lyrics and excellent banjo playing. Old Man
Luedecke is a worthy addition to the list of fine Canadian artists to grace the
stages of Easton Farm Park. Recommended Track: Song for Ian Tyson - Old Man Luedecke
Canadian roots rocker Leeroy Stagger hails from the western
province of British Columbia, a very long way from Nova Scotia! However his
brand of alt-country defined music is set to woo Americana fans who like a little
bit of edge to their sounds. Leeroy is a new artist to me but anybody who adds
a Birmingham date to their tour schedule has got an increased chance of coming
across my radar. His stock in the UK is set to rise following his signing with
Clubhouse Records for the UK promotion of his forthcoming release TRUTH BE
SOLD. Clubhouse will be featured more prominently in the UK review but if their
taste in artists is anything to go by then we will be in for a treat with
Leeroy Stagger.
The Canadian contingent for this year is concluded by
prolific singer-songwriter Dennis Ellsworth. While it has to be admitted that
little is known about this artist the beauty of any festival especially Maverick
is the opportunity to discover and embrace new acts. The judgement of the
organisers has an exemplary track record so there is little doubt that Dennis
will fit in well with the surroundings of this festival.
So this year’s maple leaf contingent is another stellar line
up and set to further the cause of country, roots and Americana music north of
the 49th Parallel in the UK. Next up will be the US artists in May
followed by the UK contribution in June. Stay tuned.
Note: These artists are listed to perform on the festival’s
website as at date of publish.