Album Review: Katie Spencer - What Love Is

 

www.katiespencer.net

The music career of Katie Spencer is set to get its biggest boost yet with the release of her latest album. WHAT LOVE IS encompasses all the attributes making this Yorkshire-based artist an articulate purveyor of intricately crafted softly spun guitar music. The major development is the platform afforded starting with a high quality studio and production team coupled with a promotional presence befitting an artist primed for a bigger stage. An unassuming innocence still decorates the sound and a grounded essence blends a DIY past with tinges of enhanced sophistication. The ten tracks throw a comfort blanket over the listening experience with a tender warmth radiating from finely etched vocals. Katie Spencer is a mood maker with a deft touch connecting seamlessly through her adhering music.

Four singles have formed a lengthy run up to the release date with the final one proving the most interesting lyrically. ‘It Was Then That I Knew Love’ deals with the positive side to an adoption and will resonate with the hoards experiencing a similar feeling. ‘Come Back and Find Me’ was the introductory part of the fruits of this endeavour and its tuneful chorus line embeds neatly into the record’s psyche. Another single, the title track ‘What Love Is’, opens the album and instantly reveals what Spencer and her team have been conjuring up, namely making delightful music. ‘Cold Stone’ completed the single collection with a haunting lengthy instrumental intro giving way to faint vocals applying a fine touch to the canvas. The sonic landscape is repeatedly adorned with the subtle application of clarinet, pedal steel, synth and assorted percussion, all leaving space for the integral guitar to blossom in centre stage. 

Outside the singles, the outlier is the instrumental ‘Back to the Brightness Above’ highlighting a capability to tempt cool vibes from precision filtered musicianship leading to a cathartic sound bath exhibition. Although there are stark differences in the vocals, there is much akin to the music made by Laura Marling, perhaps the simmering quality of temptingly crafted slow tunes. ‘Forget Me Not’ immerses the album into a delicate pool of mindfulness, in the same realm as ‘Stranger’, likewise the sensory majesty of 'Home'. ‘Goodbye’ paves the way for a graceful exit before ‘Carry It All’ tenderly closes this chapter in a perpetual haze of gilded effortless guitar replicating a trait that continues to define Katie Spencer’s music. 

Katie Spencer is now the architect of five records, three full albums and two EPs, since entering the recording world in 2017. The progression has been steady, punctured by that awful blip that stumped most artists in 20-21. Even in the early post-pandemic days you felt enhanced recognition was only around the corner, and now that promise is being fulfilled by international bookings supplementing a burgeoning domestic appreciation. WHAT LOVE IS is a supreme extension to what drives Katie Spencer creatively. The needle is delicately moved forward retaining the intimacy and charm that invigorates the live show. Tasteful progression is a testament to an artist anchored in an ideal but willing to explore new places for their undisputed talent to prosper.  

Album Review: Ninebarrow - The Hour of the Blackbird

 

www.ninebarrow.co.uk

 

Dorset-based folk duo Ninebarrow have ambitiously reshaped the past on a new record adorned with choral splendour. Five albums across a dozen years kept Jon Whitley and Jay LaBouchardiere busy in the studio alongside countless other ventures and career advancing activities. The pair’s sixth album is somewhat of a greatest hits with a twist. THE HOUR OF THE BLACKBIRD not only enjoys the multiple talents of Jon and Jay but the voices of two choirs - Hampshire’s Hart Voices and Surrey’s Chantry Singers. The crux of the album is that thirteen previously recorded songs (a mix of originals, covers and traditional pieces) open in the conventional way of their original format before layers of choral voices are weaved in injecting a sense of grandeur - both stirring and deeply emotive. The result is an innovative aural massage breathing fresh life into well-rehearsed material. 

All bar one of the tracks appear on previous Ninebarrow albums, the odd one out being the title track ‘The Hour of the Blackbird’, which was a lockdown charity single. This was the template for the approach defying enforced distance by taking a bunch of remotely digitally recorded voices and melding them into a finished product of finesse. Five years later the same song reappears though this time the beneficiary of enhanced studio work blending the choirs input with the core skills of Jon and Jay. Fans of Ninebarrow can experience a sense of familiarity by comparing the originals and these re-interpreted efforts. They largely stand side-by-side in a state of beauty with a difference. Curious new observers get the double edged joy of part-conventional Ninebarrow and the pleasure of a lavish topping of multi-toned exquisite voices displaying strength in numbers. 

Ninebarrow draw on many themes for their work from a broad celebration of nature to intrinsic humane acts of marvel. They have a penchant for modernising old stories and borrow select songs of personal appeal. Seduced by folk convention, they also deal in good old rousing traditional songs and the odd shanty. These have defined the narrative for the first dozen years of Ninebarrow’s professional music career and pull together in this new collection driven by the duo’s flare to explore and push the boundaries of what fans usually expect.

THE HOUR OF THE BLACKBIRD captures Ninebarrow’s mission to etch the joy of song onto a widespread landscape and exploit the presence that more is better when fine voices reinvigorate the texture. The choral adaption is novel and expertly crafted. The result is an embracing listening experience caressing the mind with cloudless music. 

Gig Review: Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black - Violets Tea Room, Bridgnorth. Saturday 27th September 2025

How to make the harp cool: team up with a sublime percussionist and explore the endless strands of where ethereal music can take you. Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black exploit a telepathic nuance broadening minds and reaching heights derived by deploying a deft touch. Black exerts a coordinated dexterity ranging the length of the notes from brushed drums, tapped cymbals and applied bodhran. Dunsdon coaxes the harp to purr tunes of orchestral appeal. This is the musical adaption of ‘less is more’. 

From a Glasgow base, the duo inspire and source their tunes from conducive places. Remote parts of western Scotland, the rugged tranquility of the west of Ireland and numerous myths of folklore leave a mark alongside the therapeutic qualities of a calm sea. In full flow, Dunsdon and Black mesmerise an audience guiding a willing mind into meadows of serenity.

These two young artists are at the outset of a hugely promising career. Dunsdon brings harp delicacies to acclaimed folk quartet Ranagri, a useful launching pad to spread the word of the fledgling duo. Live appearances occasionally sprout on the back of Ranagri as seen at Beardy Folk Festival earlier this year. Who’s up for double harp? An increasing number of folk fans who don’t mind a classical and jazz side to their menu. 

This Bridgnorth show was the finale of Shire Folk’s autumn launch where invited guests get the opportunity to play three consecutive evening gigs in venues across the counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire. Violets Tea Room is another example of a re-imagined live music space. This retro quaint establishment  located at the point where High Town descends to Low Town posted the sold out sign well in advance and locals and short hop travellers alike savoured the pleasure of a mind comforting night of esteemed musicianship. 

Greg and Eleanor at Beardy Folk

While the duo has enough material to sufficiently fill a headline slot, progression would benefit from a more substantial recorded offering. Currently there is only a five-track EP available in digital and physical formats with the promise of a couple of singles in the pipeline. A step-based increase in popularity is more likely than a surge with word of mouth and associated recommendation the existing approach in lieu of wide scale promotion. However talent has its own way of finding the right advocates and that is certainly not short in supply. 

Instrumentals dominated the brace of sets played in Bridgnorth this evening but when utilised, the vocals of Eleanor Dunsdon more than added a mere diversion. The pair shared the informative and affable inter song chat illuminating what drives the desire to make effective and evocative music. By the time the popular ‘The Parting Glass’ closed the performance in the encore slot, a whole new posse of fans warmed to the delights of percussion and harp. 

The Shire Folk ethos of creating opportunity fed perfectly into how the music of Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black will widen its reach. They are an act to keep tabs on, check out what’s available online and seize any opportunities to be nourished by the live show. The Violets Room provided the perfect back drop for elegant music to linger long into the night air of this Shropshire river town.

Album Review: Sorrel Nation - Live and Acoustic (EP)

 

www.sorralnationmusic.com

Sorrel Nation continues to evolve as a resourceful artist seeking ways to build a career and maintain momentum. With the acclaimed debut album Lost En Route now a year old, a twist to breathe new life into a selection of songs emerges in a new short release titled LIVE AND ACOUSTIC EP. In the summer prior to the album release, a similarly short live recording was issued as a sample to what folks could expect once Sorrel and her band hit the road to play many far flung venues. A growing band of fans raved about the live experience, whether in slimmed down duo/trio formats or the distinguished full band. They now have the opportunity to enjoy a representation on record as the 5-track EP sets out to capture the unfiltered interaction of one voice, simple instrumentation and a stellar song born to share.

Three of the songs appeared on the album and there is a broadened dimension listening to the qualities of ‘Old Man’, ‘The Way the Wind Blows’ and ‘Living Free’ in a version closer to their origins than the equally enhancing souped up album presence. These were recorded in pure acoustic mode in a studio in Scotland and you feel every breath, string struck and emotive dive into the lyrics. Joining the re-recorded trio are covers of Welch and Rawling’s ‘North Country’ and Grace Slick’s ‘White Rabbit’, feeling at home alongside the originals and sharing the breadth of influence seeping into Sorrel Nation’s music.

LIVE AND ACOUSTIC has the dual availability of a digital and physical release with the latter a popular addition to the merch table on the latest autumn run of dates alongside CD and vinyl versions of the album. Eventually the time will come to move onto other material to retain a level of development but the joys of Sorrel Nation’s impressive introduction will linger into the winter months. 

Album Review: Janet Devlin - Not My First Emotional Rodeo

 

The clue is in the title as this album is set to undertake a second life. Around a year ago, the colourful and action packed career of Janet Devlin entered a fresh focal stage with an uninhibited stab at creating waves in the malleable world of pop-infused country. Emotional Rodeo was Devlin’s first outing on a label priding itself on parading artists fluctuating around the bounds of convention. OK!Good Records were suitably rewarded with the widespread response to back the artist’s urge not to leave an extended package of songs gathering dust on the table. Hence the birth of a deluxe album with the fourteen tracks from the 2024 record getting a revived airing alongside an additional eight songs Devlin was itching to get out. Customer reaction will always dictate the success of such a venture with the proliferation of the streaming world maybe lending a route for the new songs to seek some light.

The eight new tracks neatly split into two camps with a couple of live versions of popular standards joining half a dozen original songs reflecting the approach Devlin takes to making music. ‘The Gambler’ and ‘I’ll Fly Away’ are not usual bedfellows but then again convention is not in the artist’s DNA. The inclusion backs a highlighted influence that often takes a back seat when Devlin leaps into full-on pop mode. Genre aside, there is a vivacious nature to the music this performer from Northern Ireland makes. Whether launching into beat driven uptempo danceable numbers or adopting a more nuanced approach that potentially expands the horizon, the aim is to be true to a calling. 

The pick of the surplus six (ie not making the 2024 cut) is ‘If He Wanted to He Would’. This punchy mid-tempo effort rises to welcome heights in the right places with occasional blasts of divergent harmonica. In its slipstream is another number controlling its pace with ‘Hooked’ using various analogies to convey an emotion, most notably one from the heart. Of the remainder, ’Houston’ commences with a rootsy structure before exploding into a cloudburst of heady vibes. ‘Candy’ draws on Devlin’s story telling chops  while jumping between pensive verses and an unabated ultra pop chorus. ‘Plastic Pistol’ possesses an eerie sheen with a sharp edge, while ‘Psycho Ex’ covers the well-trodden ground of revenge with Devlin in a particularly mischievous state of mind as a whirl of production excess assumes control.

NOT MY FIRST EMOTIONAL RODEO feeds into the success derived from its first incarnation and maintains Janet Devlin’s relevance in a fast moving landscape. Fresh converts or fertile ears initially engaged elsewhere get the bonus of a bumper offering where stories are told within a haze of popular pleasing sounds. At the heart is an artist calling upon a kaleidoscope of melodic options to spin the plates of entertaining ideals. Janet Devlin fires volleys on multiple terms with her music leaving open paths to continue a buoyant road to self-discovery.

Album Review: Joe Nolan - Luv in the New World

 

www.joenolanmusic.com

Born in Alberta, crafted in LA, the new album from Canadian singer-songwriter Joe Nolan gets to the core of road weary-mile clocking music fuelled by folk, borrowing the blues and wrapped in the cloak of Americana. LUV IN THE NEW WORLD is anchored deep down in the literary gravel fully packed with imagery and feeling. On a good day it’s a trusty companion for a bout of loneliness as Nolan shapes a rough diamond into a palatable piece of sculptured songwriting. The team behind the record illuminates the voice and you are left with a imaginary soundtrack to a fictional road trip from Yukon to the Gulf.

Four of the ten tracks have surfaced as singles including two that set the tone. ‘Wake Up Sleepy Anna’ indulges in a touch of fiction and owns a distinct sound peeling it away from most of its peers. Following this impressive beginning we are led into one of the best killer lyric lines heard all year, ‘too much time to kill in a two star town’. You could view the essence to ‘Too Much Time To Kill’ as an ode to the mundane, although Nolan views it more of a broken down story song in the accompanying notes, hence the beauty of multiple interpretations. ‘Blood on the Pages’ and ‘Half a Tear, Half a Grin’ complete the promotional quartet with the former spiking as a standout piece from early plays. 

It is interesting to see the choice of closing the album with a near 9-minute long song almost twice the length of the rest. ‘When They Call Your Name’ is a lyric laden epic drawing your ears in the opening phase to the lines ‘You took me into your kitchen/And pulled out a razor blade /You pinned it up against my flesh’. This parting shot evolves into B-movie noir essay territory prompting intrigue alongside a sweet sound almost transcending the album. If anything there is implicit randomness to the writing often leaving the listener to navigate their own passage.

There is an axis of association from my listening past. A gruff exterior masking a polished interior is out of the Ryan Bingham playbook, while shades of figurative writing are akin to what Ben Glover has produced. Amongst the dusty template and etched lyrics lies a certain majesty that courted the work of John Fullbright when at his peak. 

The four singles reside in the first half split only by ‘Been Here Before’ where the production yields some strings adding to the aura of a voice delivering songs in ways that move tuned-in ears. ‘Rebound’ opens the second half awash with a fascinating writing structure starting each of almost eight poetic stanzas with the words ‘If I was your’. A curious insertion but in line with a writer’s ploy to tinker and innovate. 

‘Modern Day Melancholy’ is another piece of astute writing on a record where poignant songs collide with a malleable sound taking stock with life’s contemplative moments. ‘Daffodil’ leads you into more tranquil waters representing a softer side to Nolan’s output with oodles of sentiment. On a record where chiseled folk borders moments of soft roadside blues. ‘The Maze’ takes things down low and slow. 

LUV IN THE WORLD lights up a darkened landscape with a resolute presence. Joe Nolan courageously aims high and deals a record inducing emotion in all that crosses its path. 

Album Review: Steady Habits - Deviate

 

www.steadyhabitsmusic.com

An album a long time coming but now the wait is over. At 8 tracks and 32 minutes, DEVIATE may not be the most populous new LP hitting the shelves but small and mighty is a testament to one succinct and on message. A handful of tracks have been comprehensively road tested over the last year through full band Steady Habits shows and those where Sean Duggan conveys the solo format. Whether a festival, support, main or invited slot, the missing jigsaw piece was always a well-stocked merch table, a previous sparse space about to be populated by one of the finest releases of the year, while stocks last.

The talents of Sean Duggan first came to light just under a decade ago in a duo act with his brother Kevin called Loud Mountains, particularly active in the Oxford area. With Kevin returning home to America, Sean turned his attention to fronting a band and the intent morphed into Steady Habits, an exciting live combo with Joe Coombs on lead guitar, Cathy Ife on bass and in-demand drummer Jamie Dawson completing the line up. Essentially the creation is a vehicle for the very personal songs of Duggan and this Brit-based American from New Haven Connecticut has stripped away many layers to tell a candid story awash with acres of stirring musicianship and a sound core to the ideals of Americana. 

Title track ‘Deviate’ is the most identifiable of the gilded eight due to its permanent live set residence and an anthem for those bonded with all aspects of inclusivity and respect. While this ode to celebrating an identity gets many airings in safe and welcoming spaces, you sense an increasing confidence to spread its sincerity wider. The legacy of this true outing is the strength it instills in others to shed any masks of perceived difference. Maybe we are all born to deviate in our own personal way. 

As strong and imposing as this signature song is, it shares a privilege place with seven other compositions that lift each other with their sparkling inclusion. ‘Mess of It All’ is fast becoming a live anthem due to its danceable qualities and like all of Duggan’s lyrical efforts possesses an engaging narrative that hitches you onto the writer’s wavelength. One play of ‘Garden State’ inspires you to learn more of the song’s content shaped by a dark and moody style in the realm of high quality folk rock. The surprise grower of this substantive collection is the final track revealing ‘Novelty’ as a top tune sculptured by a great melody where 60s dream pop slips into a twangy melter. 

The leading single is ‘Stay’ which both rouses and inspires the listener with its certified excellence in a bout of relationship nostalgia. ‘Edge of Changing’ opens the record in passive waters as a sense of the challenge of change is grappled with. Duggan’s evocative vocals and harmonica playing impressively set the scene. This stylish opener slides into the more power driven ‘Archer Street’ as location gives credence to life’s portrayals. ‘Half’ brings the album up to full complement and is slotted into a pivotal position echoing the tone of the production as Duggan once again reflects with mixed emotion as the tempo gently rolls along eased with fine strains of pedal steel.

DEVIATE is an exhibition of glittering guitar work and serious songwriting giving Steady Habits a reassuring & relatable debut styled by articulating personal expression within a solid sound framework. Sean Duggan has a story to tell and its therapeutic qualities freely flow to fill a room. 

Album Review: Chase Rice - Eldora

 

‘I hope the past few years have helped fans see that this is the real me, not the person who was chasing trends or afraid to do something different’. The words of Chase Rice possessing a frank admission that considerable success came with a certain amount of compromise. While the past style was not to everyone’s taste, open ears are tuned in when new routes are explored. On ELDORA, Rice leans heavily on the personal, beginning in a simple stripped back mode before gently building and mindfully excelling. The release settles on a cautiously succinct twelve track collection allowing each song to breathe and generate an identity. 

The themes are trusted fall backs in country music and when tackled with a subtle verve rarely fail to extend a warm hand. The songs reflect the experience of time spent in Eldora Colorado and express a sense of remoteness and reconnection with the basics. Truth in its purest form aligns with meaningful songs, although creativity thrives in bouts of self admitted fiction. The latter comes into play in ‘Circa 1943’ leading to a stellar story song awash with guiding guitar and a refreshing sentiment. An early pick proving a standout from an album that slowly pieces together with multiple listens. 

The album plants its stake in the ground with the pairing of ‘Namin’ Horses’ and title track ‘Eldora’ in the first half. The former catches the ear with a pleasing chorus delivered by a gravelled voice exporting complete control. The latter boasts a twangy guitar opening before emerging as an exhibited juxtaposition of tenderness and grit. Preceding these two flagship numbers are the poignantly nostalgic opener ‘Cowboy Goodbye’ leading into the bouncier ‘Tall Grass’ taking the sound a little off kilter. The album reaches the halfway point with the jaunty beat defining outlier ‘Two Tone Trippin’ hosting a unique sound and an unashamed tongue-in-cheek homage to a cold one in ‘Mr Coors’. Other (better) brands are available. 

The aforementioned ‘Circa 1943’ starts the second half in fine fettle including welcoming one of the characters to Superior Montana to catch his brothers band on a Tuesday night. The story with its twists is well worth listening to. ‘Featuring artists' are credited on three songs with Madeline Edwards joining the revitalised Rice on ‘Country and Western’, a delightful duet bringing two strands together on the dance floor. 

With any blips ironed out, the remaining four tracks ride the crest of this fresh wave. ‘Cottonmouth’ pushes the tempo button applying a rootsy punchy sheen before providing a shield for the excellent ‘Good Side of Gettin’ Older’ to reflectively slip in and roll along with some fine pickin’. ‘One Drink Long’ and ‘Sunsettin’’ are primed to close this significant collection of precision placed songs depicting a perspective and exposing the essence of location and feeling. The latter perfectly captures Rice’s assumed intention using fiddle for effect and closing a chapter with grace and honour. 

Chase Rice tastefully exudes a lifestyle on ELDORA exploring inner feelings and sharing a sense of integrity. Trends are more set than chased on this engaging record, and doing something a little different works to a tee. 

Album Review: Zach Top - Ain't In It For My Health

www.zachtop.com

On his new album, Zach Top perfectly captures a country sound uniting multiple ages free of compromise and contrived deviation. Twangy guitars inject variable rhythm alongside smart insertions of pedal steel and fiddle. The fact that this formula is pitched right at the heart of the mainstream gives credence to a movement arguing that progression can still possess a heritage dressing. Rich vocals own the moment whether an upbeat tempo ushering in hip swaggering moves or slower bouts of contemplative soul searching. With lauded attributes locked in, curious attention turns to the themes courting the writing as AIN’T IN IT FOR MY HEALTH is stacked with plenty to ponder in its hefty fifteen track collection. 

Gender split is rife in country music and Zach Top doesn’t sit on the fence with his second album. The male perspective is ingrained across the record as themes flip from introspective soul searching to relationships with the opposite sex in a variety of guises. Most of the content is respectful with only the odd cringeworthy lyric wholly submerged by the conveyance of clever messaging and well-crafted stories. Although the themes arise from a narrow template, you get behind the sentiment of the straight white male, and in several songs, one embedded into a life of making music.

The musician’s perspective fires its volleys in five tracks. The high quality picked ‘Guitar’ opens the album with Top paying homage to the stringed wand that takes over the life of many a country artist. This scene-setting song creates the right tone within an agreeable sound ethos. Late in the running order ‘South of Sanity’ accrues sympathy of a travelling musician getting dumped from a wife back home while on the road. Several locations depict the expanse of the touring horizon in sync with chorus metaphors probing the hurt. The irony of ‘Country Boy Blues’ in the final throes is that a record like this may alter the direction of sensing little real country music exists down Broadway. Temptations along a musician’s highway are laid out in ‘Livin’ the Wrong Things’. Top closes this addictive album with an outpouring of relief in ‘Honky Tonk Til It Hurts’ sealing the deal on a record exploring its subjects well and expressing it with a supreme sound.

In addition to the aforementioned road break up song, there are four other explicit interactions with the opposite sex. ‘Flip Flop’ adds humour and a multiple play on words in the midst of being well and truly rinsed by a fleeting relationship. The beach connotation with hints of a Caribbean backbeat is a tested country formula. ‘She Makes’ is a respectful homage reflecting a thoughtful side, while ‘Like I Want You’ is more explicit in proclaiming love. ‘Tightrope’, one of the more uptempo offerings, bemoans a colleague changed by being in a relationship. This is a relatable song far away from the American context within the lyrics. 

Every traditional country collection addresses loneliness and ‘Splitsville’ is one of the tracks lifting the album into the realm of an adhering listen. Male challenges are further addressed in ‘When You See Me’ and ‘Livin’ a Lie’ where emotions sway between positively bouncing back and sad acts of pretence. ‘Between the Ditches’ is another song strong on the metaphors with ultimately being grateful for staying on the right path. 

The final two songs bringing up the full complement are alternative takes on lifestyle. ‘Good Times  & Tan Lines’ purveys positivity and despite an iffy reference in the title generally behaves itself in appropriateness. ‘I Know a Place’ is pure escapism throwing shades of romantic idealism into a world of grit and realism. 

A final take on this strong album is so many of the songs are ripe for a response from the indirect subjects especially the female ones. Zach Top and his writing team have expertly portrayed a viewpoint often with elegance and sincerity but an alternative one is crying out to be expressed. Some of the country’s most eminent songwriters could rise to the occasion and spin a response. This left field conclusion doesn’t detract from AIN’T IN IT FOR MY HEALTH surfacing as a top notch country album of real substance. If Zach Top lives up to the blurb billing then a genuine talent will be at the helm setting the agenda. 

Festival Review: The Long Road - Stanford Hall, Leicestershire. Friday 22nd August to Sunday 24th August 2025

 

The sixth staging of The Long Road Festival had an instant different feel to the previous five. Firstly, the main stage known as the Rhinestone was expanded to host acts on the Friday evening, a timely move to align with other events of a similar size. Secondly, the whole lifestyle aspect seemed on another level with an apparent expansion of live-in vehicles leading to a re-organisation of the parking situation for day visitors. Thirdly, there was a pre-festival consensus that the Americana music offering was considerably lighter than the immense levels of previous years. The last point is purely subjective and within the boundaries of the beholder. If you subscribe to a view that Americana is an all-encompassing indescribable concept offering solace to music that doesn’t quite fit then 2025 was teeming with artists trawled by an event with a mission of inclusivity.  

The Long Road can be whatever you want it to be, and is a safe and welcoming place. Finding plenty of engaging sets to fill a weekend was as easy as parading the site in hat, boots and the finest Western wear oblivious to 90% of the sounds blasting out from four key stages. The crux is it doesn’t matter. The weekend is a release with the magnet of an ideal concentrated on music that stripped back is all about the song and the tune. It’s music that doesn’t aim for the lowest common denominator. The odd curve ball booking is the exception rather than the norm. I entered the grounds of Stanford Hall on Friday afternoon armed with the least artist awareness of any Long Road. The site was vacated on Sunday evening with a different perspective. The blinkers came off and the ideals were firmly grasped. Loads of Americana favourites in past years had set the scene; 2025 would prove the most fulfilling experience yet.

Canadian artist Sykamore opened things for me with her Front Porch performance on Friday afternoon. She had been tipped off by others a couple of days earlier with the track ‘Highway Towns’ proving the pick of the online content. This proceeded to be the highlight of her time in the spotlight and signalled a potential to write many more meaningful songs based on real world observations. Definitely an artist to follow. UK singer-songwriter Naomi Campbell was next on the Front Porch and played a set that admirably evolved over time. She appeared to absorb a lot of influences into her style and you felt dashes of soulful folk and blues seeping into songs with a polished potential. The roots term in the festival’s strap line is often under utilised in my opinion. This wasn’t the case with the booking of the hugely acclaimed Fantastic Negrito. He headlined Friday on the Interstate stage and around half of his set was witnessed in-between two significant visits to the Rhinestone.They don’t give Grammys out like confetti and the eminence of this contemporary blues artist was evident from a brief exposure. 

Ashley Monroe

As earlier mentioned, the Rhinestone was a deserted space on previous Friday evenings. Two of the three bookings brought it to life this year with sets rivalling the best of Long Road to-date. Despite being a fan of Ashley Monroe for over a dozen years, seeing her play live had been restricted to a fifteen-minute showcase at Country to Country in 2016. Anticipation for her set ran high and the desire was fulfilled by a wonderful hour-long performance. She began by reproducing the self-confessional style of her latest music solo on piano before expanding into a past catalogue packed with stellar songs. The highlights included the adorable ‘Like a Rose’, the witty ‘Weed instead of Roses’ and the chart topper ‘Heart Like mine’. Her good friend Miranda Lambert cut the hit but Monroe spoke about the pair writing it in the backwoods of East Tennessee. The fun moment of the set was being joined by touring buddy Fancy Hagood to serenade an adoring crowd with ‘Islands in the Stream’. Mission accomplished and Ashley Monroe didn’t disappoint. 

As the sun set on a late August evening, a new phenomena was about to be unleashed on the UK. Anybody with the faintest interest in country music would be hard pressed not to take anything from the Long Road performance of Drake Milligan. Young, stylish and Texan is the aperitif, reaching out to touch a wide spectrum is at the heart of the act. The legacy is pure theatrical gold armed with a stunning baritone voice, glistening charisma and a musical offering of the finest quality. Maybe some of the material can be a little cheesy but view it as a fine brie. When ratcheting up the Haggard, Presley, Cash, Orbison and Wills influence, the guy is electric. Part pantomime-part country gold, the swagger was alluring, the appeal immediate. The only black mark was mentioning pedal steel but not bringing one. The set would then move from 9.5 to 10. Prior to Long Raod, this artist was tentatively tasted. Post-Long Road, the feel of a special hour and a half with linger long. 

Saturday is the day of the Loose Music Takeover of Buddy’s Good Time Bar stage deep in the festival woods, a usual popular hangout for those with an Americana preference. This has been a permanent fixture since the inaugural staging in 2018 and has seen endless fine performances from many artists. Some are currently on the Loose roster; some have a past association, while others are just artists that the label likes. Six of the seven curated acts formed the bulk of my Saturday with the seventh facing the cruellest of cuts when the pull elsewhere was greater. A new band to me, and likely many others, were the London-based Birds Flying Backwards who kicked off the Loose Takeover with a thirty-minute show proving to be a classic example of immediately finding your sound before proceeding to raise the tent roof with a blistering set of cultured alt-country rock. This exciting combo is not currently on the Loose label but expect them to appear on many other festival line ups in the near future. They would be a great pick for Ramblin’ Roots. New Loose signing Greazy Alice from New Orleans were up next and obviously feeling their way with a solo set ahead of a full band tour when the debut record is out. A work-in-progress impression came across alongside positive signs that a fruitful relationship lies ahead. 

Birds Flying Backwards

Current Loose hot shots The Hanging Stars have appeared at Buddy’s before and this time featured in the wake of a surprise liaison with Canadian folk legend Bonnie Dobson. Everybody’s favourite jangle rock band have veered their musical prowess in a different direction by making an album with the 84 year old veteran who slices decades from her age when appearing on stage. It was a treat seeing this collaboration close at hand, savouring a voice at the forefront of the early sixties folk revival in perfect harmony with a cutting edge guitar band. It wouldn’t be too harsh referring The Rockingbirds as a key part of Loose’s heritage, and these pioneers of London’s alt-country scene, when the rest of us were oblivious to such fine sounds, rolled back the years with a finely tuned teatime performance. 

The other two Loose acts seen were esteemed performers in their own sphere. American singer-songwriter Gill Landry has used the label to put out some of his solo records since ending an association with iconic American roots band Old Crow Medicine Show many years ago. Most of his set at Long Road was in a trio format though he is no stranger to playing solo as evidenced by many tours across the US and Europe. On a weekend when most artists embrace a festival appearance, Landry admitted to feeling a little uneasy with them but was ‘still happy to be here’. Only a Buddy’s audience would empathise with the confessional sentiment. On the other hand, Danny and the Champions of the World throw their heart and soul into any festival booking and play each one like it was their final show. The Champs are on a new lease of life boosted by an amazing latest album and revitalised by the newish presence of Joe Bennett on bass and Thomas Collison on keys. The headline Saturday performance was a master class in not wasting a single second of a short template. Danny Wilson lives and breathes music, and this commitment to excellence combined with a continuing awareness filters into the records he makes. 

Danny Wilson is rivalled only by Simeon Hammond Dallas as my most watched festival artist of 2025. She was not part of the Loose Takeover but opened Buddy’s early on Saturday morning giving a vibrant performance highlighting a knack of connecting with audiences through enticing songs and excitable chat. Over three festival appearances seen this year, the impact has impressively evolved creating a unique niche for a resourceful artist comfortable in a variety of genre settings. 

Danny Wilson

Filling the slot between Simeon Hammond Dallas and the Loose Takeover lay with female Californian alt-folk trio Rainbow Girls, a band known for many years without actually crossing paths. They played the Interstate stage and gave an idiosyncratic performance lapped up by an audience besotted by the quirky aura. In line with a majority of the festival acts original music led the way with a couple of notable covers slotted in. A slowed down version of ‘Sound of Silence’ was magical and oodles of fun oozed from a sassy rendition of Miranda Lambert’s ‘Tequila Does’. 

When the Long Road set times came out, there was a gross unfortunate clash. Bobbie was the one Loose invited artist not seen despite loving her sparkling debut performance at Ramblin’ Roots in 2024. Hope still exists that she will make many UK visits from the relative close proximity of her French home as she is an awesome talent. However at Long Road, one door closed and another opened. There has been a buzz for a while around the emerging talent of Charles Wesley Godwin, yet to date his music had escaped me. With serious top notch US Americana talent being thinner on the schedule than previous years, a decision was made to catch his Interstate set with very little knowledge or expectation. In a rousing and impassioned display of band mastery and prime folk-rock, a blistering exhibition of what was full-on undisputed Americana music filled a packed tent, all lapped up by an adoring youthful crowd akin to what Billy Strings does to the psyche grass fraternity. He was outstanding, amazing and right to the heart of what makes this music special. The impact was up with the best of what past Long Road has delivered including American Aquarium, Will Hoge, Margo Price, Sierra Ferrell, Marty Stuart etc etc A frenzied crowd had one final treat from this proud West Virginian, a spine tingling rendition of his home state’s country pop anthem. You will know it and wouldn’t fail to be moved by this mother of all airings. ‘Almost heaven…’ 

Sunday arrived at Long Road with a day of twists and turns lying ahead. Apart from two early sets from known artists, the rest was up in the air though soon to unveil the most uplifting of festival experiences. The early slot at Buddy’s is often filled by a decent act and bluegrass roots band Jaywalkers fitted the billing this time.There is scope for more bands inspired by old time string music to boost the roots input. This Manchester trio rose to the challenge by displaying fine musicianship and excellent song presentation. They are in the middle of promoting a new record and are worth checking out especially if they are hitting your town.

Charles Wesley Godwin

From one perspective the Front Porch stage appears a limited and awkward performing space, alternatively it plays out to a vast crowd, both seated and passing. With the festival’s attendance seemingly growing, the stage was more popular than ever and a vast array of acts exploited its excellent sound projection and pivotal position. Steady Habits squeezed in their four-piece line up on Sunday lunchtime and played a super set in line with a growing reputation. The band led by Sean Duggan played a late night slot a couple of years ago but are now in a more advanced position with a new record due soon. Such is the nature of Long Road that Sean was amongst good people in introducing his signature song ‘Deviate’. Identity and free to be who you are is ingrained into the festival ethos with the thread running right through countless acts and an increasing presence in the audience. 

You are never too far away from a crusty, road weary, hat clad country singer at The Long Road. Evan Bartels had a familiar story to tell and told it well from a solo position in the Interstate. The set improved when switching from electric to acoustic guitar. Maybe the former is necessary in a crowded noisy bar where few folks are listening but this is The Long Road with an attentive UK crowd. Twenty-four hours earlier I had left Fancy Hagood’s set on this stage after a quarter of an hour thinking it’s not for me. There was an urge to give the guy a second chance and this time he held my attention for the full forty-five minutes on the Rhinestone. There was a feel good story element to the set as the challenges of being a queer southern artist in country music was shared with honesty amidst the joy of being accepted in other communities. The Long Road afforded him a welcoming home for the weekend. Purists would dismiss the music as too pop orientated but the inclusive concept of Americana opened a niche opportunity for an artist with strong core skills to tell a story. 

While US artists tend to dominate the festival, talented home-grown musicians ply their trade with spirit and verve. Will Varley fitted the bill as your archetypal singer-songwriter, comfortable in a multitude of environments and willing to take on a new crowd with his stash of fine songs and affable demeanour. A large Front Porch gathering enjoyed the warm afternoon sunshine and a performer at ease with his craft. I took in the opening and final twenty minutes of this hour-long set with a saunter in the middle of it to sample the Colour Me Country all star show on the Rhinestone. Rissi Palmer has become a Long Road institution for her curation of a range of artists of colour. Songs from Chris Linton, Ben Jordan and Denitia were enjoyed during this quick visit. The beauty of an accessible multi-stage event. 

Ben Jordan

Defining the second California female trio of the weekend was not easy but listening to the sumptuous vibes drifting from the music of Trousdale was a delight. Residing on a higher plane than pop, this young outfit hone in on the gift of harmonies and the simple pleasure of exuding a beautiful sound. Americana at least opens the door with some resemblance to The Staves and First Aid Kit. The latter catapulted to prominence with their homage to Emmylou, Trousdale do likewise with Joni. Long Road thrives when affording homes for new acts especially those a little different. This is locked into the festival mission.  

There is room for improvement in gender diversity at headline level. Drake Milligan, Midland and James Bay is at least one too many. The last artist from the country pool scheduled on the Rhinestone on Sunday had a 5 0’clock slot. Alana Springsteen may not be headline status but she appealed to many Long Road devotees and played her heart out. Pop country plays a major role in drawing crowds, particularly young people who aren’t necessarily following the trends of their peers. Essentially Springsteen has the core skills of any Long Road artist, yet elects to adopt a different sheen. Rays of positivity shone from stage to the souls of an adoring audience. It was a refreshing experience and opened my eyes to what the power of music can do even if it is on the distant hinterland to what fires your own desire. 

The impromptu dip into another world meant only half of The White Buffalo’s set was seen on the Interstate. In contrast to Alana Springsteen, this was loud brash southern rock intermingled with moments of gruff reflection. The fact that these two strands can co-exist for a weekend is a strength. A social media influencer commented last year ‘those Brits are weird’ when noting that Russell Dickerson and American Aquarium were on the same bill. Different rather than weird would be kinder but maybe our friends across the water have something to learn from inclusivity and elements of diversity. 

Trousdale

Long Road 2025 ended for me with a new name blasting out an authentic country sound for an hour and a quarter. Colby Acuff is probably a new name for many but certainly cut through with a younger clientele. His style was a mix of Tyler Childers and Brent Cobb, packed with multi-paced songs brought together by the distant sound of remote Idaho. He signalled a bright future for country music, one where the next generation are honing in on exceptionally fine music.

Maybe it was a different feel to The Long Road this year that drew a perception of an event coming of age. Just a personal view and that is all that counts when the dust settles. If you can transcend the perception of your pre-announced line up then you have arrived. Confidence is as high now for the future as those incredible line ups of the past.