Gig Review: Sara Petite - Thimblemill Library, Smethwick. Friday 11th July 2025

 

www.sarapetite.com

Honesty, sincerity and truth; traits that keep the fire of Sara Petite burning. An artist at one with their craft and dedicated to a vision of exploiting the attributes at her disposal. Over the last four years fans in the UK have come to know the music of Sara Petite fairly well. Opportunities rarely afforded in the first decade and half of a lengthy career have been grasped on a realistic scale, tapping into a music community keen to welcome overseas visitors with open arms. Some travelling acts connect through a verbal charisma, others are more at ease with letting the music paint a picture. Sara Petite cultivates a tight script exposing for impact. Musically, a narrow path is followed channelling the raw energy of country, honky tonk and rock 'n' roll. A comfort zone many miles from a Californian home is created as an energised performance illuminates whatever space is commandeered. Rock 'n' roll in an art decor suburban branch library pushes out a border leaving Sara Petite to jump right in and make a mark. 

On the surface, connection between a backdrop of well-stocked book shelves and the music of Sara Petite shares little synergy. Scrape away the top soil and the enlightenment of reading, whether feeding the mind with fiction or reality, helps understand the ideals of Sara Petite and what drives her to shape a career among the travails of everyday life. Denouncing the federal sins of her homeland, while praising the outspoken stance of Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen were second half curveballs interluding songs stacked with personal emotion. Beyond a random facade, sits an astute operator set up to frame the next phase of a rewarding career.

Circumstances dictated alterations to the borrowed touring band after three successive UK visits of continuity since 2021. Replacing Joe Coombs and Scott Warman on lead and bass guitar are Thomas Dibb and Mark Lewis, aka the Northern Cowboys. All four familiar faces on the UK Americana scene. Stability came from ever-present drummer Jamie Dawson, and also the cross-excellence in the choices. If anything, the style of Dibb gelled a little more cohesively. This was first noted from a festival set at Maverick the previous weekend and confirmed from a larger sample size during an extended performance at Thimblemill Library. The ultimate winner is Sara Petite as she gets the honour of touring with a fine array of musicians, adept at tweaking the moment in a variety of settings.

Two years on from her latest album, the perpetual crossroads is reached. One new song, 'Jealous Heart' has hit the wires, with a few fellow new ones featuring in shows with minimal fanfare. Whatever format these evolve into will keep followers engaged in the future. However the spine and essence of a Sara Petite show is a raft of road tested favourites stretching the tempo from upbeat revelry to solo reflection. 

Tonight's West Midlands show featured a change of scene with Thimblemill replacing multiple visits to the Kitchen Garden in nearby Birmingham. The evening almost had the feel of two distinct shows. This was due to how the first half ended with the band in finale mode via the excellent 'Promised Land' complete with congratulatory introductions and complimentary exposures. You have been to some shows where the hour stint conveyed in the first half would constitute the whole evening. But more was to come.

Both sets had a sparkling opening song. 'Feeling Like an Angel' is a staple Sara Petite show launcher and is easily lodged in the top echelon of her songs, based on a chorus melody to die for. The second half had a lower key beginning with the band granted an extra three minute rest through a solo rendition of 'Circus Comes to Town'. This moment worked well when strategically placed among the bulk of band songs. 

With seven studio albums under her belt, a rich selection of tunes poses a nice problem. 'Rare Bird', complete with one of the few lengthier introductions, 'Lead the Parade' and 'Little House' were the pick of the bunch before the home straight is set alight with three forever inspiring animated bangers. 'Bringin' Down the Neighbourhood', 'Wasted' and 'The Misfits' define the music of Sara Petite on many levels - staunchly independent, stoically proud and projecting a distinct voice sonically and metaphorically. 

Away from the fine writing of this broadened West Coast artist - Washington state raised, San Diego based - we were served two interesting covers from iconic American trailblazers. Tom Petty's 'Ways To Be Wicked' had the Sara Petite treatment in the first set and 'Land of Hope and Dreams' by Bruce Springsteen filled the encore spot. It was pleasing to hear a different Springsteen track covered than the usual suspects. 

You are never shortchanged when experiencing the music of Sara Petite. She eases people onto her side and induces a sense of belief, coupled with the nous to hone in what she does well. Since becoming a brave post-Covid touring pioneer in September 2021, many a platform has been blessed with the vivacious personality of an impassioned musician. Long may this continue as a guiding light in an uncertain world. An increasing band of UK followers will patiently wait. 

Album Review: Tami Neilson - Neon Cowgirl

www.tamineilson.com

The journey may be a cliche but its narrative-inducing concept lends a hand to make some great music. A conveyor belt of places, people, landscapes and sounds can stir the pot and prod the creative instinct of many an artist. NEON COWGIRL is a moving piece of self-celebration on several levels. The country heart of Music USA has always been Tami Neilson’s calling from a Canadian upbringing to New Zealand settling. A fulfilling road trip of rediscovery is the fuel that powers the sweeping sound of a record echoing so much of a heritage songbook from soaring soulful songs to raucous barroom bangers sprinkled with the odd heartfelt ballad and sincere homage numbers.

Neilson’s vocals crank into gear from the off with ‘Borrow My Boots’ raising the sass level in the vein of many a female country icon. The lavish overtones, complete with lush strings, launches ‘Foolish Heart’ into Orbison territory, pure self-admitted adulation from a young believer baptised in his music. ‘Heartbreak City, USA’ is as an explicit song title as you get and cranks up the twang to ignite even the most placid dancehall. Three songs in and Neilson serves stalwart admirers a treat and seduces the faintest of doubters. The results of a trip to seek out her inner ‘neon cowgirl’ are bustling their way into an array of a gold certified tunes. 

‘Keep On’ retains the big sound while reducing the tempo. Powerhouse vocals are the redeeming feature of a record rarely holding back on production capabilities. Eventually the quintessential country weepy appears with piano being the prime accompaniment to ‘Loneliness of Love’ as we dive deep into the sad song well and re-emerge with refreshed souls amidst the odd tear. The centre point of this eleven track album is ‘Love Someone’ where soulful organ kicks off a Memphis evoking number, full of uplifting backing vocals echoing a bygone age. 

Title track ‘Neon Cowgirl’ leads off the second half and is pure autographical as well as being a state of mind rather than a physical being. Whether a starry eyed kid or raising a family in her adopted home of New Zealand, the guiding light of Nashville and its ‘El Dorado’ status in country music is embedded in the DNA of Tami Neilson. The sense of its worth shivers from the tone and words oozing out of this valued track. This leads into another Orbison-inspired piece as ‘One Less Heart’ cracks the code of bass-backed ballads and carries all the scars of tear-stained tradition. ‘Salvation Mountain’ picks up the pace as your archetypal road song, name checking iconic references while rolling along with absorbing intensity. Probably the album’s deepest dip into rock ’n’ roll, leaving you well-travelled and revitalised. 

The finishing line of this shared life affirming album is nearly reached with the vibrant beat of ‘U-Haul Blues’ blending the exemplar musicianship that feeds throughout with an adept voice equipped with a dexterity shining through in this two and half minute song. The parting shot sees Neilson slip into duet mode featuring JD Mcpherson on ‘You’re Gonna Fall’, a rich offering keeping things fresh right at the end. 

NEON COWGIRL shows Tami Neilson harnessing an outlaw outlook with a conventional sound. It draws on multiple experiences shaping a style flourishing right across the country and Americana spectrum. New Zealand, USA and mainland Europe already embrace her music. UK pickings are still relatively untouched. This album leads the way and calls for a serious tour to back up its eminence. 

Festival Review: Maverick Festival - Easton Farm Park, Suffolk. Friday 4th July to Sunday 6th July 2025

www.maverickfestival.co.uk

Maverick: where hundreds of a pairs of eyes and ears embark on an individual path of music enjoyment. No two journeys are the same as the sights and sounds ferment to personally absorb what time spent at Easton Farm Park means. Festivals are unique and Maverick is no exception as witnessed from many years of winding around the lanes of rural Suffolk to the UK’s most established gathering of what we try to define as ‘Americana’. The printed programme introduction announced its coming of age eighteenth birthday, although Maverick reached a level of maturity a while back, most pertinently in 2020 with a timely You Tube reminder of what we were missing. Never taken for granted, the event powers on with 2025 showing what heights can be achieved with creative curation. 

Maybe the general awareness-weighting of artists booked as a line up entity didn’t match the levels of previous years but extract the impact and quality of performance and you were left with a catalogue of countless memorable moments, high class sets and an invaluable sense of communal excellence. Old favourites cemented their eminence while new favourites lit the fuse. The farm opened its soul and sincere sounds, mainly but not wholly stringed- based, filled the surroundings with opulent pleasure.

Sara Petite 

Away from the Barn, Peacock, Green and Moonshine stages, idiosyncratic novelties formed the backdrop. From yoga with goats to re-located prized pigs, rustic charm added to the natural scent amidst the idle chat of acquaintances meeting up swapping must-see lists and informal just-seen reviews. Some rigidly stick to a pre-researched schedule, others flit between closely located stages sampling as much as possible. The flexible thrive on recommendation, the casual are guided by open ears. Dancers loosen their limbs at every opportunity, singers need no second invite. Clappers quickly find their rhythm, listeners hone in on each lyric. There is no right or wrong way to get the most out of Maverick. Music in its purist form is open to all.

The aftermath of a successful festival is a comedown. An all-encompassing experience of total absorption will only ever be a limited high. Maverick takes you away from the real world into a land of real songs. Reflection leaves a yearning for a repeat; shared reflection provides a guiding light for outsiders to seek or fellow revellers to reminiscence the recent reverie.

These random moments that sealed the deal of Maverick 2025 are as personal as you get. They are a mere snapshot of what made the weekend special. Festivals need a chink of light to infiltrate a music lover’s horizon. The converted will concur; converts in-waiting may heed to the catalyst. Maybe you’re tempted to try it or return one day. 

Toria Woof

Unfazed Improvisation

No amplified sound; no problem. The Weeping Willows pitch up in front of The Green stage crowd on Saturday morning a couple of songs into the opening set and the show went on. Mercifully short before normal resumption but it nailed a willing interaction. 

Lighting the Spark

Style, voice, song craft and demeanour all set Toria Woof apart as a new artist with an enormous impact. The full splendour of Goth Americana from a stylish performer redefined Bolton as an area of West Pennine mystique and was one to seek out further beyond the realm of a festival. 

Conquering the Re-interpretation

Danny George Wilson, Paul Lush and Thomas Collison diligently stripped back the treasures of the latest Champs album on Friday night in the Moonshine replacing synth excellence with acoustic delight. Brave maybe, one-off possibly, evocatively effective definitely. 

Wowed by Development

Six years from first tentatively stepping into UK venues from her Australian home, Nashville-based Imogen Clark played an immensely powerful demonstrative set melding classy pop joviality with the heart and soul of Americana delivery. The Friday Barn performance was over too quick, but more soon, please. 

Touching Your Heart

Elise LeBlanc sensed a receptive space and Maverick proved the ideal setting for this Western Canadian to inspire through honky tonk and a shared personal experience full of guile and wit. Time is sacred at a festival and this Saturday afternoon Barn set wasted not a single second of affective connection. 

Feeding Your Mind

Word got around that Holly Carter’s Joe Hill story set induced a tear with its emotive sadness. Cue a dash to see an evening Moonshine performance with a wider songwriting remit raising the singer-songwriter bar to giving voice to deceased heroes of pursued justice and sharing a candid take on mental health. Enrichment with elegance was the name of the game.

Owning the Space

Maverick loves Sara Petite; Sara Petite loves Maverick. This time the multiple festival returnee had the honour of closing The Green stage on Saturday teatime and wooed all present with an invigorating display of heartfelt punchy music harnessing country sensibilities with rock ’n’ roll verve. 

Raise the Roof

Original music is the heartbeat of Maverick but the odd enhancing cover can add vibrancy to the moment. Cash, Springsteen and Dylan are the usual suspects but not for David Ford and Michele Stodart. Nothing is out of bounds when sung with grace and integrity as the Moonshine Friday crowd lent their voices to join in on ‘Show Me Heaven’. Yep, it worked a treat.

Consummative Ease

You want to frame the moment when music flows from the stage with the utmost relaxing ease. Sarah Jane Scouten is currently finding a rich vein when sharing her original songs in a timeless traditional country style. She grasped the invite to play a part in The Green Note/BPA Live joint birthday celebration on Moonshine Friday with relish. The winners were those in earshot.

Sarah Jane Scouten

Whether making my Maverick cut or impressing the presence of other festival goers, all artists played a part in this successful staging alongside the organisers and dedicated band of operatives from sound engineers to bar servers. A real team effort to reward your investment.

2026 anyone? Choosing Maverick won’t disappoint. Embarking on a 360 mile round journey from the West Midlands to deepest Suffolk each year since 2010 is the testimony. A tear shed in 2020 served to strengthen the resolve. No tears this year, just a contented music fan. 

My Maverick: Joe Martin. Ags Connolly. Imogen Clark. Michele Stodart & David Ford. Sarah Jane Scouten. Danny George Wilson. The Weeping Willows. Dan Webster. Linda McLean & the Awakening. Toria Woof. Elise LeBlanc. Sara Petite. Kelley Mickwee. Two Crows For Comfort. Prinz Grizzley. Casey Neil & Chet Lyster. Gypsy String Revival. Ella Spencer. Baskery + many more causally dipped into.

Gig Review: Todd Day Wait- The Folklore Rooms, Brighton. Monday 30th June 2025

www.tdwpigpen.com

The ceiling fan vigorously tried to keep a sweltering room cool. A task rendered near impossible with the added heat of smokin’ hot pedal steel. We have some fine players of this grand old instrument in the UK but few drive an evening along so sweet and prominent to what was heard in The Folklore Rooms tonight. This compact performance space in an upstairs room of a pub accessed via a steep winding narrow staircase had a very southern feel to it. A touch of the American south came to the English south coast for an evening of country music in the truest tradition. Todd Day Wait honed his style on the streets of New Orleans before seeking the recording outlet of Nashville Tennessee. A slate of originals reflecting a timeless age were interjected by the odd cover from artists such as Hank Locklin and Floyd Tillman. The music seamlessly flowed for 80 minutes before a packed crowd could seek some respite in a still very warm Brighton evening air. When found, the mind was still dancing to the lush tones of evocative pedal steel driven music.

Before the four guests from across the pond took to the stage, early arrivals had the pleasure of locally based singer-songwriter Sammy Harrison. Accompanied by his fiddle playing partner Bella, the style was more folk-Americana than the straight up country music to follow. The 30 minute set was an exemplar in how to open, set the scene and introduce your music to new ears. An Orcadian fiddle tune and a catchy singalong piece helped move the set quickly along in an entertaining fashion as well as paying homage to a patiently located pedal steel guitar in the corner awaiting its twang-laden strings to be expertly picked. Harrison has previously opened for Morgan Wade so no stranger to wooing crowds on a larger scale.

Todd Day Wait is undertaking a second consecutive European summer tour. He once again is scheduled to play the Maverick Festival and this year has secured a slot on the prestigious Static Roots line up in Germany.This time there seems to be a wider reach venue-wise including a booking from Cosmic American in the Midlands, nearer my natural gig habitat rather than seeking one out on a short sports-related break in Brighton. Being able to slot in a first visit to The Folklore Rooms, a rare occurrence of a venue flourishing since opening in 2021, proved a fabulous treat. 

Drums and electric bass provided support for the songs of Todd Day Wait to marvellously simmer in the stifling air, creating sufficient breathing space for the pedal steel guitar to sparkle in all its glory. A fair few songs on the set were introduced off the recently released album LETTER FROM THE ROAD and sounded sweet out the wrapper. Titles and names weren’t a feature of the show, thus leaving a mind less cluttered to savour the sonic delights spilling from the stage. Sometimes you need the snippets, other times it’s just blissful sitting back letting the music take the strain. 

It may appear a lazy association but remnants of Willie Nelson cut through the air both visually and vocally. Closer to home there was the astute grace of Ags Connolly, a UK artist capably crossing a huge divide. By the end of the show, Todd Day Wait had made a significant impression and successfully sold his wares to a cultured Brighton crowd. A southerner feeling at home for one evening only, though soon to be repeated in many places on a five-week tour. 

Gig Review: Iona Lane - St. Anne’s Church, Bewdley. Friday 27th June 2025.

www.ionalane.com

Playing live is the lifeblood for independent folk musicians and seeking fresh opportunities is a perpetual task. One slightly eased when projects like Shire Folk emerge and offer a three for one package. One booking can take you to three counties, so for Iona Lane the chance to play consecutive shows in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire was a good fit. The towns of Leominster, Bewdley and Bridgnorth aren’t that far apart and utilising new venues can enhance community engagement. Of course, a close proximity to the urban landscape of the West Midlands makes evening trips accessible. St. George’s Hall has been the mainstay of Bewdley live music over the years, so it was good to encounter the splendid backdrop of St. Anne’s Church for a night of exceptional folk music. 

Iona Lane has been active on the circuit for at least 8 years as per first seeing her in Coventry in 2017. Since that December Big Comfy Bookshop gig, she has progressed to be the proud architect of two exceptional albums and settled in the wild remote expanses of western Scotland. The natural world in its many shades is her passion and forms the inspiration for her song material. 

The latest album SWILKIE, named after a body of mixed tidal water off the Scottish coast, is barely a month old and providing rich substance for the current run of dates. Across a pair of sets with a stunning stained glass window backdrop, the bulk of the album was shared and admirably described in informative snippets.  An endearing love for wildlife and fauna, the smaller the better, shines through and never more so than when a touch of folklore is explored. 

Exquisite guitar playing, gorgeous vocals and an infectious short chuckle concluding each light anecdote illuminated a cosy gathering in a venue built for a majestic sound among other things. Topics ranged from lighthouses to lichen and strayed albatrosses to endangered curlews. Whales provided the most engaging story, while the musical highlights bookend the show with the emotive opener ‘Big Skies’ and hypnotic closer ‘Feed the Sea’. 

A couple of traditional songs, one impeccably A Capella delivered, split the original material and invited opportunities for simple singalongs were plentiful. All added up to a warm intimate evening, the perfect antidote when paired with more upbeat shows. 

Artists like Iona Lane are experts at finding their niche. Industry figures recognise and enable the talent to flourish but much of the planning and footwork is of an independent nature. The monthly shows of Shire Folk meet the ideals of independent artists head on leaving lucky fans as the recipient of super nights of outstanding music.