Upon its arrival in 2018, The Long Road Festival instantly found the golden touch of curating a schedule right on the nose. The presentation of this event that appears to be moving from fledgling to established status champions many things past the music, but never loses sight that get the basics right and the rest will follow. Family may be an overused marketing term these days and it is ambitious to create ultimate unity between modern country music framed by Nashville’s main labels and left field roots artists fighting the corner of juxtaposition between progression and tradition. The level of success can be viewed through the slant of different lens but wholeheartedly in the agreement of positive experience. The breadth and wealth that surfaced in 2018 still shines brightly five years later as the Long Road cements its rehabilitation from enforced absences alongside a fortitude to conquer the knock back of last minute headline cancellations.
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| Caleb Caudle |
Being an ever-present at the Long Road is without doubt in the locker of many attendees. Circumstances dictated the removal of that status for me this year as I elected to give the Friday a miss thus the focus on any reflection is confined to the Saturday and Sunday. Unlike similar festivals of this standing, the Friday offering is a streamlined affair, and when other factors are put into the mix, risks are lower in making it expendable. Reports this year indicated that the impression of Friday is growing, so it may make a re-appearance next year.
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| Caylee Hammock |
Over the lifespan of a deep interest into the wide spectrum of country, Americana and roots music my identity has tilted away from the mainstream without ties ever being totally broken. Dips into the Rhinestone Stage arena have been strategic over the first three Long Road’s, but the likes of Sunny Sweeney, Sara Evans, Marty Stuart and Suzy Boggus made those choices smart and unconditional. This year the pre-scrutinised schedule inked in one visit on Saturday and pencilled in one for Sunday. Having followed Margo Price’s career since she made her ThIrd Man Records splash, and loving her early UK shows in Bristol and Oxford, it was a no-brainer catching her incarnation several years later now the sound and band is bigger alongside a glitzy persona that struts and commands a main stage. A slight delay to the set was a minor irritation swiftly blown away when her crack band hit the traps and launched a rocked up sound that dwarfs the country roots that heralded her introduction over here. She may not be ‘saving country music’ anymore but she knows how to smash a tribute to Robbie Robertson.
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| Hannah White |
Twenty-four hours later my next jaunt to the Rhinestone was more out of curiosity with an element of intrigue in Caylee Hammock. Her writing journey had a pitstop on Ashley McBryde’s concept album Lindeville last year, which is good for opening alternative doors. While it is accepted that tethered to a major label tends to alienate my tastes these days, there was evidence in her vocals, demeanour and attitude to suggest some synergy. She purveyed the spirit of early Reba to a certain extent. On the downside her band sound leaned too heavily towards bass and drums. Country and Americana music works best where rhythm does its background job allowing strings and keys to come to the fore.
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| Margo Price |
One gripe about Long Road in the hope that it possesses the ears to evolve was the overlapping of sets from Margo Price and Nickel Creek on Saturday night. These were two marquee acts from the Americana side and the scheduling committed a monumental crime. The result of selecting Margo from a personal preference restricted my Nickel Creek exposure to thirty minutes of an hour and a quarter set. Still enough time to marvel at the incredible mandolin picking of Chris Thile flanked by the immense fiddle and guitar work of the Watkins siblings - Sara and Sean. Over to the Long Road to reflect and see what more could have been done to prevent the crossover of two acts who have prolonged absences from playing these shores.
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| Nickel Creek |
One positive change for this year was to schedule music as an alternative to Rhinestone headliners Blackberry Smoke and Cam. Next on the list is to ditch the plastic beer glasses that litter the site. Us Brits need not heed to US standards.
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| Sierra Ferrell |
On the other hand, the incredibly high standard of US music is never in doubt. Sunday afternoon was a triumph in scheduling. Jill Andrews built upon the solo shows she brought to the UK last year by introducing a band that added an extra dimension to a cultured vocal and songwriting prowess. She was the first of a quartet of acts to send shivers down those sensing riches in the Interstate. The polished sound of Jill Andrews contrasted a revved up Will Hoge ready to rock the socks off those seeking the spirit of ‘Springsteen of the South’. He came with a stellar reputation and the intent to punch a little harder. After nailing his set, he joined Eli Young on the Rhinestone to repeat their joint million seller ‘Even If It Breaks MyHeart’ and felt perfectly at home making a contribution to the John Prine tribute on the Front Porch. If Will Hoge got within a whisker of blowing the roof off the Interstate, The War and Treaty finished the job. A soulful take of the country sound was dripping in Muscle Shoals influence as this larger than life duo inflated a reputation that has many in the American roots community drooling. Brash gospel mingled with schmaltzy country as audience connection was the only game in town. Bringing the rear up on this sumptuous foursome, was the re-incarnation of Kitty Wells in the guise of generation-binding fledgling superstar Sierra Ferrell. The youngsters wrapped in the likes of this feisty trad purveyor and other acts pressing the youth button such as Billy Strings and Tyler Childers get a nod of good taste. Forty-five minutes of an adoring Sierra Ferrell and a band containing the familiar name of Oliver Craven of the now departed Stray Birds was sufficient to buy an annual pass for this handbrake-off bandwagon.
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| The Hanging Stars |
The Long Road ethos doesn’t stop in the departure lounge of Nashville International Airport as exemplified by plenty of UK talent given an opportunity to curate a small part of this Leicestershire field for a framed moment. Four acts caught the ear from different pitstops of my homegrown Americana journey. Danny and the Champions of the World have been there since day 1 and still play every show as a fitting finale. Their English charm is matched by the cosmic chimes of The Hanging Stars rapidly earning the stripes of a premium rock band fuelled by panache and pedal steel. Hannah White stands on the cusp of parading the assured stature of the ‘show ‘em-don’t tell ‘em’ brigade of homegrown heartfelt country music with a stellar all-star band in tow. The Steady Habits, led by Connecticut native Sean Duggan, are a super amalgam of over there and over here. They closed my Long Road on Sunday evening with the emotive passion of ‘Deviate’ lingering poignantly. All these four fabulous sets took place on the Buddy’s Bar Stage, proving that magical things happen in the woods.
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| The Steady Habits |
Buddy’s was also the location for one of my early sets on Saturday when the music of Caleb Caudle was finally heard live. This excellent singer-songwriter has pressed the right button with a wrath of fine albums over the years and his stock will only grow more with exposure in the right quarters. The Buddy’s throng cut an erudite cloth. Before we leave this treasure in the woods a solid nod to two other sets witnessed in Buddy’s from Tommy Prine and Angelica Rockne. Long Road’s honky tonk is a distant memory. Buddy’s Bar seems set to stay.
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| The War and Treaty |
The Front Porch can be the festival’s passing stage with the occasional resting point to take in a full set from this ambient construction. A performance from Kentuckian, and long term personal favourite, Kelsey Waldon was not going to be missed and her spot on brand of authentic traditional country music resonated strongly. From a totally different perspective, Ontario-based artist Cat Clyne applies an alternative and distinctive edge to her roots infused music. Opening for Lissie earlier this year was the introduction that Long Road extended pleasingly. Bridging the intense viewing and the causal glances on the Front Porch were early weekend sets by Scottish singer-songwriter Hamish Hawk, a cross between Blue Rose Code and Dean Owens, and the fresh sound of Charlotte Clarke, while The Often Herd proved the ideal late night act for compelling the dancers. Covid scuppered the intimate Birmingham debut of Joshua Ray Walker a few years ago, though it is suspected from his Long Road reaction the eventual debut won’t be so intimate.
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| Will Hoge |
Festival reviews can be all-encompassing acts of wide sweeping generalisation. However festivals are really an act of personal indulgence. The Long Road 2023 is defined by the sauntering journey of the individual. This reflection is content, humble and at one with a discerning selection of the many treasures offered. The Long Road has the finger on the pulse and is destined to warm the hearts of many persuasions for as long as its flame flickers.
