Three Chords and the Truth UK

Simplicity can often be the face of a more complex constitution. The ease at which experienced musicians convey their work in a live setting may belie the intricacies woven together and harnessed away from the spotlight. Matching melodies with words and many painstaking hours perfecting the art of vocal and instrumental delivery reach a pinpoint when nakedly exposed to a paying crowd. Experiencing live music evokes impressions on multiple senses and when it effortlessly unveils, the ears, eyes and inner feelings feed a sense of satisfaction. A high water table of talent is an essential starting point that counts for nothing without an ability to connect. Sometimes you feel in the right place at the right time. From a left field pool, the collaboration between Catherine MacLellan and Lucy Farrell found the pinnacle of comfort, guile and connection. The Kitchen Garden was in a middling mood for this show. Neither bursting at the seams nor spaciously quiet, just its attentive self, popul...

  www.elliegowers.com Capturing the moment can be the highest accolade paid to any live performance. Your mind doesn't long for past glories or wander into a world of 'what ifs'. Ellie Gowers has been on a musical journey for a few years and will continue to have a flourishing one long into the future. The trio format serves her well alongside being the vocal front of Filkin's Ensemble and one third of acclaimed folk outfit The Magpies. The Hare and Hounds Birmingham on one May night was all about the solo side. Pitch perfect sound, exquisitely paced set, alluring aura and an audience at one. Take this evening as a mutual gift. A show to treasure on many fronts and a moment truly captured.  Heads were turned when this show was announced six months ago. The Kitchen Garden across the road would have seemed the logical fit especially if the plan was to play solo. Her previous show there had been a near sell out and the style of music suits the venue from numerous perspecti...

  Curiosity around this gig started when it was first listed. Two random artists joining forces with little exposure in the UK. Both had crossed my path with a significant gap in between. Steph Cameron was the better known via her 2017 album which had some UK press and few low key dates on a short tour. We quickly learned during the show a reason for the lengthy break between prominent activity. Awareness of Abigail Lapell came through some indirect press activity in North America around her 2024 album. Research led to an extensive back catalogue, although scant awareness of activity over here. A couple of days before the gig, the opening show of a three-week European tour, ticket sales approached a sell out. The Kitchen Garden audience is not noted for turning out in large numbers for two first time Canadian visitors with minor presence. There was definitely something in the water when a large chunk put their hands up when asked who was here for the first time. Not to worry, the K...

  www.sorrelnationmusic.com Sometimes cracking the gig code can be a straightforward process. Bring your 'A' game, cover the basics and connect with the audience. Mutual respect can go a long way to firming up a base at the grassroots. Sorrel Nation starts from the high water mark of a sublime voice, expressive songwriter and smart band arranger, yet so many other aspects of her approach are key to a growing presence on multiple UK music scenes. Whether based in her native home county of Kent or living a rambling life on the road, an aura of experience coats a stage craft piercing new areas with each tour. Spring 2025 evolves around the launch of the vinyl format of the debut album LOST EN ROUTE and an inaugural show in the West Midlands yielded more converts to a growing band. Making inroads in a crowded independent pool of folk-infused contemporary acts can be demanding and littered with obstacles. Promising signs of Sorrel Nation establishing a foothold were laid bare in Thi...

  Even with a vague interest in the indie-Americana-rock scene, the elevation of Brown Horse has been noticeable. A distinct style has piqued interest in those wrapped up in the pioneers of alt-country where the tightness of a rock band coalesced around upfront keys and pedal steel bringing sweeping tunes and themes to the fore. On the back of favourable press and increased awareness, the six-piece outfit from Norwich have been ultra active. Numerous festival slots, tours covering large parts of the UK crossing over into the continent and a pair of full length studio albums lay out the activity. Appearances at Moseley Folk Festival and a previous gig at the Hare & Hounds have helped grow a Birmingham base, and the small room in the Kings Heath venue was packed as the band returned to the city to close the latest tour.  There is a lot to admire in how Brown Horse come across despite far from the finished article. The set up shines through shared songwriting, instrument swap...

Connection can create opportunities with positive outcomes. The chance meeting during a radio interview led to one of the most rewarding musical evenings of the year so far. The night belonged to Andrew Combs, yet like on so many occasions in recent years Dan Whitehouse co-opted the role of enabler. This short tour for the Nashville-based Combs pivoting around a slot at Kilkenny Roots Festival was already in place with an opening night in Birmingham prior to the new arrangement. Now the pair are working together, both on the road and on stage during parts of the short run, and what better place to tap into local knowledge than Whitehouse's own West Midlands.  A packed Kitchen Garden with many faces from the Dan Whitehouse posse created an ideal environment for the music of Andrew Combs to thrive. Attentive and respectful throughout, wise heads may have been taking a chance on a new artist but when on top form there was zero chance of our American visitor not impressing with an outs...