2 November 2015

Americana, country, soul, singer-songwriter Danni Nicholls has announced October-November dates in support of her new album MOCKINGBIRD LANE. Danni Nicholls recently returned to her Bedford, UK home, having recorded her second album in Nashville. MOCKINGBIRD LANE features many members of the team behind her 2013 debut album A LITTLE REDEMPTION. From a young age, Danni Nicholls was inspired by American folk, country and rock n roll music from her Grandmother’s record collection. When she inherited her Uncle Heathcliffe’s 1963 Burns London Shortscale Jazz guitar aged 16, all of those influences came pouring back out in the form of her original material and has been flowing freely ever since. Danni met producer Chris Donohue (The Civil Wars, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant) in London in 2011 through a mutual friend, whilst Chris was in the UK playing bass with Emmylou Harris as one of her Red Dirt Boys. The pair have now made two albums together featuring some of Nashville’s finest musicians. Danni has been touring relentlessly far and wide, armed with her trusty, ‘weathered and worn’ Tanglewood guitar and continuing to hone her craft. An entrancing performer, she has been invited to support many artists such as Todd Snider, Jolie Holland, Kim Richey, Jim Lauderdale, Angus and Julia Stone, Bobby Bare Jr, Otis Gibbs, Mark Olsen, Nell Bryden, Tift Merritt and Diana Jones. Tour Dates: Fri Oct 30: Kirton-in-Lindsey, Town Hall Sat Nov 7: Northampton, NN Cafe Thu 12: Luton, The Bear Club Thu 19: Norwich, Grapevine @ Bedfords, The Crypt Fri 20: Brigg, Lincs. The Steel Rooms Sat 21: Southwell, Notts. The Library Fri 27: Stourbridge, Katie Fitzgerald’s Sat 28: London, Nambucca Further dates to be announced soon

There is a special connection between American folk music and the railroad that has no parallel elsewhere in the world. Rail lines stitch together the sprawling fabric of American song. As writers of Americana music, our goal is to draw on the deep, recurring sources of American folk culture, giving them new shape. The Grahams Alyssa and Doug Graham have spent most of their lives exploring music together. The two were friends since she was 7 and he was 9, became a couple in their teens, then husband and wife and The Grahams, a dynamic Americana duo. Their first song-crafting journey, along the Mississippi’s Great River Road, became their 2013 debut, RIVERMAN’S DAUGHTER. For its follow-up, they rode the rails – and ended up recording not only a new studio album, the aptly named GLORY BOUND, but also ‘Rattle The Hocks’, a documentary filmed on the move and in venues from Sun Studio to Amtrak’s famed City of New Orleans train, produced and directed by Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, which chronicles their train-bound excursions and the influence of train travel on American roots music. The Grahams teamed up with Grammy nominated producer Wes Sharon (John Fullbright, Parker Millsap) at his 115 Recording studio in Norman, Oklahoma and collaborator-since-childhood Bryan McCann, to capture the rhythms and energies of that transport system and the momentum of its time, with Doug’s masterful resonator slide-work and harmonies fuelling Alyssa’s locomotive voice and acoustic guitar chords, while producer Sharon was able to bring in guests of the calibre of John Fullbright, Byron Berline (Bill Monroe, Flying Burrito Brothers, Dillard & Clark, Stephen Stills), one of the world’s premier fiddle players, and Ryan Engelman and Gabe Pearson of the Turnpike Troubadours. Our methodology is to follow the paths and revisit the places that inspired our predecessors, not because we want to imitate them or faithfully reproduce their work, but because we are looking for the modern echo of older sounds, and hope to give shape to these enduring reverberations. Nothing can serve that methodology better than riding the rails. Tour Dates: Tue Nov 3: Norwich, The Bicycle Shop Wed 4: London, The Borderline Thu 5: Axminster, River Cottage Fri 6: Bath, Chapel Arts Centre Sat 7: Stroud, The Convent Sun 8: Exeter, Exeter Phoenix Tue 10: Shrewsbury, Henry Tudor House Wed 11: Leicester, The Musician Thu 12: Bury, The Met Sat 14: Lewes, The Con Club Tue 17: Ballydehob, Co. Cork, Levis Corner House Wed 18: Limerick, Dolan’s Thu 19: Galway, Monroe’s Live Fri 20: Belfast, The Errigle Inn Sat 21: Naul, Séamus Ennis

Nashville artist and songwriter Shantell Ogden has won two honours at the International Music and Entertainment Association (IMEA) awards: Songwriter of the Year and Americana Song of the Year for Ghosts In The Field. The IMEA Awards are presented annually to recognise the best in independent music and entertainment internationally. “It’s an honour to be recognised at the IMEA awards this year!” said Shantell. “As an artist and songwriter, it means so much to know that the music you are creating is connecting with people. I thank God for music and my family and friends for fueling me with love and support every day in my career. I would also like to thank the IMEA Association, its voting committees and members and the fans for all of their support.” Ghosts In The Field is the title track from Shantell’s latest release, co-written with long-time friend and collaborator Bill DiLuigi. The song was written about growing up on her family’s third generation dairy farm. The entire album, including Ghosts In The Field, was produced by John Willis at Willisoundz in Nashville. Ogden was also recognised for co-writing Me Before You, performed by Marcum Stewart which won Country Song of the Year. The song was written by Stewart, Ogden and DiLuigi, and it became the writing trio’s first Number number one on the European HotDisc chart earlier this year. “I whooped and hollered for Marcum when it was announced,” Shantell grins. “It was so great to see Marcum on stage accepting the award for Country Song of the Year!” “We are grateful to have independent artists like Shantell in our international organisation,” said IMEA President Colt Chambers. “Her musical and song-writing abilities are extraordinary, she is the definitely the real deal!” Photo credit: Chuck Eaton