Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.bellahardy.com Bella Hardy is stacked with all the attributes of an accomplished musical performer. Gilt-edged vocals nestle alongside a flair to bring the best out of the violin. A keen ear detecting eminence and value in traditional song inspires her own songwriting chops to respond and creatively curate original material. A stylish poise illuminates the performing space. These qualities have served this Derbyshire-based folk luminary well over the years ensuing treasured status and a wealth of acclaim. A sense of renewal is in the air as we approach the middle years of the decade and an advancing landmark of being 20 years in a recording realm. The presence of Bella Hardy fills a room with vitality and freshness. An added spark to this evening's show was a debut performance at the Kitchen Garden, partial oversight and partial lure of frequenting larger venues. In one of her peak years, 2015, a Birmingham Town Hall stage was shared with Mary Chapin Carpenter. There has been...

www.deanowens.com The final instalment of the THE RIDGE TRILOGY is released on 29th November. SACRI CUORI is the third sampler ahead of the new Dean Owens album due out in early 2025. In a similar vein to its two predecessors, the collection is a mix of a demo, preview track and three pieces from the wider process of recording the new record titled SPIRIT RIDGE. The latter are exclusive to the EP adding a touch of necessity for collectors. 'Spirit of Us' is the preview track and opens this five-song recording featuring John Convertino of Calexico. This haunting track proudly displays the Dean Owens quality trademark. It exposes the soul to life's fundamentals, while possessing the double pleasure of being both hugely personal and eminently relatable.  Fast forward to the final slot, which is filled with a demo of the heartbreak number ' A Divine Tragedy'. No Dean Owens record would be complete without a dash of life affirming misery. This demo version has that exp...

  Jason Isbell is stitched together with imperfection, but boy how he heals with guitar in hand and lyrics in tow. A modest exterior shields an interior rich in ideas of creation and expression. Connection is the key. Other artists parade talent, Jason Isbell fires volleys of redemptive words, poetic phrases and blistering guitar straight to your head, heart and soul. He's the best of his kind in a subjective world. Evidence compounds with each performance.  Was it the scintillating guitar solo in the second song? Was it a trio of tear-inducing moments? Was it finding the perfect song combo? Was it a final guitar duel with the devil sitting back admiring? You could argue it was the impact of the 400 Unit: a truly great backdrop whatever the line up. The answer lies in the mind of every single person crossing the threshold of a Jason Isbell show. "We're gonna have good night." "We've had a good night". "That was Alabama Pines". Toss in five band...

  "I played a folk club at the Hare and Hounds in Birmingham. Is it still there?" Yes it is, Anais. Not quite a folk club, but we get the drift. That Birmingham appearance can't be recalled as opposed to the Glee Club in 2014 and Moseley Folk Festival in 2022. There may be others, but clearly we don't see enough Anais Mitchell in the West Midlands. "It's the Birmingham debut for these songs tonight." Eric D Johnson didn't really need to remind an eagerly awaited gathering at the XOYO Club that Bonny Light Horseman were playing Birmingham for the first time. Connections making it happen deserve to take a bow and these debut songs purred with blissful elegance from start to finish. "I've got a different setlist to everybody else." Josh Kauffman hurriedly changed guitars to play the right song. Whatever guitar he played had a luscious tone and the key to putting the 'rock' into 'folk rock'.  Bonny Light Horseman are a band ...

  www.janiceandjon.com Folk duo Janice Burns and Jon Doran delicately put their twist on an array of seasonal songs spun on a different axis to what is generally delivered this time of year. GREAT JOY TO THE NEW explores many facets of winter tradition perceptively sourcing traditional pieces malleable enough for creative manipulation. Song notes have a raised level of importance as prior knowledge is unlikely to be widespread among general listeners. While raising your own awareness levels is a likely reward, finely curated music exquisite in vocal and instrumental adeptness defines the appeal.  Burns and Doran settle on 13 tracks to form this long awaited album as they finally convert many seasonal shows into a worthy recording. Inviting several top players to contribute including in-demand  double bassist Ben Nicholls and multiple brass musicians prove a subtle touch. One of the first songs to keenly catch the ear when reflecting upon the album is ‘ The Trees are All B...

www.agsconnolly.com Ask a range of casual country music observers to name an elder statesman of recent times and few would come up with the name of James Hand. With the help of one of his greatest advocates, the chance of this recently passed Texan being recognised will be greatly increased on the back of this carefully curated tribute album. Fans of Ags Connolly will be aware of his locked-in appreciation via the 2014 track 'I Saw James Hand ', which became a staple of his live performances. Now that awareness and reach for the UK's premier purveyor of traditional country music is considerably growing, the same will occur for Hand via a neatly curated twelve-song collection on the merch table at shows. YOUR PAL SLIM: SONGS OF JAMES HAND is a labour of love; a feeling overflowing in mutual appreciation upon sampling the fruits of this project.  There is a dusty timeless feel to the production. Oodles of fiddle and steel are a given, but you can never have too much of these ...

  Hearing a country song at the Kitchen Garden is a common occurrence; hearing it from a bonafide country singer is somewhat rarer. Sunny Sweeney fits the bill of both. A mainstream Nashville label stint, raised in Texas, residing in Tennessee, she has all the country credentials, and laying them on the table in a packed room is in her DNA. You get the impression the 2024 version of Sunny Sweeney is quite enjoying this UK renaissance, visiting venues to rekindle her roots. The 45-minute interval between a pair of similar timed sets is almost as important for both an artist to greet and a fanbase to meet. Selling a haul of merch is another motive.  It was a year ago to the month when a tentative Sunny Sweeney shocked a sizeable English Midlands following by playing Kings Heath in a surprise tour. That night she was perched on a stool next to guitar partner Harley Husbands hemmed up against the mirror. Tonight a more conventional standing position enabled a greater relaxed freed...

  www.lewisbarfoot.com   "Is Eileen in the room?" A recurring theme of this gig was a chance meeting between Lewis Barfoot and Kings Heath resident Eileen in the hours before showtime. Their brief encounter stirred Emerald Isle emotions and a singing of ' The Galway Shawl' . The meeting had a sad twist of loneliness, yet its warmth set the tone for the welcome this singer-songwriter received from a first visit to play Birmingham. The upshot was Eileen hadn't taken up the offer of a guest ticket. Those who were present had an extensive exposure to a musician on a mission, a person rich in creative artistry and someone right on the point of audience engagement.  Straight out of the gates, this London Irish-cum-current Cork resident exposed an identity via a vest plastered with the ironic motif - 'more dogs, more blacks, more Irish'. Politics with a small 'p'  thread through the songs, stories and ethos, though shades of beauty from an elegant voice e...

  www.lukepauljackson.com Luke Jackson had a spring in his step this evening. The extra verve for this charismatic performer likely lay at the feet of an upcoming new album. From a pitch of old and fresh songs, this Kent-based musician played to his strengths utilising the dexterity of an impressive vocal range and a commendable knack of leaving a packed room reinvigorated and content.  A sizeable crowd greeted Jackson’s return to the Kitchen Garden. His last two visits were on the brink, and in the aftermath, of the pandemic. Challenging times for touring musicians. Free of such constraints, the audience enjoyed a buoyant performance on an extended evening of entertainment.  Prior to the main set, which ran almost to an hour and half, a talented opening artist in Philippa Zawe grasped a forty minute opportunity to show why she is a burgeoning performer. Having once lived in Birmingham, the surroundings of the Kitchen were well known. Folks also remember her from the time...

  www.hannahscott.co.uk   Sometimes you instantly know a right choice has been made. Within the measured tone of Hannah Scott's opening song, a sense of being in a special place took root. Her cultured vocals succulently purveyed a piece of melodic bliss, all scented with a sound pitch perfect. This was a singer-songwriter at ease in new surroundings, and indeed a new town. The Birmingham debut for Hannah Scott has been a long time coming. The moment to impress wasn't wasted with the ultimate trump card of relatable themes waiting to be played.  There is a wealth of experience behind this south-east based artist, equally at home in both folk and Americana-lite circles. The impetus for this inaugural Kitchen Garden visit - a venue heaven sent for her serenely listenable songs - was the release of ABSENCE OF DOUBT, her latest full length album. Early listens revealed a fuller more produced sound than what was heard tonight. Whatever the motivation and mode, a stripped back ...