2018

The crowdfunding campaign to get Two Ways Home in the studio for their debut album comes to a close in the next two days, with the band at 62% of their target at time of writing. After releasing three EPs to great acclaim, the self-releasing duo – consisting of Isabella Mariee and Lewis Fowler – have now decided to take the plunge and record an album, but they need assistance in order to do it. Two Ways Home have already raised a significant amount and have a number of crowdfunding options for people to choose from, ranging from a download upon completion to a live performance. To see the options the group have – or to back them in any way – you can visit their IndieGoGo page here.

After a very successful first year in operation, Black Deer festival will be returning for a second outing in June 2019 and have announced Band of Horses as their first headliner. The Americana and country festival, which takes place at Eridge Deer Park in Tonbridge, Kent, won a number of awards from its inaugural outing and have rolled out their first announcement for 2019’s event, which takes place between the 21st and 23rd of June. In addition to Band of Horses being pencilled in to headline, Jade Bird, The Dead South, Larkin Poe and Ryan Bingham will make appearances over the course of the three days, while Fantastic Negrito, Hayseed Dixie and John Smith will also perform. Martin Hayley, Watermelon Slim, Chance McCoy, Worry Dolls, Gordie Mackeeman & his Rhythm Boys, Irish Mythen, William Crighton and Morganway were also announced in the first announcement. For 2019, Black Deer have announced The Americana Music Association UK (AMA UK), Orange Amplification, Desertscene and Barons Speed Shop as their partners for this year. Tier 1 tickets on sale now and are available from https://blackdeerfestival.com/tickets/ and ticket prices start from £105 subject to booking fees.

Kacey Musgraves has a fantastic chance of adding to the two Grammy awards she’s won in the past on 10 February 2019, after being nominated for no less than four gongs. The 30-year-old, who has Best Country Song for Merry Go ‘Round and Best Country Album for ‘Same Trailer Different Park in the past, has been nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for Butterflies, Best Country Song for Space Cowboy and Best Country Album for ‘Golden Hour’. In addition, Musgraves’ ‘Golden Hour’ has also been nominated for the overall Album of the Year, which is excellent news not only for Musgraves, but for the country genre as a whole. Elsewhere, Luke Combs has been nominated for overall Best New Artist, while Brandi Carlile has also been nominated for four Grammy awards in the shape of Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song, Best Americana Album and overall Album of the Year. The Grammy nominations have also been rewarding for Willie Nelson, who – like Carlile – has been nominated for Best American Roots Performance as well as Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and Best Arrangement, Instrument and Vocals. The full list of the Grammy nominations relevant to Maverick are as follows: Best Country Solo Performance Wouldn’t It Be Great? – Loretta LynnMona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Maren Morris Butterflies – Kacey MusgravesMillionaire – Chris StapletonParallel Line – Keith Urban Best Country Duo/Group Performance Shoot Me Straight – Brothers OsborneTequila – Dan + Shay When Someone Stops Loving You – Little Big TownDear Hate – Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line Best Country Song Break Up In The End – Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell) Dear Hate – Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill) I Lived It – Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley & Ben Hayslip, songwriters (Blake Shelton) Space Cowboy – Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves) Tequila – Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay) When Someone Stops Loving You – Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town) Best Country Album Unapologetically – Kelsea Ballerini Port Saint Joe – Brothers Osborne Girl Going Nowhere – Ashley McBryde Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton Best American Roots Performance Kick Rocks – Sean Ardoin Saint James Infirmary Blues – Jon Batiste The Joke – Brandi Carlile All On My Mind – Anderson East Last Man Standing – Willie Nelson Best American Roots Song All The Trouble – Waylon Payne, Lee Ann Womack & Adam Wright, songwriters (Lee Ann Womack) Build A Bridge – Jeff Tweedy, songwriter (Mavis Staples) The Joke – Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile) Knockin’ On Your Screen Door – Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine) Summer’s End – Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine) Best Americana Album By The Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile Things Have Changed – Bettye LaVette The Tree Of Forgiveness – John Prine The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone – Lee Ann Womack One Drop Of Truth – The Wood Brothers Best Bluegrass Album Portraits In Fiddles – Mike Barnett Sister Sadie II – Sister Sadie Rivers And Roads – Special Consensus The Travelin’ McCourys – The Travelin’ McCourys North Of Despair – Wood & Wire Best Folk Album Whistle Down The Wind – Joan Baez Black Cowboys – Dom Flemons Rifles & Rosary Beads – Mary Gauthier Weed Garden – Iron & Wine All Ashore – Punch Brothers Best Regional Roots Music Album Kreole Rock And Soul – Sean Ardoin Spyboy – Cha Wa Aloha From Na Hoa – Na Hoa No ‘Ane’i – Kalani Pe’a Mewasinsational – Cree Round Dance Songs – Young Spirit Album Of The Year Invasion Of Privacy – Cardi B By The Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile Scorpion – Drake H.E.R. – H.E.R. Beerbongs & Bentleys – Post Malone Dirty Computer – Janelle Monáe Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By – (Various Artists) Best New Artist Chloe x Halle Luke Combs Greta Van Fleet H.E.R. Dua Lipa Margo Price Bebe Rexha Jorja Smith Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Love Is Here To Stay – Tony Bennett & Diana Krall My Way – Willie Nelson Nat “King” Cole & Me – Gregory Porter Standards (Deluxe) – Seal The Music…The Mem’ries…The Magic! – Barbra Streisand Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals It Was A Very Good Year – Matt Rollings & Kristin Wilkinson, arrangers (Willie Nelson) Jolene – Dan Pugach & Nicole Zuraitis, arrangers (Dan Pugach) Mona Lisa – Vince Mendoza, arranger (Gregory Porter) Niña – Gonzalo Grau, arranger (Magos Herrera & Brooklyn Rider) Spiderman Theme – Randy Waldman, arranger (Randy Waldman Featuring Take 6 & Chris Potter)

The new team behind Maverick Magazine celebrated as it means to go on with a networking event dedicated to live music. The afternoon featured live sets from O&O and Maverick’s Emerging Talent Showcase winner from the Millport Festival, Zoee. Held at Old Street Records in Shoreditch on December 4, the event gathered together a number of high-profile members of the music industry, including Universal, BBC Radio 1, CountryLine as well as influential labels, festival organisers and PR companies. The new Maverick team, comprising Publisher Peter Mawson, Managing Editor James Ling and Editor Christian Brown, explained the new approach. “The relationship between musicians and publications has never been more important,” said Mawson. “We are determined to make Maverick the platform for emerging talent to get the best exposure. You can expect to see more events like this from us to do just that.” Speaking in the aftermath of the event, Brown was very pleased with how the afternoon unfolded. “It was great to meet so many influential members of the music industry in person. I really appreciate that people took time out of their day to come and see us and I’m looking forward to working closely with them at more Maverick live events.”

O&O are continuing their rise in country music by releasing a live session video for their latest single Rolling On, which you can see below. The track is the duo’s latest single from their recent EP, ‘Truth Comes Out’ and caps off what has been an incredibly busy year for Orian Peled and Obadiah Jones. In 2018, O&O have performed at C2C, Buckle and Boots, Black Deer and the London Roots festival, while the ‘Truth Comes Out’ EP was released back in September. On 4 December, O&O performed at Old Street Records in Shoreditch, London as part of the recent Maverick Networking Event, with many in the audience praising the group’s ability to captivate the room.

Rising American country music artist Jessica Lynn has given her fans a taste of what’s to come in 2019 by releasing a Christmas track in the form of Santa You Can Skip Our House. You can watch the video below. https://youtu.be/WmuscAbvIEg Declared as “Shania’s successor”, Lynn is gearing up for a very eventful 2019 with a worldwide tour pencilled in and with new music set to be released, which will follow up her two EPs. Lynn has made a big impression on the country music world with her single Crazy Idea peaking at #48 in the USA Country Charts, and big things are expected of the Brooklyn born artist in the near future.  

When you live in Nashville, there is a certain pride that comes with residing in the cradle of music civilisation.  In Don Cusic’s new book “Nashville Sound – An Illustrated Timeline”, you learn the history of this city and see the people and places to reinforce those stories! I personally know Cusic as a Professor at Belmont University in Nashville, plus he has penned books on Hank Williams, Eddy Arnold and Hank Williams.  In his spare time, Don composed hit songs for Ray Stevens, Jim Ed Brown and Bobby Bare. This hardbound book might be considered a coffee table book, but only in weight and size.  It’s stories and Nashville insider information make it much more and provide the background of why the city is really known as ‘Music City U.S.A.’ Besides enjoying the historical images and guitar photos, I also came away with a more profound knowledge and appreciation than I had before. In the first few pages, we learn of the American historical figure Davey Crockett who was a fiddle player, a Tennessee Congressman and someone who fought at the battle of the Alamo. The Fisk Jubilee Singers help put Nashville on the map as they toured the country to raise funds supporting Fisk University in the late 1800s.  WSM Radio, one of the most famous country music stations in the world and still broadcasting today, launched in 1925 thanks to National Life and Accident Insurance Company. We learn details on luminaries of the Grand Ole Opry such as Roy Acuff and Bill Monroe joining in 1938 and ’39.  Chet Atkins quit the Opry back in 1946 after being taken off Red Foley’s radio show.  Of course, in later years Atkins helped define Nashville music as a record executive himself! Who can speak of or visit the Music City without mentioning Ernest Tubb Record Shop, which originally opened in 1947?  Pat Boone got his start as a part-time radio DJ at WSIX while still singing songs and winning talent contests.  The First Disc Jockey Convention was held in Nashville in 1952 to showcse the DJs who had become Stars. Elvis Presley made the shift from Memphis, TN to Nashville in 1956 thanks to a new deal with RCA Records in town.  Buddy Holly followed suit by recording there 15 days later.  Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, still a popular destination on Broadway, has a two-page spread in the book since it was and is a place that singers/songwriters’ hangout with a backdoor facing the Ryman Auditorium. Brenda Lee, a country star that still performs on the Opry, is mentioned for her string of hits with famed producer Owen Bradley.  Someone who symbolised Western Music for many years and hosted the Opry, Porter Wagoner, launched his television show from 1960-64.  Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Charlie Pride also have places in Cusic’s book. Glen Campbell was a well-known session musician and songwriter in town that eventually became a radio and TV star.  What Don Cusic has done so well with this book “Nashville Sound – An Illustrated Timeline” is connect the dots with the artists, record labels and producers through each decade. If you’re a fan of Country Music or Nashville this book won’t disappoint it may provide some ideas for your next visit to Music City U.S.A. also? Eric Dahl

Morgan Evans has released the first in a brand new series of videos titled the Highway 1 Sessions by putting an acoustic spin on Young Again. You can watch the footage here. Evans, who has just released his debut album ‘Things That We Drink To’, performed the song under the marquee of a historic theatre in a coastal town for the session, which came about when Evans and a few of his friends went to the shoreline with his guitar on one of his days off. The video very much catches Evans in his element and provides fans with a different take on the song, while also displaying a fun and spontaneous side to the artist. At present, Evans is on tour with Chris Young for the ‘Losing Sleep World Tour’, but when that comes to an end this weekend, Evans is set to support both Old Dominion and Dan + Shay in 2019.