Three Chords and the Truth UK

  Duo music never stands still, and while we often celebrate iconic names from the past where two voices melt into one, there is nothing more refreshing than hailing a new act to carry the artform forward. The Glass Hours are more newish than new but the latest album CHAPEL GLASS is getting a lift to find fresh ears.   Within a few bars and an opening verse, you sense a winning ticket is in your possession. Fast forward 35 minutes (or more likely slowly savour the playing time), a sensuous charm with front porch solace holds together a patchwork of tender songs. American songwriters Megan Barbera and Brad Armstrong originally from Colorado and Alabama, conjure something special to mould into a keeper. The ten tracks capture facets of love through a multitude of lens - past, passing, passion and place. Acoustic grace is threaded by a country lilt and you are invited into an intimate space where integrity is intact. The songs seamlessly drift from the enticing impact of opener ‘...

The curtain of cloud opened on solstice morning and the walled garden was bathed in beautiful sunshine. Intermittent rays and prevalent gloom gave way to how every summer festival should be. The weather is always in the back of your mind when winding through the Shropshire lanes in mid-June. A south-west facing hill location has played tricks in the past. No drama in 2026 as Beardy Folk danced, sang and lazed to a successful staging of edition no. 9. With a milestone on the horizon, the formula is locked and polished over a tenure at Hopton Court that has surfed a few challenges. Tinkering has been the recent past and likely the immediate future. Why radically alter what works? As the dust settles, let’s reflect on how a musical landscape was sculpted across a weekend when fortune favours an inquisitive mind. The first disclaimer is the music runs across four days, albeit only three acts greet early arrivals on Thursday evening. This limited offering was extended to all ticket holders ...

  June releases awash with jangly guitars and multiple harmonies will always evoke a summery feel. The source may be southern England rather than West Coast USA but The Hanging Stars have become an established band of conjuring such a sound. JUST A DAY is their 6th release and a sufficient starting point if you want to discover a group hovering around the fringes poised for a significant breakthrough. Whether the new album delivers it is subject to a host of external factors. The upshot is a band seemingly in a good place, honing a tight sound and feasting on a revised network of assistance.   Dreamy links and sumptuous moments pepper this dozen song collection paraded by band frontman, main songwriter and guitar-vocalist Richard Olson. Threaded through the album are numerous examples of a studio masterclass aided by the contribution of Teenage Fanclub’s Gerard Love in a co-production capacity. These range from fusing keys, guitar and exemplary vocal concoctions to arranging t...

  Resourceful and talented singer-songwriter Hannah Scott continues to seek innovative ways of getting her music out in the open. The latest offering is a slimmed down gift sending out a timely reminder   of a how a mighty sound can emanate from a carefully constructed base. THREADS successfully keeps a flame alight in anticipation of further rich pickings from a wider platform.   The adaptability of Scott’s writing shines through as she mixes personal recollections with commissions. Themes range from family to places of residence with sincerity and perception engineering a creative drive to conjure thoughts into stake-in-the-ground songs. Relatability shines through alongside an appreciation of how craft can mould into distinction.   Possessing a signature song capable of holding court both on record and live is a viable asset. ‘ Sitting in the Dark’ , lamenting the rental system, has been a popular setlist inclusion for a while and sits pretty here in the closing p...