Three Chords and the Truth UK

Cutting an isolated figure on stage, Brandy Clark adopted the pose of the archetypal country music singer and ensured that true to the genre’s identity, the songs nestled right at the heart of the show. For just over an hour tonight, you were taken back to the idealistic days of 2013. This was when 12 STORIES emerged from a little known label in Texas called Slate Creek Records and an established songwriter from Morton WA edged tentatively into the world of the recording artist. Four years on and the continued most important assertion is that the music of Brandy Clark matters. Presently, Brandy retains the status of an artist signed to a major Nashville label. Therefore, exposure and connectivity has enabled her to develop a fan base sufficiently to grow the Birmingham show from the homely surroundings of The Glee Club to the more lavish environment of the Town Hall in twelve months. While the audience growth settled somewhere between the size of both venues, there was only a mino...

If prizes were handed out for how you present an album then the book can be closed on the page of the Wild Ponies. Not only is the mystical music mood of Galax available in your living rooms, it can also transfix an intimate listening venue from literally anywhere in the world. Suburban Kings Heath to rural Virginia may or may not be a universe away depending on your mind-set, but the miles were gently erased during the first part of this Kitchen Garden show. Doug and Telisha Williams aka Wild Ponies are fast becoming perennial favourites on the UK touring circuit for American roots artists. Since their last visit to the West Midlands area in January, the East Nashville based duo has released a brand new album titled GALAX and are currently in the midst of comprehensively touring it across Europe and the States. The vinyl copy was perched proudly behind the Kitchen’s performing space and there could not have been a better promotional opportunity than dedicating eight songs from the ...

Some artists require a shoehorn to slide into their intended genre, while others effortlessly glide between different camps. Emily Mae Winters possesses the ultimate entertainer’s gift of being completely at ease in whichever facet of her singer-songwriter art comes under the microscope. With a debut album now in the locker, and an increasing run of live shows under her belt, the cork to her potential has been popped. Where this leads her will no doubt be down to a combination of fortune and desire, but the eager anticipation of being party to this in a fan role is an exciting proposition. To be on the brink of a sell-out on a first headline appearance at the Kitchen Garden is no mean achievement and the evidence of her innate talent was on stark display during the time in the spotlight. Make no mistake; Emily is here for the long term on a platform that may yet evolve. Maybe driven by a spate of artistic independence, Emily is steering clear of the pigeon hole status, while putting...

The new album by Megan Henwood epitomises some of the real strengths that exist today within the realm of artists that set out from a folk music base. This is not necessarily purely in the traditional form, but more from an alternative/contemporary angle where conventions wither in a tide of creative whim. To shed some light on the song style that lends itself to the material that forms RIVER, think of Megan co-habiting in the territory that has yielded exceptional albums from Laura Marling and Lucy Rose this year. This is British music almost boring a new hole to create a yet unnamed genre. Essentially, it’s innovative acoustic music, luring an audience with a captivating vocal appeal proving the ideal vehicle for deep meaningful songs. Megan first caught my ear a couple of years ago with the release of her second album HEAD HEART HAND. If the judge is the number of plays far exceeding those required for review evaluation, then RIVER is surpassing the previous record and proving...

Dori Freeman does not need an expansive canvas to weave her magical spell. In fact, the more minimalist the environment the better and LETTERS NEVER READ has provided the perfect vehicle to tantalise the discerning ear. Spreading its beauty in a concise twenty-eight minutes sees Dori skirting a touch with brevity, but the acute song selection and optimum production reaches out far from this homely base. Initial spins of this record gave a different feel to last year’s debut self-titled album, although closer aural examination yielded much of the same qualities. This is ideal, as the previous record was absolutely adored and the new one is racing to a similar status. Similarities are also extended to the presence of Teddy Thompson once again in the production role. Dori’s velvet lined country vocals make the same delightful impact and totally own the airwaves from the moment the first bar is sung. The golden voice from Galax Virginia is the ideal strapline for Dori’s music, with i...

Another first class independent record tumbles out of Nashville and guess what…Neilson Hubbard is on top deck again guiding the talent. Without hesitation, Doug and Telisha Williams aka Wild Ponies will be first in the queue to praise the diverse team of accomplices who have conspired to create GALAX, surely one of the most heart rendering records to hit the shelves this year. This is explicitly the album that Doug and Telisha wanted to make. From start to finish, the listener is enfranchised to become part of a simpler and more basic world where values reign supreme over any agenda. Wherever you listen to this record, your mind and soul will be transported to a little place of timeless solitude in rural Virginia. A place where imperfections are re-configured to fuel what matters in life and music remains the voice of liberation. GALAX the record, houses ten varied tunes that encompass what is unequivocal about authentic country and rural roots folk music; Galax the location, is ...

John Craigie may not be a well-known name yet on the UK circuit for touring American artists, but this is set to change. While it is easy these days to seek recorded material online, the counter balance is the sheer magnitude of what is out there competing for your leisure pound and afforded time. Networking, connections and recommendations play a substantial part in spreading the word of an artist, more increasingly imperative when resources restrict the level of funded PR. However, the biggest stake artists like John Craigie can put in the ground is to get in front of folks and let the blossom of their talent takeover. For this inaugural tour of our shores, John has secured a comprehensive list of dates the length of the country and one guarantee is that audiences will be captivated by the show he puts on. It helps if you possess an extraordinary flair for nailing the art of entertainment, especially when it comes to marrying the close alliance of wit, satire and conviction with...

Four years gone in the blink of an eye. Well, technically two since the Good Lovelies last hit our shores with a short curtailed visit to promote their last album. However, you have to go back to 2013 when they previously played the West Midlands and that never to be forgotten gig at Star City. The curiosity of that show has grown over the years despite not even being present, although over an extended weekend of that tour their sets in Oxford and the Maverick Festival were both delightfully savoured. So in effect, this Kitchen Garden show rolled out as a renewed Birmingham debut and the Canadian trio succeeded in impressing fans, both new and old. The province of Ontario had been the original base for the trio of Kerri Ough, Caroline Brookes, Sue Passmore (although Kerri announced early in the gig that she now lives in New Foundland), and they have represented their homeland splendidly on the international music stage for close on a decade. Their affable style of harmony-bless...

There is an increasing amount of talk in the chattering circles about the death of the negative music review. This comes at a time where the art of journalism is undergoing substantial structural change alongside the mode of publication being forever turbulent to the tide of technological advance. Traditional outlets, even in the online form, are no doubt under a constant threat of diminishing revenue streams, and thus the stranglehold of commercial reality over artistic integrity continues to strengthen. At this juncture, it would be moot to consider the impact of the favourable review over the one not so kind. With advertising revenue being the obvious king, the biggest driver is traffic, so therein lies the conundrum of what kind of review accrues the target numbers. Descending several steps down the ladder, advances in technology continue to entirely democratise the independent voice and thus the proliferation of the amateur publication, which indulges in the timeless art of m...