What a melting pot of genres CC Smugglers are. Bubbling over during their red-hot set at Manchester’s Soup Kitchen were sounds as diverse as jazz, country, funk, swing, soul, folk, and blues. It was like a hoedown one minute, a jazz club the next. There really is something for everyone with this band. And you’dContinue reading “CC Smugglers – How High Tour”
Category Archives: UK Country Music
Elles Bailey – Road I Call Home
After her critically-acclaimed debut album Wildfire, the pressure must have been on Elles Bailey with her follow up. But she exceeds even the highest of expectations on Road I Call Home, a record that is nothing short of phenomenal. Much more personal than her first, yet no less genre-spanning, Road I Call Home is, inContinue reading “Elles Bailey – Road I Call Home”
Interview with Jade Helliwell
I’m sat on a bench outside The O2 Arena in London on day 2 of the C2C Festival. Beside me sits Jade Helliwell, whose festival is now a wrap. After performing an acoustic set on Friday afternoon, and fresh from a full band set today, she is now wrapped warmly in a thick and fluffyContinue reading “Interview with Jade Helliwell”
Interview with Katy Hurt
When Katy Hurt walks into 81 Renshaw Street, a small retro music venue in Liverpool, you wouldn’t think that one of the UK’s most talented country artists had just walked in. She is unassuming, politely standing at the entrance with guitar case in hand. The open mic evening, for which she is the featured artist,Continue reading “Interview with Katy Hurt”
The Southern Companion – Shine a Little Light
The Southern Companion have taken various musical strands – country, rock, pop, blues, and Americana – and plaited them together to form a set of songs that make up their latest album, Shine a Little Light. Every song seems to have two or three layers to it, The Southern Companion seamlessly switching between slightly differentContinue reading “The Southern Companion – Shine a Little Light”
Katy Hurt – Unfinished Business EP
It beggars belief how Katy Hurt remains unsigned. You would think that record companies would be queuing out the door for her signature. But if her second EP doesn’t turn the heads of music executives, their loss is our gain. Funded by the generous financial pledges of fans, Unfinished Business is a quality record, hittingContinue reading “Katy Hurt – Unfinished Business EP”
Stuart Landon – Outmanned, Never Outgunned EP
Released in amongst the sparkle and glitter of the Christmas season, Stuart Landon’s EP ‘Outmanned, Never Outgunned’ may have been missed by some. It is too good to let it pass by unnoticed however. If you’re preparing to pack away that festive playlist for another year, might I suggest replacing it with this fine recordContinue reading “Stuart Landon – Outmanned, Never Outgunned EP”
Charlotte Campbell – Merry Christmas to You EP
If there is one Christmas release that I would urge you to go out and buy this year, it would be Charlotte Campbell’s EP ‘Merry Christmas to You’. The name may not ring a bell. But the voice will certainly chime with those looking to evoke the gentle spirit of the festive season. In thisContinue reading “Charlotte Campbell – Merry Christmas to You EP”
Midland – On the Rocks Tour
They were one of the highlights at Country 2 Country 2018. And now Midland are ending the year on a high here in the UK with their first headline tour a complete sell out. Last night, they stopped off at Gorilla in Manchester to perform to a packed and raucous crowd. They delivered a stunningContinue reading “Midland – On the Rocks Tour”
Lucy Grubb – Dear Walter EP
On listening to ‘Dear Walter’, the second EP from Lucy Grubb, one cannot help but be transported to the rivers and grasslands of the Norfolk Broads. She may be influenced by a traditional country and western sound but it is clear that her East Anglian roots have wrapped around her music to create a distinctContinue reading “Lucy Grubb – Dear Walter EP”