For once, the
Suffolk weather for Maverick weekend was widely shared across the UK as the
great heatwave of 2018 rolled on. The contrasting improvised performing
locations on the site benefited both sun and shade seekers alike. Maybe our
guests from down under and the sultry southern states wore a wry grin while
performing, but you cannot deny us our precious time in the sun. Weather aside,
and the perception of ‘names’, the music on display cut a fine tune and showed
why our often indescribable sounds flourish positively away from the distant
hype of the populist masses.
Inevitably,
anybody attending the festival is going to form their own memories. Omissions
from this list are unscientific, just a case of practical realism. From a
primary prospective, the ears pricked with some resemblance of relevance and
identification before each song hurriedly slipped into the mental briefcase.
The wonderful worldwide web comes to life in the aftermath, but that may
sometimes not be enough. So applying the business phrase of ‘errors and
omissions excepted’, here in near random order are the songs that defined my
Maverick 2018.
Danny and
the Champions of the World inspired many in the Barn late on Saturday evening
with the delightfully optimistic ‘Never
Stop Building (That Old Space Rocket)’. You cannot beat a wave of idealism,
especially when delivered by the ‘best live band in Britain’. Giving their ‘greatest
ever performance’, just like Swindon the evening before, sometimes you can
search for top headliners across the Americana landscape and realise they are
just under your nose. Spending most of the time on electric guitar, Danny was clearly up for a good rocking time with the full Champs line up. This headline set saw the latest honorary Champ grab a piece of the action with Hannah Rose Platt joining Danny on stage for an acoustic duet of 'Don't Walk Away'. Good, but still in the slipstream of the 'rocket'.
There is
not an endless supply of cover songs emanating from the Maverick stages across
the weekend, apart from the occasional tribute collaborations that pop up. One exception
on the outdoor Southern Sounds stage on Saturday lunchtime was a version of
Townes Van Zandt’s ‘Lungs’ delivered by Nottingham based outfit The Most Ugly
Child. Who can resist a number from an iconic artist who wrote the song junkies
anthem ‘For the Sake of the Song’. The band spearheaded by Daniel Wright and
Stevie-Leigh Goodison were in rip roaring honky tonk form all set and proved a
timely reminder why their latest album COPPER & LACE met with so much press
approval when released early last year. A wise and sound choice to allow folks
to bask in the sunshine to some good music.
A promise
that this will be the last weather mention, but the pull of including ‘Rain in the Rock’ by The Danberrys was
too good to resist for irony alone. On the back of missing their Birmingham gig
the night before, every effort was made to catch Dorothy and Ben’s set. You had
to be a festival early arrival to see them as they were the second band in the
Barn on Friday teatime, but the half hour of smashing roots music the pair
delivered made it a worthwhile time investment. The Danberrys have played
Maverick before and a growing association with the UK from this Nashville based
duo will probably see them return again in the future. The song is taken from their 2013 self-titled album and they are definitely worth seeking out when they tour our shores again. 
The next
song comes from the first of two Scottish singer-songwriters who made the long
trek south to play the ‘In the Round’ presentation on the Friday evening. This
was arranged by the AMA UK and in fact, the second invitation extended to Steve
Grozier to play one of their events this year. Steve showed his growing
pedigree, with the song ‘Porcelain Hearts’, from a previous record that complemented his most recent EP titled A PLACE WE CALLED HOME being the selection
here. He was also one of many artists to play a session song or two in Leader’s
Live Lounge, which will air on Meridian FM over the coming weeks. This is fast becoming an extended essential feature to keep the festival flame burning as we head deeper into July. Many Maverick artists value this enhanced exposure.
Roseanne
Reid joined Steve for the Songwriters in the Round slot with Jeffrey Martin
and followed a similar route with the ensuing radio session too. Recommendations
for Roseanne’s music are starting to come thick and fast. The backstory will
quickly unveil, but there is a unique way in which she exhales her songs that
makes a distinct impression. Expect things to move rapidly when the Teddy
Thompson-produced debut album gets out and maybe the chosen song here, ‘Kingdom Come’, will make an appearance.
Maverick may well have been at the early stages of something special. Either way, Roseanne came across as a respectful unassuming character ready to build an organic career and share a passion for her love of writing songs. What the festival is all about. 
We will
stay on the Peacock stage, and the site of the songwriter’s event for a song
that hails from the traditional pool. Bonnie Bishop was one of the most eagerly
anticipated artists when the line-up was revealed and she did not disappoint across
her two festival appearances on a fleeting twenty-four hour visit to the UK.
Bonnie performed a magnificent version of ‘Jesus
Met the Woman at the Well’ in the collaborative slot before going on to
impress further with a fuller length set later in the Barn. She promised to
return to the UK in the autumn and eyes will be peeled for these dates. There
were no surprises from Bonnie Bishop. Just confirmation that she is an immensely talented artist heading on the right path. One adept at spinning the styles of folk, roots, soul and blues in a country song writing direction. 
Back
outside and a band that opened up the proceedings on Saturday morning. Luke
Tuchscherer brought his band the Penny Dreadfuls to Maverick and ensured there
was going to be no gentle easing in to the day’s music. Luke has recently
released his latest album PIECES, a self-admitted confession to return in some
part to his rockier days with the Whybirds. The song chosen for this review is ‘Sudden Getaway’ from the new record.
Although this was a loud-ish start to the day (Terra Lighfoot raised the
decibels on this stage later), the new material blended in well with the older
songs, with perhaps the sound moderated a little. A successful way to rid any Friday night excesses. This was a working trip back to the UK for Luke from his new home in the US and I am pretty sure he will continue to remain in touch on a professional level. 
As we
approach the half way mark of these twenty songs, let us head down under for
three artists making it an Aussie Maverick. Lachlan Bryan
and the Wildes led the contingent with a return to the festival after proving a
huge success in 2017. This time his appearances stretched the breadth of the
event, including multiple slots and collaborations with his compatriots. The
chosen song had to be ‘I Hope That I’m
Wrong’ from the new album SOME GIRLS (QUITE) LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC, containing
the most stunning line to open a track this year, easily surmounting to Isbell
proportions. Check it out and the other work of Lachlan Bryan as well. My voice
is not alone. Probably the artist that epitomises the spirit of Maverick the most from the 2018 alumni. 
Joining
Lachlan on this trip is Imogen Clark who on the surface represents a slightly
different strand of roots music. There is an element of leaning towards country
pop territory in terms of style and content, but this is done in a controlled
way that represents her youthful outlook and breezy persona. The pick from her
songs is ‘High Tide’ taken from a
solo set on Saturday tea time in the Barn and can also be found on her recent
album COLLIDE. Imogen’s extended influence came in the form of a cover of Linda
Rondstadt’s ‘You’re No Good’ finding its
way into the Aussie farewell extravaganza held on the Moonshine stage on Sunday
lunchtime. The talent from Imogen was indisputable and the avenues her vocals went down suggested an artist capable of many things in a bright future. 
Husband and
wife duo The Weeping Willows completed the Aussie trio for Maverick 2018.
Consisting of Andy Wrigglesworth on multiple guitars and Laura Coates on
vocals, they really came to prominence on Sunday morning via mini sets in
Leader’s Live Lounge and the pop up Travelling Medicine Show stage alongside
appearing with Imogen and Lachlan at the Aussie finale. Their folk and roots
style with a solid old time bluegrass feel resonated highly and from a short array of songs repeatedly heard on
Sunday, the yet to be recorded ‘House of
Sin’ made the cut here. Before we bid farewell to our friends from down
under, a quick shout out to bassist Shaun Ryan from the Wildes making it an
excellent quintet for this trip. Fingers crossed that all three acts can return to the UK at some point in the future.
Ten songs
down; ten to go. A time to take a breather and reflect on selected artists
not to make this cut. Sets by Dylan Earl, Southern Avenue, the Dan Webster Band and Terra Lightfoot
were dipped into, as was the BJ Cole Hawaiian pedal steel exhibition on
Saturday afternoon. Artists such as Arkansas Dave and Amelia White will no
doubt have their day. All Maverick artists ascend to a special status and make the
event a success. Not forgetting the fabulous setting and the amenable inhabitants
of Easton Farm Park.
Back to the
songs and an artist who has serious praise surrounding me from every angle.
Hans Chew had forty minutes in the Barn on Saturday evening, so decided only a
couple of his lengthy songs/musical pieces will suffice. It was easy to see
where this praise came from as a mesmeric presentation of experimental music
came to the fore. Different, but a true maverick. Sources told me the the first
song was ‘Open Sea’ from his latest
album so that is the selection nailed. Hans decided that major electric guitar
and minor keyboard work was going to be the format for the Barn. Literally minutes
from completing this set, he hopped over to the conventional piano in the
Moonshine and the party continued. Hans Chew had arrived at Maverick and more
personally bang into my sphere. 
Country
music at Maverick is usually there in spirit only, so it was time this morphed
into an earthly form. At last Ags Connolly had an invite and hopefully, the
three-song segment as part of the AMA UK Songwriters in the Round is a
blueprint for a return, this time on the main bill. ‘I Hope You’re Unhappy’ is a trademark Ags song and would make many
song cuts, not just this brief sortie around a festival weekend. In the
burgeoning UK ‘country’ scene, Ags Connolly is a true maverick, so it is about
time that the link is made. The set with Bonnie Bishop and Robbie Cavanagh was
the pick of the songwriter part. They interacted well and used the full extent of the forty-five minute slot to share common bonds found in their different styles. 
Circumstances
on the day dictated that attention might have been elsewhere when Curse of Lono
took to the outside stage at 4 o’clock on Saturday Those electing to choose the music were
treated to another impressive performance from a band quickly escalating the ladder
of live accomplishment. The highlight of this set came towards the latter
stages when equally good news spread around the site. ‘Pick up the Pieces’ is a lively focal track for a band driven
through the keys and making a comfy home in the Americana context that zooms in
on their form of alternate rock. A good choice to return to the festival after
last year’s guest AMA UK slot.
Joining
Curse of Lono on the outdoor stage was another band getting an extended invite
to return to the festival after showcasing the year before. The Grande made the
trip from Liverpool and gave a solid display of tightknit alt-country rock that
feasts profitably in any decent festival setting. The song ‘Open Heart’ came across as a decent
number deserving of a warranted mention. Post festival research identified it
as an old song from a 2011 album, but there is more recent material to check
out this band. They are the type of act that thrives on the Saturday afternoon at Maverick where those hunkering down on the Green tend to get fuller sounding performances than what tends to drift around the festival from the other locations. 
Let us flip
back from Saturday lunchtime to Friday teatime and a performance from Jonathan
Byrd that set the tone for any weekend interaction. This accomplished country folk artist
from Chapel Hill North Carolina is a perennial tourer to the UK and packs venues
up and down the land. It may have been his first visit to Maverick, but this
firm favourite at folk festivals got the pulse running with an a Capella
performance of ‘Poor Johnny’. Aided
by his talented sidekick Johnny Waken, who improvises with your bog standard
diy saw, in a musical way mind you, their duo act is once seen never forgotten. If you have not seen Jonathan Byrd before, he is well worth checking out. He seems to tour every other year or so and a good time is guaranteed. Folks at Maverick can now concur. 
There will
be plenty of new converts to the Jeffrey Martin fan club after his multiple
performances across the weekend. This was a singer-songwriter metaphorically and
literally sweating out his songs. We get spoilt with artists like these getting
persuaded to share their innate talent with British audiences. After seeing
Jeffrey play a couple of sets, there was a late change to the song pick with ‘The Middle’ standing out from his final
stage spot as the curtain was being drawn on another successful festival. The
theme of this song with the ‘middle’ being a good place to be is poignant,
especially if you can define your own middle. Apart from his songwriter's set, all Jeffrey's performances were in conjunction with his touring companion Anna Tivel.
Like her
touring partner, Anna also hails from Portland Oregon, an increasingly fertile
part of the US for creative artisans. There may well have been contrasting
elements to their vocal style and song delivery but both artists are diligently
immersed into the sanctity of the song. Anna adds fiddle to her repertoire with
it casting a velvet cloak over her softly spun songs. An emotive piece inspired
by her father making a recovery from an unusual health affliction moved into
the song selection spot with ‘The Lines
and the Tide’ available for all to enjoy on her 2016 record HEROES WAKING
UP. Maverick folks enjoyed what others had witnessed across Anna’s tour and
fingers are crossed that this can be expanded to other parts of the country
when she returns in the future. 
Maverick is
ideal for discovering new artists or at least checking out briefly known ones
in a live setting. Midlands based transatlantic duo A Different Thread made an inaugural
trip to this Suffolk gathering and grasped the opportunity to share a bunch of
tunes across three different platforms. The Leader’s Live Lounge session and a short performance on the Travelling Medicine Show stage were the added bonus to
playing a fuller set in the Barn on Saturday afternoon. A new song written by
co-member Alicia Best (fiddle/percussion/vocals) called ‘The Potters Field’ emerged as the pick and represented all that is intriguing
and fascinating when Americana saunters into the world of mysterious folk
music. Robert Jackson unites with Alicia to rally around the duo format excelling on guitar and harmonica.
The Goat Roper
Rodeo Band had the honour of closing the festival on Sunday afternoon, and an
energetic set of acoustic driven old time tonk music sent everybody home in a
celebratory dancing mood. This Welsh trio also had an equal honour of opening the Barn
stage on Friday late afternoon so it was a double celebration for a band
returning to Maverick after a few years widening their live presence elsewhere on
the UK summer circuit. Interestingly, the song that struck a chord was one of
the fewer slow numbers in ‘Don’t Believe
in You’, which was ironic listening to just as about to depart a festival
that you have believed in since first making the long trek down to Suffolk nine
years ago. Amidst the Americans, Canadians, Australians and Europeans booked to play, there will always remain a core of homegrown talent. 
This song-focussed review began with a personal festival
highlight and concludes with a performance that deserved equal billing. Advance
warning that the Cordovas were good proved an accurate assessment as they played
a scorching headline slot on the outdoors Southern Sounds stage. A blistering
set blew away the Easton Farm Park dust leading the pigs behind the stage to
rouse from their slumber into some frenetic activity. This was exhibitionist
country rock at its finest dealt by a band deciding that forty five minutes
requires no talking just a relentless flow of fine music. The song choice
finally rests on ‘Southern Rain’,
partially distinguished by its recognisable chorus. In fact, any of the tunes
could be picked as it was a set to remember and living proof that ‘known names’
are not necessarily the sole route when putting together a successful festival
line-up.
Cambridge may have Americana pedigree in 2018, while Black Deer and Long Road start up with a bigger budget, but can they eclipse the subtlety and romance of a festival defying the odds on many fronts. Eleven years is a feat in itself for an operation that evolves slowly and courts a loyal following. A firm fixture that would be missed if it floated away is a sound enough reason to plough on and provide a valuable platform for like-minded fans to mix freely with like-minded artists. Maverick is about the music, the artists, the fans, the ambience and... oh yes the song.
