August 2018

South-East London may not immediately spring to mind as a cradle of UK country music, but a new monthly event is hoping to change that.   The inaugural Americanarama Southside kicks off at The Brunel pub in Rotherhithe on the 30th September, between 4-7pm, with an all-South London cast showcasing the diversity of original country in the capital.    Event organiser Malcolm MacWatt (55), founder member of  emerging country band The Glass Mountains, said: “There are so few grassroots events in London that feature country music, yet as a gigging band we know there’s an audience hungry for it. “All too often promoters place a country/Americana artist on a multi-band bill that isn’t really suitable, and if you’re lucky there are a few country music fans in the audience. It’s all a bit random. Alternatively, some of the existing sessions feature a very narrow definition of “country” that just doesn’t represent the range of the genre today.”   He added: “Americanarama Southside just wants to let audiences experience every aspect of country –  traditional to alternative, bluegrass to Nashville pop – and to give performers a chance to play for people who are genuinely into it. Chalk Farm Folk do a great country night in North London so we just wanted to do something equally exciting south of the river.”   For the first event, organisers opted to keep it “100% southside” with a bill featuring Rotherhithe-born alt-country grandmaster Gerry Scales aka The Lost Planet Cowboy, the sweet voice of Balham newcomer Shannon Hynes, Forest Hill americana-folk duo The Gillies, the Nashville vibe of Brockley’s Maletta Jackson & The Reputations and country-soul band The Glass Mountains from Catford.  www.facebook.com/AmericanaramaSouthside

The Country Music Association has announced the final nominees for “The 52nd Annual CMA Awards,” as Chris Stapleton tops the list of finalists with five nominations. Producer and musician Dann Huffreceives four nominations, the second most nominations this year, while nine artists garner three each—Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Janson, Miranda Lambert, Midland, Thomas Rhett and Keith Urban. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return for an 11th year to host “The 52nd Annual CMA Awards,” Country Music’s Biggest Night™, broadcasting live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network. “THE 52ND ANNUAL CMA AWARDS” – FINAL NOMINEES (by ballot category order): ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR Jason Aldean Luke Bryan Kenny Chesney Chris Stapleton Keith Urban  SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Artist, Producer(s), and Mix Engineer(s)) “Broken Halos” – Chris Stapleton Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton Mix Engineer: Vance Powell “Drinkin’ Problem” – Midland Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank “Drowns the Whiskey” – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert) Producer: Michael Knox Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun “Meant to Be” – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line Producer: Willshire Mix Engineer: Serban Ghenea “Tequila” – Dan + Shay Producers: Scott Hendricks, Dan Smyers Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano   ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s)) From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Daniel Tashian, Kacey Musgraves Graffiti U – Keith Urban Producers: Keith Urban, Dan McCarroll, J.R. Rotem, Josh Kerr, Jason Evigan, Greg Wells, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Jesse Shatkin, Jimmy Robbins, Oscar Holter, Matt Rad, Eric Valentine, Ian Kirkpatrick, Mike Elizondo, Captain Cuts, Ross Copperman, Dann Huff, Peter Karlsson Life Changes – Thomas Rhett Producers: Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Dann Huff, Joe London, Thomas Rhett The Mountain – Dierks Bentley Producers: Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart, Arturo Buenahora Jr.    SONG OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Songwriter(s)) “Body Like A Back Road” Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne “Broken Halos” Songwriters: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton “Drowns the Whiskey” Songwriter: Brandon Kinney, Jeff Middleton, Josh Thompson “Drunk Girl” Songwriter: Scooter Carusoe, Tom Douglas, Chris Janson “Tequila” Songwriter: Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers   FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Maren Morris Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood   MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Dierks Bentley Luke Combs Thomas Rhett Chris Stapleton Keith Urban   VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR Lady Antebellum LANCO Little Big Town Midland Old Dominion   VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Florida Georgia Line Maddie & Tae Sugarland   MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR (Award goes to each Artist) “Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne “Dear Hate” – Maren Morris (Feat. Vince Gill) “Drowns the Whiskey” – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert) “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” – David Lee Murphy (with Kenny Chesney) “Meant to Be” – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line   MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR Jerry Douglas, Dobro Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar Dann Huff, Guitar Mac McAnally, Guitar Derek Wells, Guitar   MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR (Award goes to Artist and Director(s)) “Babe” – Sugarland (Featuring Taylor Swift) Director: Anthony Mandler “Cry Pretty” – Carrie Underwood Director: Randee St. Nicholas “Drunk Girl” – Chris Janson Director: Jeff Venable “Marry Me” – Thomas Rhett Director: TK McKamy “Tequila” – Dan + Shay Director: Patrick Tracy   NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR Lauren Alaina Luke Combs Chris Janson Midland Brett Young

The 54th Towersey Festival (Friday 24 to Monday 27 August 2018) saw a sell-out weekend of great performances and standing ovations. Highlights over the August Bank Holiday included appearances from Scottish brothers The Proclaimers (Sat 25 Aug) and UK country stars The Shires (Mon 27 Aug), both making their debuts at the famed Oxfordshire festival, and guitarist/ songwriter Richard Thompson (Fri 24 Aug), returning with his Electric Trio. Crowds were also wowed by five-piece Daphne’s Flight, who earned a standing ovation, and Cornish shanty singers Fisherman’s Friends, whose Jon Cleave also made an appearance for the festival’s Sunday morning newspaper review. While away from the music, a switch to re-usable cups at bars was warmly welcomed by festival-goers, and was one of several changes introduced this year as part of a longstanding, and ongoing, commitment to reducing the environmental impact of the event. The festival concluded with its traditional Lantern Parade, featuring inventive constructions designed and created by visitors, and a sing-a-long of The Beatles’ Hey Jude, led by folk rock band Blackbeard’s Tea Party. In the region of 9,000 revellers flocked to the event, one of the oldest independent music festival’s in the country. Towersey Festival Director Joe Heap said: “We’ve seen such an eclectic mix of artists this year, from the country pop of The Shires, to the UK’s number one brass band, Brighouse and Rastrick, to an acclaimed teaming of Peter Knight and John Spiers.“We’ve also welcomed appearances by such established folk artists as the 82-year-old Roy Bailey, our Festival Patron who appeared at the very first Towersey back in 1965, to rising stars of the genre such as harpist Mera Royale, who won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award this year, and Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne.” The 55th Towersey Festival will run from Friday 23 to Monday 26 August 2019. Tier One tickets are on sale now, priced £119. The full 2019 line-up will be announced in the New Year. For details and tickets, see:www.towerseyfestival.com   Image by Phil Sofer

Dustin Lynch has become the latest member to be invited into the Grand Ole Opry, which enables the artist to realise a lifelong dream. The announcement came a something of a surprise, as midway through Lynch’s performance on the 21st August, Opry member Trace Adkins revealed the news, promoting a hugely emotive response from Lynch. “Being a member of the Grand Ole Opry is at the top of my list of achievements in my career and always will be,” Adkins said. “We want people to be members of the Grand Ole Opry that will have a respect for this institution that it deserves, that it has earned for 92 years. “We think that Dustin Lynch is going to carry on in that proud tradition, and we’re glad to have you.” A visibly stunned Lynch was incredibly grateful for the invitation, and just about held himself together to deliver a speech of sorts. “I can’t even talk cause I’m gonna start crying,” Lynch said. “I’ve got my family here tonight and a lot of my team members – a lot of guys and girls that are responsible for getting me on this stage for the very first time, getting my music played at Country radio and all over the world now, and I wanna say we would not be here if it wasn’t for you. “Thank you guys so much. A lot of things have happened over the past six years, but it started with that last song we just played. Cowboys and Angels was the very first song I got to play on the Grand Ole Opry – March 2, 2012 – I’ll never forget that day. “I wanna say Mum and Dad, thank you so much. I’m glad you came tonight. We have so much to celebrate. I’m gonna attempt to sing a song with a frog in my throat and tears in my eyes.”

Country music royalty and a fifty-one year member of the Grand Ole Opry, Jeannie Seely, was recognised for her contributions to the music industry by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp with star number 82 on The Music City Walk of Fame during an induction ceremony on Aug. 21, 2018, at 11:30 a.m. in Music City Walk of Fame Park. Fellow Grand Ole Opry member, Trisha Yearwood presented Jeannie Seely with the special honour in front of invited friends, family, industry members, and fans. In addition to Ms. Seely, Brenda Lee, Ray Stevens and Ben Folds were also inducted into the Walk of Fame. Inductees are recognised for their significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and for contributing to the world through song or other industry collaboration. “I’m honored to be a part of celebrating Jeannie Seely at the induction ceremony putting her star on the Music City Walk of Fame,” said Trisha Yearwood. “Jeannie continues to do so much for our industry, and I’m proud to call her my friend.” “I am humbled by this recognition, and to know I have a place in history among my peers is truly astounding!  Hopefully, those who are following our shared dreams will be inspired and encouraged by this walkway,” Said Jeannie Seely. ”Last year I saw the incredible respect given to those represented here. I can only hope that I have earned, and will continue to deserve that respect.” Jeannie Seely’s recordings have spanned six decades and she continues to entertain at full speed today. Seely is a host on SiriusXM, “Willie’s Roadhouse,” where she shares personal memories and fun stories about the songs she spins. In January of this year, she was recognized for ranking #2 in Billboard’s Top TV Songs Chart for January 2018 for her song “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand),” written in 1964 and recorded by Irma Thomas. The song is the trailer theme song for new “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” many acclaimed music artists recorded their own versions, including Seal and Boyz II Men and it has been featured in numerous episodes of the science fiction anthology Netflix television series “Black Mirror.” She is a prolific songwriter who recently released “Written In Song,” a CD project with 14 tracks all co-written or self-penned by Seely. Many of the songs were recorded by Hall of Fame members. Jeannie earned a Grammy for her recording of “Don’t Touch Me” in 1967. A country music legend and trailblazer, Seely is recognized for her diligence in becoming the first female to regularly host segments of the weekly Opry shows and is credited for changing the image of Opry by being the first to wear a mini-skirt on the Opry stage. Known for her quick wit and humor, she documented them in her book, Pieces Of A Puzzled Mind, which is a unique collection of witticisms. Jeannie Seely has also starred in several major stage productions.

The Unsigned Only Music Competition has announced its 2018 winners, including those in the country genre. Established in 2012, Unsigned Only is open to all artists who are unsigned to a major record label, and over the years it has become an important source for discovering new talent. Winners in 13 categories were selected from 6,000 entries submitted by entrants in 95 countries throughout the world. The most prestigious honor, the 2018 Grand Prize, is awarded to country artist Eric Ethridge from Sarnia, ON, Canada for his song “Girl On Fire.” Ethridge’s win marks the third time a country artist has taken home the Grand Prize since the competition’s inception only six years ago. In addition to winning $20,000 in cash (US) and $20,000 (US) in merchandise and services, Ethridge also receives one-on-one mentoring from a group of upper-echelon music industry executives, including: Dan Chertoff (VP of A&R, RCA Records); Riggs Morales (VP of A&R and Artist Development, Atlantic Records); Nick Haussling (Sr, Director of A&R, Concord Music); Kim Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment); Zoe Young (VP of A&R, Epic Records); Doug Johnson (VP of A&R, Black River Entertainment); and Allison Jones (Sr. VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group). Canadian native Eric Ethridge is a country artist whose career has been gaining momentum in the past few years; he was mentioned in Rolling Stone, won the CCMA Discovery Program, charted on the Canadian Country charts, and most recently was debuted on SiriusXM’s The Highway. His much-anticipated debut EP was released in July 2018 and peaked at #1 on the iTunes Country chart and #3 on the all-genres chart. His impressive catalogue of material, including the winning song “Girl On Fire,” proves that he is an artist who consistently stamps his songs with the same melodic and vocal prowess. A doctor-turned-country-artist, Ethridge has a strong connection with fans and listeners, evidenced by his songs being streamed over three million times in the short time since the EP was released. “Being named the Grand Prize winner of the 2018 Unsigned Only Music Competition has truly been an incredibly humbling and life changing experience.” said Ethridge. “This opportunity has truly given me the chance to take my career to the next level and live my passion, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful.” “The Grand Prize winner needs to be an artist who possesses extraordinary talent and is ready to take the next step in his or her career,” said UO founders, Candace Avery and Jim Morgan. “We are always on the lookout for that artist who not only creates music that will be in demand but who also makes music that is enduring. “Ethridge embodies these traits, and he is one of the most exciting artists Unsigned Only has been privileged to discover. We are proud to honour him with the 2018 Grand Prize.” Garnering first place in the country category is Kaylee Bell for the song “Getting Closer.” Hailing from Waimate, New Zealand, she already has an impressive list of accolades to her name, including being crowned the Unsigned Only Grand Prize winner in 2015. Additional awards include winning the NZ Golden Guitar at age 18 and then Toyota Star Maker in 2013. She has had over ten Top 10 singles on the Australian Country Music charts, and more recently her UO-winning single “Getting Closer,” written with Australian country music star Morgan Evans, has gained international attention, surpassing one million Spotify streams. Bell was also invited to perform the #1 US single “We Were Us” with international superstar Keith Urban on his Light The Fuse Tour of Australia in 2014 and again on his 2016 Ripcord World Tour, and she was the support act for The Dixie Chicks on their 2017 World Tour in New Zealand. Taking home second place honours is the five-piece country band Virginia Creek for the song “Kiss Me Sober.”Virginia Creek’s modern country sound is infused with elements of hard rock and blues. The band met and began their project on the tiny Island of Chincoteague VA, which inspired their popular anthem “Up The Bay.” They released their debut EP, Rise and Shine, in early April of 2018, and within the first two weeks of release they sold over 800 physical copies of the album and received more than 2,000 downloads from digital sources. They have been featured on two major radio shows (WOW Country 99.3 FM & Bay Country 97.9 FM) to promote their three-song EP, and all three songs are now in regular rotation on both stations.

58,642 people rock to 23 hits after a rain delay After an evacuation and 45-minute storm delay, Kenny Chesney hit the stage at MetLife Stadium at 10:12 pm determined to make up for lost time. As “Beer In Mexico” surged through the speakers, the singer/songwriter from East Tennessee strode on stage, fully in command of a band who’d come to play hard.  “Sometimes that waiting really fires you up,” explained Chesney excitedly. “You’re ready to go, and then it builds, and builds. It doesn’t hurt that the crowds in East Rutherford are such passionate, dig deep music fans. This was our sixth time. They were so loud, so in the moment, I loved listening to them sing these songs back to us.” Playing to 58,642 members of No Shoes Nation, Chesney not only had his own best attendance number, he became the biggest ticket seller at MetLife Stadium. In just six plays, Chesney became the only country artist in the Medowlands/Metlife Top 10 concert draws of all time: joining Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, U2, The Rolling Stones and many more incredible artists. This generated a total of 338,516 tickets – 10,000 ahead of the next artist. “When they told me, I couldn’t really get my head around it,” Chesney marvelled. “Those are big numbers. But you know, to me, when we hit that stage, and I saw all those people, soaking wet, who’d hung through the evacuation and had come for the music; to me, that was the greatest sight in the world – and it’s why we come back year after year. They rock us harder than we rock them!”  By the time guitarist Kenny Greenberg grabbed a banjo for the No. 1 record “Get Along,” Chesney, band and audience had found their groove. When the cheers for “American Kids” went on for almost a minute, Chesney responded by blaring the song back to the crowd for a bonus chorus. Old Dominion guitarist and “Save It For A Rainy Day” co-writer Brad Tursi was surprised with an oversized birthday margarita, and Thomas Rhett improvised “Kenny Chesney gets a whole lot hotter when the sun goes down” during his guest turn on a duet with Uncle Kracker. “This was the last night for Thomas and OD,” Chesney said. “It’s been an incredible summer, filled with so much incredible music, heart and great people. Tonight, on stage, after all of it, you could really feel the power of what music does for and to people. You can have a ton of rainfall stop the momentum, but you can’t stop the songs. It’s why we do what we do, and I hope it’s why No Shoes Nation keeps coming back.”  The connection between Chesney and the audience isn’t just a live proposition. Songs for the Saints, which benefits the Love for Love City Fund, topped the Country Albums chart and was the biggest selling debut on the Top 200. On the heels of the record-breaking “Get Along,” Chesney’s 30th No. 1 made him the artist with the most No. 1s in history, record-breaking seems to be the order of the summer.

UK-based singer/songwriter Sarah McQuaid is heading out on the road again with a battery of new instruments and a new album that’s been hailed as a “consummate artistic triumph” (Folk Radio UK) and tipped as an early candidate for folk album of the year by magazines and blogs in the USA, UK, Netherlands and Spain. Produced by guitar legend Michael Chapman, who’s also given Sarah his own electric guitar on long-term loan, Sarah’s fifth solo album If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous is distributed worldwide by Proper on LP as well as CD. With the help of financial support from Arts Council England and Cultivator Cornwall, Sarah was able to commission videos of her songs “Slow Decay” and “The Tug Of The Moon” from Cornwall-based filmmakers Brett Harvey and Mawgan Lewis, respectively, as  well as a documentary by Lewis on the making of the new album – all of which can be viewed on Sarah’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/sarahmcquaid She’s also upped the number of instruments in her arsenal to include drum and (where possible) piano in addition to electric and acoustic guitars. “People look at my stage setup and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realise you were bringing a band with you,’” she laughs, “and I have to explain that no, it’s still just me! But it’s great to be able to have so much variety in my live set, and I’m getting really excited about all these new possibilities instrumentally. I think I might be writing a lot more on piano in the future, and I’d like to do more with the drum as well.” The Spain-born, American-raised and UK-based artist is now gearing up for three solid months of touring, with 37 shows in the USA and 25 in the UK (62 concerts in total), starting on September 7th and winding up back in her adopted home county of Cornwall on December 2nd. To find out where Sarah McQuaid is playing, and to buy tickets, click here. Photo by Phil Nicholls (www.philnicholls.co.uk)