Three Chords and the Truth UK

Playing at a sunny Maverick Festival in July In the week that saw the Americana music industry re-convene in Nashville, Tennessee for its annual get together, it is intriguing to think how connoisseurs of old time Appalachian music would take to UK folk/bluegrass duo The Carrivick Sisters. Multi-instrumental sibling harmony acts are at the core of this style of music stateside and these two ladies from Salcombe, Devon would be able to stand shoulder to shoulder alongside some of the highly rated artists responsible for the old time revival. Catching them for the third time this year, albeit in different formats, has confirmed their undoubted potential and the setting for this well attended Monday evening gig at Henry Tudor House in Shrewsbury was ideal for the preview of their upcoming album OVER THE EDGE. Charlotte and Laura have been steadily acquiring new admirers in their relatively short career to date due to an innate ability to merge the influence of traditional folk wi...

Whether or not the My Darling Clementine project ends with just the two albums, we have been left with a blueprint of how the golden age of the country duet can be revitalised and refreshed in the second decade of the twenty-first century. THE RECONCILIAITION? carries on in the true tradition of great concept albums, by moving the story forward from 2011’s HOW DO YOU PLEAD? before leaving you with a couple of subtle clues as to the ending. The legacy of this record is that you can choose to intently immerse yourself into the literary content or just sit back and soak up the retro vibes but either way the effect will be equally as profound and long lasting. The architects of the My Darling Clementine project are that stalwart of the UK Americana scene Michael Weston King and his talented wife Lou Dalgleish, showcasing her vocal and writing expertise, with also no doubt a little keyboard playing added to the live show. Under the guidance of co-producer Colin Elliott, and with ...

Ready to showcase all three phases of her career, LeAnn Rimes valiantly stepped onto the Birmingham Symphony Hall stage to shrug off her recent ailments and set about re-establishing herself with a live UK audience. While the gig may have been close to following the same demise as the Dublin date a few days earlier, those present sampled the opportunity to savour her precious vocal talent and enthusiastically welcomed her back to Britain’s provincial arenas. Circumstances may have contributed to a halving of the set time from the two-hour Belfast extravaganza that opened the tour but it gave sufficient evidence as to why millions have bought into her crossover appeal. The hugely successful period where LeAnn floated around the peripheral of the country music model was represented by a string of hits including ‘How Do I Live’, ‘Cant’ Fight the Moonlight’, ‘Life Goes On’ and ‘ Last Thing on My Mind’ and these were well received by those not deterred by the slightly inflated ticket...

The road to this spellbinding debut release by Brandy Clark may have been long but not a minute of life experience, observation and absorption of influence has been wasted as 12 STORIES captures the very essence of what country music is all about. From her raising in quintessential small town USA, also known as Morton, WA (pop 900) to the recent success as a hit Nashville songwriter, Brandy has honed a talent to analyse, articulate and convey the truth in an uncomplicated song style not far from the proverbial ‘three chords’. The re-assuring down to earth vocal delivery cements these attributes to package an anthology of real life pain, anguish, trepidation, temptation and regret with a small dose of black humour to show a glint of light. With the encouragement of Marty Stuart and under the guidance of Dave Brainard (Jerrod Neimann), Brandy has produced a stunning collection of 12 masterpieces that easily rivals the highly marketed output from her pure song writing role. At a ti...

Having been slightly disappointed with The Be Good Tanyas Warwick Arts Centre show earlier this year, the most important aspect of the 2013 Moseley Folk Festival was being given another chance to re-connect with this Vancouver based trio who had risen to such prominence in the world of folk roots during the millennium’s early years. An hour and twenty minutes after they had set foot on the festival’s idyllic main stage, any doubts had been removed as Frazey Ford, Trish Klein and once again Caroline Ballhorn deputising for the recuperating Sam Parton gave a master class in how to deliver and interpret a mixture of classic roots material. Frazey Ford of The Be Good Tanyas Whether delving into folk, blues, gospel or celebrating the music of Neil Young and Bob Dylan, The Be Good Tanyas supremely entertained a Sunday teatime crowd who were revelling in the reclamation of the festival’s genre after the eclectic headliners of the preceding days. There may have been references to some...