Three Chords and the Truth UK

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.  _________________________________________                          ...

  More to Me is the latest single from UK singer-songwriter Joe Hicks,  co-written with Tom Millar and Sam Whitfield  ahead of the release of his new album Before it Gets Dark in March.   “ After a breakup you’re often unaware of how the other person is dealing with it. Silence leaves you guessing and feeling like you’re the only one suffering while they’re fine. This song is about breaking free from the invisible hold they still have, the echoes of a life that no longer exists.” Hicks slickly slips into anthem mode for a track built to lead a new collection of songs. A buoyant sound awash with power pop vibes showering shades of positivity on a difficult theme dealt in the lyrics. The thrust of the beat suggests better things are around the corner following this blast of angst. 

  Distant Seasons is the new single from the upcoming Danny George Wilson album titled Arcade out on March 20th. This is the first solo album since 2021's Another Place and sees a return to Hamish Benjamin’s studio in East Sussex for what effectively has been pronounced a sequel.  The single has varying layers of snazzy production but is fundamentally a gently strummed   reflective song coated in a charm that has made Danny George Wilson a much loved artist in all his guises. You wouldn't expect him to remain creatively static and this prelude to a new record suggests modest experimentation is to the fore.  Stream single  

The most poignant moment of the show came in the second half when the Jaywalkers switched the next choice in their song turn to an instrumental tune, Thus allowing time for reflection in the wake of four successive songs awash with sobering sentiment from their fellow artists. Living with dementia, living a lie and homage to parents in difficult times are not your usual Saturday lunchtime fare but when you give the floor to a posse of songwriters not averse to writing the odd sad song, all themes are on the table. Of course, audiences schooled in the truthful nuances of country music expect nothing less, and you always know a lighter shade is around the corner. Traditionally, rounds like this are frequented by solo performers equipped with just a guitar. Two guests conformed to this convention with Rhiannon Paige making the trip up from the Bristol area and Georgia Nevada enduring a longer journey from the Cambridgeshire Fens. Essex is the home for Jack Browning and when you have a...

  "Americana duo Roswell Road are set to unveil their new single, Out of the Dark, on January 16th, 2026. This cinematic track delves into the struggle with anxiety and the courage it takes to rise above it, offering a glimpse into their eagerly awaited debut album, Rebel Joy , arriving March 13th, 2026" This second single shines a different light on Roswell Road's stylistic approach. A moodier sound in touch with the theme. A signal that the band are in full explorative mode using artistic freedom to channel their energy where the strongest pull is. Plenty of positive vibes emanate to whet the appetite for finding where the full release is positioned.

  Gut Feeling is the third single from UK country singer-songwriter Kezia Gill ahead of the release of her new album All on Red, digitally on January 23rd and physically February 13th.  After the first two singles were awash with country hooks, Gill neutralises the effect on this final outing before the full album is unveiled. Gut Feeling is a mature piece of expressive contemporary pop rock expanding into a wide horizon while instilling a secure presence. The writing exposes an artist's inner voice and the intent continues to drive this powerful performer forward.

  "Katherine Priddy has announced the release of her third album,  These Frightening Machines  on March 6 via Cooking Vinyl.  Following the success of her first two singles “Matches”, a powerful feminist anthem, and “Frightening Machines”, a deeply emotive second track, Priddy has now shared a third preview of her forthcoming album: new single “Hurricane”" The strongest evidence so far of Priddy branching out from a narrow inner sanctum by embracing a multitude of sound effects. Yet at the core of this overtly produced commercially focussed single is a singer-songwriter proving adept at transcending that art into something spruced up for the masses. Another hint that the live show is starting to reconfigure to the demands of larger venues. 

  The relevance of the firebird came to the fore midway through the second set with folk tales of its magical splendour gleefully devouring golden apples in the Tzar’s garden. Perhaps a metaphor for Daria Kulesh and Marina Osman casting their own musical spells on a heritage bedecked with feats of stoic resistance while striving to preserve an identity. The mid-winter fest of the orthodox calendar is a time for celebration and reflection, a moment when the search for warmth is wrapped in song and dance. January the 11th is right at the heart of this period, four days after Christmas and three before the New Year. Also the day in the UK when an Anglo-Russian folk singer and Anglo-Belarusian pianist combined to deliver a pair of compelling shows a hundred plus miles apart. The people of Walton-on-Thames likely had a marvellous afternoon; those of Kings Heath were definitely granted an inspiring evening. The audience were singing Russian lyrics within the opening minutes, taught ...

  "With over 42 million streams for her music so far, rising Dutch star Celine Cairo is poised for her international breakthrough with spellbinding new single  Panacea , out January 9th - the title track and lead single from her forthcoming third album set for release on June 18th." A serene track depicting tranquility and personal solace, sewn in your imagination to provide guidance on a voyage to a peaceful place. Delicate strings lace a voice buried deep in luscious song.

"Back Row is the latest single from the Americana duo Roswell Road This track is taken from their highly anticipated debut album, Rebel Joy, which is scheduled for release in March 2026.  Produced by acclaimed songwriters and producers The Dunwells, Back Row is an upbeat track that rejects hustle culture and the relentless pressure of modern life to be constantly productive. The duo wrote this song as a reminder, both for themselves and for listeners, to slow down, enjoy the journey, and occasionally step off the treadmill to take a seat in the “back row” of life.  Jasmine Watkiss and Zoë Wren formed Roswell Road after a chance meeting in a bustling market square in Cambridgeshire. Their musical chemistry was instant, and they have been singing and writing songs together ever since. The London-based multi-instrumentalists combine close harmonies with candid storytelling, drawing on experiences ranging from mental health issues to family love and real-life activist adventures a...

Irish singer-songwriter Blek lays down the marker for his new record with a mid tempo effort evoking a longing. The track broadens in places within the remit of a lead single pushing for impact. Its lengthy outro embeds a degree familiarity useful for engaging fresh listeners.  www.johnblek.com

"Following the success of her first single “Matches”, a powerful feminist anthem, Priddy now unveils “Frightening Machines”, a softer but deeply emotive second single and perhaps the most personal track from her forthcoming album, These Frightening Machines on March 6 via Cooking Vinyl." Beautifully written and delicately executed, this second single from an upcoming album weaves in an important message eloquently expressing a sentiment. Priddy continues to forge an identity of a sensitive songwriter using innate and assembled talent to spin an alluring song.  Frightening Machines by Katherine Priddy www.katherinepriddy.co.uk

  "Madrid born singer-songwriter Juana Everett is releasing Bring Me Back, the second single from Past Lives In California, her new album to be released in 2026 after spending almost a decade living in the West Coast and Nashville." Pedal steel and Everett's blissful vocals align in a haze of nostalgia hooking into a listening groove essential for imparting impact in a crowded room. Bring Me Back possesses a sense of worth caressing the airwaves with an easy temperate rhythm.  www.juanaeverett.com

  "Seven Crows is the bold, genre-bending project of Los Angeles violinist and producer Chris Murphy, whose new single ‘The Defeat of The Spanish Armada’ is now out. Seven Crows latest release looks back on the rise and fall of empires - a sonic reflection on Spain’s brief moment of global power, the sound of sails, storms, and shifting fate. Layers of violin and texture trace how history itself rises and dissolves into the sea." An instrumental piece of cinematic proportion circumnavigating the arc of a narrative. Murphy uses the full expanse of his violin playing to create a laudable excerpt of immersive audio. www.sevencrowsmusic.com

  "Six-time GRAMMY Winner & recent Kennedy Center Honoree Amy Grant returns with new single, “The 6 Of January (Yasgur’s Farm)”, her first new music in over a decade. This very personal song from Americana singer-songwriter Grant is a journey through themes of healing, human & spiritual connection, unity, & hope." An amalgamation of contemporary and retro references propel a meaningful song with undulating momentum continually piquing an interest with tempting lyrics. A soundtrack settling in a mid-rock tempo injects worth and grandeur as an esteemed artist pitches for renewed relevance and maybe fresh liaisons.    

  "Irish songwriter John Blek kicks off the new year with a new single, ‘Better’, on January 6th. It’s the third and final single taken from John’s new forthcoming studio album, The Midnight Ache (Jan 16th). Renowned as one of Ireland’s most creative and independent artists, this time around we’re treated to relentless drums, soaring strings and John’s simple yet poignant lyricism and vocal delivery. The song is the artist's effort to convince a loved one of his ability to be a better person despite what he sees as his past shortcomings." A gentle therapeutic track adorned with modern trappings capturing an inner sensitivity with enough protracted verve to stand out among a fresh selection.