Three Chords and the Truth UK

  “Has anybody been to the Bluebird Cafe?” “Yes,” mumbled two voices from the first row. In a more appropriate environment, the response would have been extended to “yes we saw you” but for now the focus was enjoying another Kim Richey performance ten years on from that Nashville encounter. Midway through the show, the name Don Henry cropped up as the co-writer for ‘ Chapel Avenue’ , the opening track from the most recent album EVERY NEW BEGINNING. Cue another connection with the Bluebird Cafe as he was on the same writers’ round bill in 2016. That’s enough of cafes four thousand miles away, let’s concentrate on one in Kings Heath - a cafe by day; an intimate gig venue by night. By estimation (and personal attendance), this was Kim Richey’s fifth visit to the Kitchen Garden, beginning with a double bill with Ben Glover in 2018. Solo has been the de facto performing format up until this evening when joined by long term guitarist Jez Ashurst. With no new music to present since the la...

"Rising English folk artist Luke James Williams announces his second album ‘ Limes Hotel ,’ due this April, alongside the release of his new single ‘ Hollows and Branches’  out February 6th.  Hollows and Branches is the third single from ‘Limes Hotel’ following ‘Seeds’ and ‘Ends.’ Earning widespread praise and airplay from BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio these new songs reveal an artist emerging as one of the UK’s most compelling new folk voices. " Williams equates grief with the natural world in a song getting to the heart of  what a relationship meant. His quintessential English-style folk vocals, almost spoken, give a real life sentiment to the lyrics, all delivered in a passive tone allowing space for the song to impact. 'Rich isn't happy, sad isn't poor' is a lyric to ponder.  Limes Hotel by Luke James Williams www.lukejameswilliams.co.uk

  After three full length albums and a wealth of gig experience in the locker, the time was ripe for Birmingham-based band The Lost Notes to turn their hand to a live record. The groundwork was done last year with a successful gig in the Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. This adapted area has all the attributes for effective live music such as excellent sound and lighting as well as a comfortable spacious layout with additional viewing from an upper balcony. With logistics in place, the word went out very quickly that a repeat show was planned to record the live album and over 200 fans snapped up tickets to sell out the event. Their enthusiastic gusto was as much part of a successful evening as a band on a mission to do the project justice.  If the planned live album is a fraction of its source then listeners are going to feel the energy. Heart and soul, the ultimate audience bond and a performance of prime effervescent quality filled a packed...

  Dylan LeBlanc is an exceptional songwriter. Words are soothly shared in a high planed tone. Tunes coaxed out of an old Martin with minimal effort. He shines a light inwards onstage. Audiences are allowed a peep, taken to the edge and won over with an impish charm. You warm to a candid unveiling and separate the deed from perverse perception. You respect an honesty and accept the rich and varied influences inform the art. Stories broaden the imagination, push convention to the limit and slip into the sublime song.  Dylan LeBlanc is a rebel with a cause.  This was a third appearance at the Kitchen Garden since an amazing full band debut in November 2023. Solo has been the two most recent formats, likely more cost effective and practical but a wonderful opportunity to get close up and personal. Fourteen songs and umpteen stories filled a brace of sets extracting material from Paupers Field to Coyote. He appears to like Birmingham and Birmingham absolutely likes him....

Clad in black leather, a socially sharp mind and forever anchored where the spirit meets the bone. Lucinda Williams unites the poetry of folk, the  depth of the blues, the meaning of soul and the verve of rock. The stage presence has been re-invented in recent years and the elaborated drawl is still rinsed in east of the Red River sensibility. An icon schooled in the annals of the classic band, settling as a legend who has never abandoned the roots of righteousness. The band and its leader is a mighty entity. She tapped her heart in praise of Brady Blade’s drumming and passively admired the shredding of Marc Ford. The longstanding relationship with Doug Pettibone is sealed when he played pedal steel while she whimsically dreamt of driving an El Camino with a Texan friend around Lake Charles. David Sutton’s adaptable bass playing kept her ear on track. The ills of the world are given the therapy of Lucinda Williams 2026: refreshed, revitalised, recording and still ‘ Rocking in the F...

  Positive vibes and applied virtuoso are fine ingredients for a rewarding gig especially when you are literally positioned a couple of feet away from the artist. Through banjo playing, vocals, and amenable comment, Kaia Kater emanated a sense of comfort and appreciation. This revealed a talent that has made her a sought after artist in roots music circles from her native Canada through the US to music communities in the UK and Europe.  Early year visits have become a trend when you can add the centrepiece of a Celtic Connections booking. Across an eight year period, Kater has played the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham on three occasions, each taking place in January/February.  Just like 2024, Andrew Ryan on upright bass completed the duo format with a near sell out audience reflecting a growing appeal.  Ryan’s bass playing, both hand plucked and caressed with the bow,  was unique and animated, expressively interacting with his partner’s banjo,  Add in ba...

  Thirty-five minutes of beautiful theatrical harmony described The R ’n’ R Show when first encountering the presence of Ren Harvieu and Romeo Stodart in full collaborative flow. It was quirky, slick, testing the elasticity of straight up rock ’n’ roll. This initial positive impression took place at Ramblin’ Roots Revue in 2025 and signalled an embryonic project about to explode. Both artists start from a solid base with Stodart, the joint architect of Mercury Music Prize nominated band The Magic Numbers and Harvieu, a renowned vocalist of industry distinction. Forward ten months and the pieces are slowly slotting into place. The album is on the horizon, though songs are still emerging and being tinkered with. What is locked in is a chemistry and musical alliance to pioneer a unique take on a time honoured mutual love. "A spaceship of sound" evocatively quipped Stodart, a quote for now but the metaphorical splendour is ripe for plagiarism. Extended appeal brought the Kitchen ...

  Jeffrey Martin doesn’t waste a breath, nor a word, nor a note. He funnels life through the strings of a guitar, and songs pondering his inner most thoughts, trying to make sense of it all. He pauses, takes stock, adds insightful comment then resumes the artistic calling. The magnitude of his work holds an audience in a state of freeze-frame, listening with rooted intent. He revels in the cold wet January climate of the English Midlands, unsure whether he’s been to this town before He mischievously greets The Sunflower Lounge basement performing space as a “hole," though one soon to fill with adoration. This evening, one of Birmingham’s quirkier venues lends its ear to a troubadour from the resistant enclave of Portland Oregon, one uncomfortably wearing his nationality, yet bringing peace and calmness through the international language of song.  _________________________________________                          ...