Three Chords and the Truth UK

www.margocilkermusic.com Margo Cilker is an exceptional songwriter residing on a higher plane than her peers. She possesses the ability to shape a craft binding words and melodies in a relatable way. In one sense her music embodies the diversity of Americana. There is a strong undercurrent of country, yet through a different prism the eyes and outlook of a folk singer prevail. Many of the songs feel at home with the rock accompaniment of guitars, keys, bass and drums. Strip away all the layers and at the core is a simple singer-songwriter. It's a treat that the artist has an international radar and that influential folks, namely Loose Music, scour scenes such as Portland Oregon to package for UK fans. The latest venture is an overdue extensive tour and a stop off at The Jericho Tavern in Oxford.  Many West Midlands music fans were smitten with Margo Cilker's wonderful main stage solo performance at Moseley Folk Festival in 2022. Sadly, the area wasn't able to host a tour sh...

  A stormy December night in High Wycombe. Matt Owens battles his way from Bath to play a show. The next day he heads to London for some studio work with Our Man in the Field. Nothing out of the ordinary as he is a mighty fine musician and would enhance any project. Four months later a run of dates is announced with Matt Owens joining Our Man in the Field for an intimate evening of shared music. Two talents - one stage, a show with appeal for those tuned into the world of UK Americana. Our Man in the Field is the multi-facetted moniker of Alex Ellis. Full band shows crop up where viable, solo shows slot in-between. They/he are a critically acclaimed act accruing favourable press, achieving fan accolade, securing prestigious support slots and working alongside esteemed musicians both side of the Atlantic. Two studio albums have been made with a third one taking shape. The music conveys an evocative experience with tasty grooves explored and exploited.  Matt Owens matches an und...

www.jerryleger.com You can never underestimate the importance of artists like Jerry Leger to music's ecosystem. Without them the environment would be reshaped with inferior consequences. They inject quality and stability to substantiate the base, progressing the dial with songwriting acumen. A resourceful demeanour and positive outlook helps them shape the grassroots where to rest on your laurels can deal a fatal blow. Handouts are few and every dime is well earned. A key component is a return on investment from every single engagement. In exchange, routes can be plotted and original music prospers. Jerry Leger has been sufficiently resourceful to sustain a long career and fortunate to travel overseas from his Toronto base. He is able to call on recording support from some of the best in the business and his music regularly finds its way to favourable ears on both sides of the Atlantic. There are no doubt many highs and lows. Maybe the key is to gain strength from moments sent to t...

  www.taylorraemusic.com There is an understated charm to Taylor Rae's second album creating the impression that appreciation is slowly accumulated. There was a buzz around her 2021 debut release in certain quarters, yet a wider world awaits when the hypnotic wares of this artist ferment within fresh ears. THE VOID hovers around  a neatly constructed reliable beat without moments of fizz or lulls. A slow burner maybe, but one brewing with laid back elegance. Genre tags evaporate with perhaps the lingering line being a record juxtaposing warm pop with explorative Americana.  A sense of control underpins the ten tracks with a savvy production securing a sturdy base. Rae possesses an exceptionally measured voice aligning with a mature contemporary sound. The songs benefit from sufficient space and work well in both combination and a few jutting out as solo pieces.  Three tracks faintly edge ahead to accrue extra appeal. The unabated sultry 'Cologne' drools with a moder...

  www.greydelislegriffin.com What do you do when songs are literally pouring out? Whatever the drawbacks Grey DeLisle decided to stack an album high with twenty songs and let listeners cast their verdict. The merits of an hour long record of this type could be debated but its effect to push the right buttons is undeniable. After re-emerging as a recording artist in 2023, THE GREY ALBUM is release no.4 and the most extensive one to date. Grey DeLisle is an all-round entertainer with Hollywood voice-overs being her forte. The way she digs deep to convey every inch a timeless country star puts a talent under a different spotlight devoid of flaws and right on the mark.  Country legends spill out as influences as you lap up the offering and you could be forgiven for thinking more than the odd classic cover has been included. However writing has preoccupied DeLisle for a long time highlighting that the bulk of these original songs have been bubbling away for years. While the team ar...

  www.ashleighflynnandtheriveters.com Twelve years is a long time between dipping into an artist's work. Maybe it was fate for Ashleigh Flynn to cross the path again after an album in 2013. Not that either of us have been inactive, just operating in parallel universes. In 2025 the name has been extended to Ashleigh Flynn & the Riveters with the sound straddling a beam splitting boisterous bar music and moments to soothe the soul. The prime feeling to GOOD MORNING, SUNSHINE is rock 'n' roll held together by adhesive twang. Flynn stylishly leads her all-female band primarily on a string of uptempo numbers inviting all on a speedily rhythmic journey. The pace is punctuated with revitalising fuel stops as we all need time to savour life's finer moments.  Eleven tracks form the rump of this West Coast release led off by the infectiously charming 'Drunk in Ojai', primed with hooks to shine in that all-important opening slot to keep listeners engaged. Following the...

www.stephanielambring.com Sad songs and happy persona have coined multiple phrases and even T-shirts within Nashville’s song writing community. Gretchen Peters and Caroline Spence spring to mind and now you can add Stephanie Lambring to the list. Before striking the opening chord, equating the polar opposite feelings was her greeting as the latest talent from Music City’s discerning side to head overseas debuted in the West Midlands.  Lambring’s lenghty career in music has been a stop-go affair with spurts, remodelling and altering the landscape to find the right groove. She is now in her 5th year of a second phase as a recording and performing artist. Several long term fans in the Thimblemill audience held memories from the first phase of 2009-2013 bringing CDs from the period and recounting the occasional show. The intermediate period saw the Indiana native polish her skills as a day-to-day songwriter getting by on publishing deals. Such a sharpness defines the current state of S...

  Ramblin’ Roots: a time of the year when spring gains momentum. A gathering of likeminded music fans bound by a love for something different. An event tightly run offering outstanding quality and kindness to the pocket. A festival not afraid to throw in a few curveballs. A revue where lighter moments jostle with darker songs. You can tell your friends but experience speaks louder than words.  Artists need an audience; an audience needs a performance. A fragile bond without effective organisation. Ramblin’ Roots is strong on all three fronts. The organisers deliver; musicians seize the opportunity; fans reap the rewards.  Country in all its various guises, Americana and roots music can be tough to explain to outsiders. Inside a welcoming wide tent, the converted require no explanation.  Sometimes music only needs a few accompanying words. In the spirit of the Japanese haiku, succinct on the spot reflections from an extensive weekend of superb performances are the fle...

  What is Americana? Gatekeepers, tastemakers, bedroom bloggers and media movers all grapple with a definition. Some expand it from music to wider culture; others philosophically pinpoint it as a 'state of mind'. Artists are often oblivious to it, rejecting the boundaries of genre constraints. Whatever your take, Americana is a living breathing entity, flowering far from any hinterland. If there's room for one more assimilation, embrace the literary imagination of Wily Vlautin, absorb words from the grounded tones of Amy Boone and let the soundtrack ferment in a combo of instrumental maestros. Maybe the answer lies in The Delines.  Characters from the gritty lanes of real America are given a voice in the songs. Three minute story tellings are a microcosm of a Wily Vlautin novel. Often female and always the underdog, the themes are stark. When The Delines launch into any song from a tight album catalogue, a hush descends on the audience. Honing in on the lyrics goes hand in ...