Three Chords and the Truth UK

UK new 'country' duo The Shires have been presented with an unprecedented opportunity to make a well backed record that could take this modern genre of music in this country into unchartered territory. Formed a little over a year ago and now under the wing of Decca Records, the duo of Chrissie Rhodes and Ben Earle are being targeted at taking on the country pop wing of Nashville’s mainstream elite at their own game. In preparation for their upcoming debut album release, The Shires have undertaken a few UK dates to add some experience to the media adulation being bestowed upon them. As a consequence, the upstairs room at Birmingham’s established Institute venue was well attended with an audience intrigued to find out more about the band. Opening up for The Shires on this short tour was young singer songwriter Frankie Davies who played an half hour set of acoustic driven country music with a slight edge and no little heart. There was a flicker of maturity in her performance ...

There can be a fine line at the point where country and Americana music merge into a straightforward mainstream rock sound. Belfast based band The Rising have demonstrated knowing its precise location and suitably positioned their album to pitch to listeners from those genres rather than the minefield of bland radio fodder. Make no mistake COMING HOME is a belt and braces rock album full of crashing guitars, riffs and solos but it also toys with some of the sounds emanating from Nashville’s stadium crop and the more indie elements that fuel the alt country music scene. The intention behind this release was to adopt a more roots rock stance leading to guitarist Chris Logan adding banjo and mandolin to his armoury, although their influence can be a touch tricky to detect. What are undeniable are the raw passion, energy and integrity that exists within the ten songs that race along at a breathless pace. The Rising are effectively a slimmed down version of a deceased band formerly kno...

The Americana genre could well have evolved out of THE RED ALBUM by Red Molly. This potpourri of American roots music is wonderfully sang, exquisitely played and superbly assembled. It strikingly disproves the theory that different styles can be accommodated without being mastered. Listen carefully, which is mandatory, and influences of blues, rock, soul, jazz, country, folk, gospel and pop can be detected, all capturing the true spirit of Americana. Red Molly has been in existence for ten years with the present trio being in place since 2010 when Molly Venter (guitar) joined Laurie MacAllister (bass) and Abbie Gardner (dobro). This latest release hit their home stateside market in late spring and gets its formal UK introduction on August 25. The added bonus for old and new fans alike is that the band are due to make their inaugural UK visit in October for a series of live dates and seal this welcome expansion into our market. Produced in Nashville under the guidance of for...

Although the name Vena Portae is new, it barely took a few bars into the first song to recognise the distinctive vocals of Emily Barker. Not wanting to confine herself to a solitary project, Emily has temporarily put the Red Clay Halo Band on one side for a short period to concentrate on this collaboration described in its press release as an ‘Anglo Swedish alt-folk band’. This self-titled debut album is an explorative effort full of melodious moments, beautifully sung and underpinned by a strong roots sound. The evocative album cover and recording in a Swedish winter location suggested an element of darkness to reflect the harshness of the environment but this is a far from noir sound as a breezy thread weaves the refined folk sentiments with a concoction of roots infused instruments. The opening lead track and single ‘ Summer Kills’ succeeds in endearing your musical senses, sets the tone for a record which demands attention and is a subtle link to the Americana vibes Emily c...

He draws on the depth of the blues; He sings the folk songs of the land. However most of all, Sturgill Simpson understands country music and performs it right from the inner sanctum of its very soul. He is unassuming and without pretence with a stolid humility grateful for the gift he has been presented and the current wave of adulation being bestowed upon him. On the back of a storming performance on the David Letterman show back home, Sturgill has once again returned to the UK for a further string of dates and is set to continue to adhere himself with our country music fan base. Sturgill Simpson The quaint and slightly worn grandeur surroundings of London’s Bush Hall steamed in a sultry environment more akin to a mid-west summer’s evening as Sturgill strode on to the stage backed by his newly acquainted sidekicks for this tour, Scotland’s very own Daniel Meade and Lloyd Reid. For the next hour and a quarter, a near sold out crowd had a glimpse of honky tonk heaven with Sturg...

For somebody who recorded such an inspirational song in ‘ Sunday, Monday Blues’ back in the summer of 2012, every subsequent Emma Jane release has to match up to this standard from a personal perspective. Since then a publishing deal has been secured along with some movement in the American market as Emma Jane started to guide her music in a more country direction. 2013’s EP release SILVER STREETS initially followed up her debut full length album PENILEE SONGS and she has further cemented her sound in this sphere with her latest recording WORKHORSE. The title could well sum up the character of an independent artist who undertakes most of the record making duties right from writing though to doing the PR. Funds have probably limited this release to seven tracks but this doesn’t diminish the quality as Emma Jane continues to cultivate a unique UK take on the country, roots and Americana genre. Her vocals are the main contributors to this stance as their slightly worn effect perfectl...

Every so often an artist needs to freshen up their live show to keep an audience engaged. For well over ten years Eve Selis has been touring the UK on an almost annual basis both with a full band and as a duo with long term musical partner Marc ‘Twang’ Intravaia. However for the 2014 tour including this evening’s show at the legendary Tingewick Village Hall, it’s a case of ‘California Dreaming’ or to be more specific ‘San Diego Singing’. To headline this gig on a sultry evening in the Buckinghamshire countryside, more akin to the Golden State, Eve morphed in Berkley, Hart, Selis and Twang to deliver a 75 minute set of glorious two, three and four part harmonies decorating a plethora of catchy tunes echoing the golden age of west coast music. For once the effervescent Eve happily settled into a co-starring role alongside Calman Hart, Jeff Berkley and of course Marc serving up his usual finger pickin’ treat. The occasion was to celebrate the release of the quartet’s new self-titled ...

One of the key events each year for fans of Canadian folk and roots music is to check out the nominees for the prestigious Juno awards in the relevant traditional category. In recent years this has become more relevant for us in the UK with so many artists visiting our shores to share their delightful music. To this list we can now add the name of Amanda Rheaume who, despite not being ultimately successful with her Juno nominated album, is about to undergo a period of promotion in the UK. The acclaimed album KEEP A FIRE is set for a formal release over here on 18 August around the same time that she undertakes an inaugural tour. It doesn’t take long to understand the merits of this record which succeeds in blending informed storytelling with a sophisticated sound merging the very best of folk, pop and rock. Based in the nation’s capital Ottawa, Amanda’s music takes you on a Trans Canadian journey through the stories, tales and experiences of her family heritage which includes a ...

The name may not be familiar but a solitary listen to SHADOWBIRDS is all you need to be put under the hypnotic spell of Red Sky July. Dig a little deeper and the trio behind the band will reveal their talents and you can start to understand why they have just put together a record that could well be unrivalled as the best 2014 UK release heavily slanted towards the country and roots genre. With an optimum length of 10 tracks and 38 minutes, not a second is wasted as the album leads you down a blissful path of heartfelt emotion whilst tipping its hat to the core essence of Americana music. Before we celebrate the finesse of each track, let's unveil the prestigious background to the trio starting with Ally McErlaine who was at the heart of the Scottish band Texas’s 15 million record sales followed closely by his wife, Shelly, one half of 90s million selling pop act Alisha’s Attic. The trio is completed by Charity Hair who includes The Alice Band and Blur’s Dave Rowntree in her...

The thriving health of any local music scene is dependent on the extraordinary hard work of artists showing great determination to plough on with their song writing, gigging and hoping one day to get the finance together to release an album. This often means songs become staples of live sets before they get the studio treatment. Just over a year ago, I covered a Louise Petit headline gig at the Kitchen Garden Café in Birmingham and it is good to report that a number of songs played that evening have surfaced on LOUDER THAN YOUR DRUM, her debut full length release. With her accomplished brand of acoustic folk alt-pop, Louise has been active on the Midlands live circuit for a few years now and the calm, composed and measured way she delivers her songs have made her a respected artist. For the recording of the new album, Louise was ably assisted by her two band sidekicks Russ Sargeant on bass and Tim Heymerdinger on percussion. Also producer Martin Atkinson was able to assist with ...

It was only a matter of time until Nashville spread their net from promoting contemporary country music in the UK to look a little deeper into what home grown promise there is. While it is far from unique for a UK act to have their sights on country music stardom, Ward Thomas have come up with a package that matches up well with its similar styled output from Music City. Make no mistake this is unabated country pop done well and the siblings have hit on a formula which will give them every chance of exploiting their target markets. The size of the home market is yet to be determined but ambition is high that the mainstream can be permeated by national radio airplay. This would be a great shot in the arm for the genre in the UK as FROM WHERE WE STAND has sufficient country merit to distance itself from the run of the mill chart mediocrity. Barely out of their teens, the twins Catherine and Lizzy from rural Hampshire, clearly understand where their influences lie and the direction t...

Otis Gibbs is a regular visitor to the UK and will always guarantee you a good show. He has been a firm favourite of mine since first seeing him hold court at the Big Sessions Festival in Leicester in 2009. A subsequent duet with Billy Bragg on the Gram Parsons' classic ' Sin City ' at that festival further cemented his status and the five most recent albums are a brimful collection of wonderful observational tales. Needless to say his Birmingham show at the Kitchen Garden Cafe matched the blueprint that has set the high standards and he acquired many new fans who were seeing him for the first time. Having reviewed Otis on countess occasions, this time I would like to predominantly share some of the music played on the night to tempt a few more people to seek out the wise man of Wanamaker Indiana coming to you via East Nashville and a listening venue near your town. The first two songs were featured in his opening set and show the span of the releases that he draws his ...

The temptation to use the pun of going straight to your veins is too good to resist when referring to this album as BLOOD TEST possesses a penetrative quality seeking to seep deep into your inner senses. Kris Delmhorst had taken a six year break between albums of original material and if this is your introduction to the New York raised artist now living in Massachusetts, you’re in for a treat. Listening to this album re-enforces the view that Americana music is best heard rather than defined with its drooling melodies melting into the sumptuous sound and thoughtful lyrics. This is Kris’s seventh album and although she is new to me, her husband, the fine song writer Jeffrey Foucault, has crossed my path on numerous occasions. Kris herself seeks only self-inspiration for her songs rather than collaboration or interpretation as twelve solo-write originals fill a record lavished with soft pedal steel and shimmering soulful organ. For this project Kris has teamed up with Anders Parker ...

Peter Bradley-Adams It was a privilege to be present at the final break up concert of iconic rock band the New American Troubadours. It was a tearful event of heartbreak, emotion and just a touch of irony. Try searching for the back catalogue of this band and you will draw on a blank. On the other hand if you check out the works of Robby Hecht, David Berkeley and Peter Bradley-Adams, the talents of three real ‘new American troubadours’ will be all be revealed. Jest aside, these three guys served up a highly entertaining night at the Kitchen Garden Café as they concluded a short UK tour which will probably see the end of the banner designed to herald their introduction to the UK folk/Americana market. Essentially, all three are respected individual singer-songwriters back in the US with Robby Hecht probably having the highest profile in the UK as recalled from his tour with Carrie Elkin a few years back. For these UK dates, which included a combination of slots at the Maverick ...

Two anecdotal comments over the weekend captured the very essence of Americana music. In her Saturday evening slot in the Barn, Mary Gauthier commented that the genre won’t earn you much money but will sure get to your heart. The following morning during a presentation of The Band’s seminal Americana album MUSIC FROM BIG PINK, the host pulled up short of a definition of the genre by simply saying ‘you’ll know it when you hear it’. The couple of thousand music enthusiasts who descended on Easton Park farm in Suffolk for the seventh Maverick Festival certainly heard it, as a wealth of hardened, seasoned and burgeoning artists shared their talents in this idyllic agricultural setting. There is no finer point to commence the artist look back than the captivating performance that Mary Gauthier gave to those eager to savour the delights from one of Nashville’s most esteemed and respected singer-songwriters. There was a magnetic charm radiating from Mary, who mixed humour, stories and song...

Faith, family, tradition and love are the key ingredients that fuel the music of Jeni Hankins and Billy Kemp and all are to be found in abundance on their new album PICNIC IN THE SKY. This hastily arranged project for the Nashville based couple was an opportunity too good to turn down as they headed west to LA after a chance meeting with producer Dave Way. The result is probably their most complete album to date without losing any of the legitimacy that marks their core Appalachian sound. If anything the widening of instrumental input from the assembled session musicians, given the temporary accolade of the Big Picnic Band, has enhanced the vocal elegance of Jeni and the effectiveness of the harmony driven duets with Billy. For the record, Billy is a city boy from Baltimore chasing the country dream while Jeni is a country girl from West Virginia living the country dream. Together they make sweet music as rooted in the sound of their ideal rural surroundings as you could expect. Ins...