Three Chords and the Truth UK

Lucinda Williams, Woody Guthrie and John Prine were cited during this show, but Alynda Lee Segarra is well equipped to ply her own route in the contemporary roots scene. The entity of Hurray for the Riff Raff forms a rooted base for Alynda to spill out the wares of her wandering spirit which blossoms into a haze of groovy soulful folk songs. This Birmingham show was the second date of a UK tour designed to re-acquaint a British audience with Hurray for the Riff Raff and it is all systems go for the new album to hit the markets as we head into the winter months. From the moment Alynda and her four band companions struck the first note of ‘End of the Line’ , an appreciative gathering at the Rainbow were left in awe of the talents in their midst. It was fitting that the band slipped in a cover of Lucinda’s ‘ People Talkin’ in the latter stages of their set as the similarities in Alynda’s approach to song delivery was stark and not just as a result of the shared Louisiana connectio...

Not only do East Nashville based duo, Wild Ponies put on excellent shows, they are also in the game of making exceedingly thoughtful and interesting records. RADIANT is the second album released under the band moniker Doug and Telisha Williams have decided to use and it does a fine job in defining the musical ethos that comes across in their live shows. A multitude of shades paint the façade and interior of this record, while shaping a style which reflects their influences, principles and outlook. The short gap between US and Europe release dates has heightened the anticipation for this album and it is sure to prove a popular buy during the duo’s current run of UK dates. This includes an appointment at the Maverick Festival; a perfect all round fit for Wild Ponies. Many of the eleven tracks had a preview on the last tour towards the end of 2015 with the reception being positive upon first listen. The recorded versions have lived up to the early promise with the four musicians assi...

The signal to start planning for the Maverick Festival arrived with the unveiling of the full weekend schedule. This announcement coincided with the revealing of a whole raft of new names, to without doubt make this the most extensive line up of Americana/roots artists on the summer festival circuit. Unfortunately it was announced that Los Pacaminos had pulled out of the event, yet this was compensated by an enhanced depth to the range of artists scheduled which is probably the festival’s defining feature. To stock up on the home grown talent on offer, it was a case of the old and the new. The most eye catching addition was Yola Carter who will play the Barn on Friday evening in one of the prime slots. Yola has been gathering praise as a solo artist in recent times and her style of soulful blues will add an extra dimension to the weekend sound. Making their Maverick debuts alongside Yola are Scottish artist Daniel Meade bringing his stomping brand of honky tonk roots south of t...

This was a show of many highlights. Two gifted songwriters answering a call to destiny while determine to overcome the perils of life’s obstacles. They both possess the burning desire to share their experiences, observations and feelings. Perhaps song writing and performing is a form of therapy that finds a willing audience ready to finance a journey through words and music. Whatever connects an articulate performer and active listener was prevalent in the Kitchen Garden Café this evening. Hannah Aldridge and Lilly Hiatt play music of the soul in a way that captivates a tuned-in audience leaving a trail of awe, satisfaction and belief that straight from the gut music is full of intense appeal. Poignant moments endlessly flowed from a show that inevitably adopted a shared platform feel. The overseas touring experience, vocal presence and dominant poise edged Hannah in the billing stakes, yet Lilly wasted little time in stripping back the tracks of a brand new album to reveal a song ...

With a rolling backdrop of Worcestershire’s green fields, the 2016 outdoor festival season kicked off in the beautiful setting of the Jinney Ring Craft Centre’s grounds. It was a low key beginning, illuminated by the scheduling of two acclaimed artists appearing with the sure fire guarantee of impressing in terms of their talented versatility. Sam Carter and Lucy Ward duly confirmed their high profile billing to top a day where the weather gods eventually decided to show a little mercy on the folk fans gathering for this quaint festival. Although organised as a two day event for the camping fraternity, the music was essentially confined to the Saturday with eight acts booked to frequent the single tented stage from noon till late. The majority of these represented the local scene within the county, covering several bases of a loosely defined folk genre.   A few thoughts on those which created the most impression a bit later, but the first kind words need to be reserved fo...

Her set started with Lera requesting a glass of whiskey from the bar and ended an hour and half later when the sumptuous song of the same name was sandwiched into a trio of encore numbers. However the only intoxicating experience in Nottingham’s Bodega Bar was an audience absolutely besotted by her sultry enigmatic style of dark and moody Americana. Countless highs have emerged during Lera Lynn’s rise up the ranks and on the evidence of this evening’s performance her new album is set to maintain the momentum. This latest UK trip has had the benefit of national TV exposure via a performance on Jools Holland’s BBC Later show and shortly Lera will embark on some big venue support slots with Ben Folds. Yet this gig was best insight that you can get of Lera and her super band. A highly respectable Sunday night gathering packed this city centre venue and didn’t have to wait long to open their senses to the main event after London-based singer-guitarist George Cosby had opened the show w...

They came clad in t-shirts spanning his career, many clutching scrawled cardboard messages ranging from a simple song request to a more enhanced plea or comment. They came to pour adulation on a rock ‘n’ roll legend with the cast iron guarantee of not being disappointed. To be more precise, 37000 packed the stands and pitch of Coventry’s Ricoh Arena to witness a three hour fifteen minute exhibition of impeccable musicianship. The legacy of Bruce Springsteen has long been intact, but with each sold out show devoid of decline, and without doubt a wave of new fans, it continues to be strengthened. Amongst the throngs of lifelong devotees, there was the likelihood of many newbies spanning the generations and whatever the degree of Springsteen obsession, adulation filled the warmish air on this early June evening. It helps when the protagonist happens to be one of the greatest songwriters in contemporary music, is backed by a band soaring above its peers and they possess the charisma t...

It was the night a small corner of South West Louisiana came to the Birmingham suburb of Kings Heath. It was also the night a few folks gambled on a musical style that was slightly left field. One thing for sure was that few would argue that the Cajun Country Revival left any of this Kitchen Garden Café audience short changed. Perhaps all that was missing was a hearty serving of gumbo or a delicious portion of jambalaya in the interval, but that could be food for thought! A major factor in the success of this show was the sheer quality and stature of the four musicians accumulated for this collaboration of one of the purest strands of American roots music you could wish to hear. Anybody with any knowledge of Cajun music (and that is not a precursor for extracting great pleasure from attending the show) would be aware of the Savoy family and we were fortunate to be blessed with the presence of Joel who assumes the role of band leader for the Cajun Country Revival. One half of this c...