August 2018

For the first time ever, some 51 years after Bobbie Gentry’s debut single was released, all seven of the popular singer-songwriter’s albums are set to be re-mastered from the original tapes, to form an eight-disc collection. Titled ‘The Girl From Chicksaw County’, the eight-disc special will be released on 21 September via Capitol/UMe, and along with Gentry’s plethora of hits, the collection features 75 previously unreleased recordings, which – among demos, outtakes and other hidden gems – includes her ‘lost’ jazz album. One thing that Gentry is famously known for it her debut album ‘Ode to Billie Joe’, which – mere weeks after entering the Billboard 200 album charts – dislodged the Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ from top spot. The eighth disc in the collection is a ‘Live at the BBC’ special, as Gentry became the first female singer-songwriter to have her own series on the BBC, and the CD contains excerpts from that series. There is also an 84-page book with the collection, eight different postcards, a copy of Gentry’s handwritten lyrics for the song Ode to Billie Joe, and specially commissioned cover art from David Downton. Throughout her career, Gentry won three Grammy awards – including Best New Artist – and weaved through genres such as country, folk, soul, jazz and blues with remarkable ease. It still remains a mystery to this day as to why Gentry called time on her musical career so early – her last studio album was released in 1971, just four years after her debut – but her music has long stood the test of time, and Gentry’s work is still lauded as inspiration for a number of female artists in the music industry. Disc 1: ‘Ode to Billie Joe’ Disc 2: ‘The Delta Sweete’ Disc 3: ‘Local Gentry’ Disc 4: ‘Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell’ Disc 5: ‘Touch ‘Em With Love’ Disc 6: ‘Fancy Disc’ Disc 7: ‘Patchwork Disc’ Disc 8: ‘Live at the BBC’ ‘The Girl From Chickasaw County’ is available from 21 September, and can be pre-ordered here.

MV2 Entertainment’s Nora Collins has signed on for membership with the Country Music Association (CMA). The signing comes ahead of the premiere of new single ‘Backseat Falling’ this Thursday (16/8/18) exclusively on Billboard. The new track will be available for purchase and streaming on Friday (17/8/18). “I’m so proud to be a member of such a hardworking organization that champions country music all over the world,” said Collins. Her latest single, “Who Knows Who” premiered exclusively with Taste of Country, who called the song “catchy-as-it-can-be” and said it “captures the emotions behind the romantic games people play.” The two tracks are a great taste of what’s to come from Collins’ upcoming EP, slated to release this autumn. The project was produced by Marshall Altman (Natasha Bedingfield, Amy Grant, Eric Paslay, Frankie Ballard). The Milwaukee native has already accrued a number of notable fans, with a list of various supporters from famed critic Robert K. Oermann to fellow female artist Brandy Clark. Though early in her performing career, she’s already shared the stage with Maren Morris, Michael Ray, Jon Pardi and more.

The heart of America, the spirit of a nation, is explored in two incredible collections of songs and a new book that has been created from the ‘Gone To Look For America’ adventure, by songwriter; author and psychologist Steve Bonham. Inspired by a chance remark by singer-songwriter Joe Henry, appearing with Billy Bragg, Steve Bonham (ever the Vagabond Philosopher) sets off on literal and metaphorical exploration of the myth, music and the moonshine of America. What he finds along the way inspires a witty, moving, idiosyncratic collection of songs, poems, prose and performance. In these times, when many find America bewildering and disconcerting, the Gone To Look For America project is a timely reminder of the potency of the soul and spirit of this enigmatic land. Steve Bonham – Vagabond Philosopher Wide-brimmed hat. Long dark coat. Guitar slung on back. 21 years on the road. A hundred thousand miles and half a thousand hotel rooms. From the Berlin Wall to the Atlas Mountains, from the Sahara Desert to the streets of Hong Kong: a memory brewed in the long simmering soup of people and place. A man who has learned to watch and to listen, to walk and talk in the ebb and flow of meeting and parting. He is a chronicler of the human spirit in words and music. Steve Bonham is a storyteller, a published author, an inveterate traveler, for decades a songwriter and musician, and an award-winning psychologist. The Book: A Beautiful Broken Dream The ‘A Beautiful Broken Dream’ book is a ‘trail book’ of journal entries, poems and lyrics all tied together by a journey mostly on foot through the great forests of the southern states of the US and then a trip along music road, from Ashville to Nashville and New Orleans with his sometime travelling companion and great friend the artist Dinny Pocock. Endeavouring to avoid irritable bears, rattlesnakes, agitated natives, over-exuberant creeks, and a whole variety of other challenges, they throw themselves into the heart of Appalachia and the Southern States and the music that flows from it. What emerges is a wry, compassionate, idiosyncratic and highly personal view of this land and the ‘truth’ it holds for all of us. Free download of chapter one available now; Book available to purchase at www.artisan-creative.com/gone-to-look-for-america.  The Music: The Girl With A Rattlesnake Heart and Reliance Before, during and after the trek Steve worked on a collection of songs directly inspired by his experiences. These were recorded in the famous Woodworm Studios in Oxfordshire, England during Autumn / Winter 2017/2018. Some of the songs were co-written with fellow band members in The Long Road. ‘The Girl With The Rattlesnake Heart’ album takes a few simple ingredients and spirits them up into edgy, raw ‘moonshine’ music. It’s Renegade Americana, songs like ‘The Girl with the Rattlesnake Heart, Last in Line and The One I Loved Before conjure up an America of brooding landscapes, the outlaw and the rebel, the lonesome battle against fate. A land where the ghosts of the Cherokee wander along ‘The Trail of Tears’ and a motorbike roars into a desert sunset in The Ballad of the Dragon’s Tail. Songs of dark memories and courage – it’s acoustic music at full throttle. Reliance Reliance keeps its feet close to the dirt music of the backwoods, a mix of self-composed and favorites of the band played with a jug of whisky at their side. It’s music of the silver dollar and a fire under the stars. Dylan’s ‘The Girl from the Red River Shore’ meets the ‘Moroccan Song’ – a tale of a Californian girl hiding out in the Sahara Desert. ‘Emeline’ the riverboat chugs away from the troubles of the world and the vagabond leaves his bag behind the couch. And somewhere on a broken porch swing, the poet sits watching Hummingbirds and remembers the girl by the sea. It’s a collection of songs where the surprising intimacy of banjo, cajon, guitar, tuba and sometimes piano rings true. And where, in the end, Diamond and the Gambling Man hit the long-lost trail. On-line EP available on Apple Music / I-Tunes etc now. Whole collection available for download on website; CD available from Website. 

When CMT’s Katie Cook talked of friendship, dreams and hard work, the entire third floor of ACME Feed & Seed burst into cheers. As waiters passed trays of hot chicken’n’waffles and fried green tomatoes, David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney were being feted for the feel-good summer anthem “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” written by Murphy, Chris Stevens and Jimmy Yeary. “First, I wanna thank Chris and Jimmy. We knew the day we wrote it, this was a hit even if nobody played it,” said Murphy, the man known for “Party Crowd” and “Dust on the Bottle,” to several hundred in attendance. He continued, singling out Reviver Records’ tenacity. “They were tough as can be, and we had a long haul. They’ve worked really hard on this record. We knew it was going to be a fight, but every regional got in there and gave it their all. We said you can run, but you can’t outrun us.” Later Chesney beamed as he took the mic. “This all started three, four years ago, because David Lee would send me all these songs–demos that sounded like records–and he was singing so great. I remember thinking, ‘I’d love to hear that on the radio.’ It seemed to me that there were a lotta people who aren’t being sung to, and David Lee could be one of those people who could do that.” Indeed, he could. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” has been a summer staple, as well as a fixture on Chesney’s 19Trip Around the Sun Tour stadium shows. The impact wasn’t lost on the 8-time Entertainer of the Year, who said, “To stand up there in front of 50,000 people every Saturday night, and see a song truly move people, to really feel it is something. This song made me believe in that all over again, because to experience that is really, really beautiful.” Whether it was BMI’s Leslie Roberts telling the assembled crowd how the lyric and the melody “and the sound of David Lee and Kenny singing, they take you back to high school, listening to two of your best friends sing and you don’t have a care in the world,” to Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson confessing he asked Kenny what he was thinking when he called to say he was considering making what became No Zip Codes, and being told, “because it’s the right f’ing thing to do,” the mood was joyous and light. With backdrop-sized pictures of Chesney and Murphy throughout ACME, the vibe was long on friendship and the connection that tethers songwriters and artists to songs. Blue Chair Bay Rum even created a cocktail just for the event – an Everything’s Gonna Be Alright Mojito—containing high proof white rum, mint, lime and a bit of sugar. As co-writer Yeary said, “I love being a songwriter. I love to feel, so you can feel it…. If you feel, we connect. If we connect, we form a bond. If we form a bond, you’ll listen to me. And that gives us the opportunity to say things like ‘everything’s gonna be alright.’” For an indie label, a GRAMMY-nominated songwriter who’s written seminal hits for Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Thompson Square, Jake Owen and Chesney, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” is just the beginning. They’ve got No Zip Code, a brand-new single in “I Won’t Be Sorry” and a whole lot more great music to go.

Three people have been held in police custody after stealing a trailer that belongs to Little Big Town, which has now been returned to the band. In Ashland City, USA on the 5th August, both a stolen boat worth US$70,000 and the band’s trailer were recovered safely, while the three culprits were caught by police. On the 31st September, Little Big Town’s trailer was reported stolen, but the band didn’t lose any of their musical equipment, or indeed anything of significant value. Taking to their Instagram account on the 2nd August, Little Big Town addressed the thieves and claimed that they had really stolen a number of inflatables and old bikes. “To the guys that stole our trailer- guess you thought you were getting vintage guitars and amps,” the band posted. “Instead you got two old kid bikes, 1 scooter, a baby pool and a unicorn float. Karma’s a funny thing.”

A Mexican setting provides the backdrop for this brand new cycle of songs and its stage show, as the Tiger Lillies embark on a Latin vacation that takes a turn for the worse. Seemingly abducted from their latest touring performances, the band wind up in a disreputable outpost near the Mexican border, where the singer starts to tell his sorry tale. In these story-telling songs, we hear about the tough life he suffered from the start, as a child accordionist playing bars to try and earn enough for a crust of empanada, before a couple of other lost mariachis joined him and together they were given an offer they couldn’t refuse: to sing the praises of the local drug lord. Older now, his heart is inflamed by Maria, who is also being kept at the hacienda, and in his youthful passion he resolves to free her and demonstrate his noble spirit. But Maria is also loved by the wicked crone, who lays a curse on our hero, and thus caught up in such a web of intrigue and emotion there is no escape for him and his compadres. Yet no story like this would be complete without revenge, and eventually we come to understand that the festival of the Day of the Dead is here to be taken very literally indeed. Martyn Jacques’s singing and performance on accordion, piano, harmonica, organ, ukulele or guitar is accompanied as ever by Adrian Stout’s multi-instrument playing, on bass, euphonium and musical saw, plus sepulchral backing vocals; drum duty is handled by Andreas Winter, with guest spots from Jacques and also Tim Brockmann, the master of the mix. For that essential extra quality, Christian Krille plays trumpet on just over half the tracks. ‘Corrido de la Sangre’ is available now

The 24th Millport Country Music Festival is just weeks away and the line-up for the Maverick Magazine presents “Millport Emerging Talent Showcase” has just been announced. The showcase, sponsored by Maverick Magazine, is brand new to the festival this year and is offering emerging artists the opportunity to play at Millport Country Music Festival alongside the likes of Jesse Dayton, Ashley Campbell, The Wandering Hearts, Raintown, Jarrod Dickenson, Liv Austen, American Young, Shane Richie and more… 10 artists have been selected from Scotland and beyond to each play a 15 minute set on the stage of the “Maverick Acoustic Venue” on Sunday 9th September. With the chance of playing after that on the Nashfield Concert Stage immediately before Sunday headliner Shane Richie, a £200 recording session with Katee Kross Media and a guaranteed full slot at MCMF2019 up for grabs. Who is appearing? John Rush Glasgow based singer-songwriter John Rush with his country and folk tinged pop songs, washed down with some amber nectar is a regular feature in some of Glasgow’s top venues including King Tuts, O2 Academy and Barrowlands with previous support slots including Ocean Colour Scene, Mark Morris of the Bluetones,  Declen O’Rourke, Jam legend Bruce Foxton and Steve Pilgrim. Green and Gold by John Rush: https://youtu.be/EtSGOvWKUPs Emma Sarginson 18 year old singer-songwriter from Kilwinning in Ayrshire, Emma is a regular face at some of the top venues on the West of Scotland including past performances at Captain Toms, The Clutha and the Barrowlands. Emma Sarginson Live at Captain Toms: https://youtu.be/82iidnbYwEU Scott Ashworth Based in Denny, Stirlingshire but originally hailing from Salford, Gtr Manchester. Scott started his life as a military musician in the Royal Air Force but now performs widely across Scotland as a solo country/americana artist with support slots with Grammy nominated Belfast singer songwriter Gareth Dunlop as well as Scotlands own Ashton Lane to his name. Drifting Away by Scott Ashworth: https://youtu.be/0wBDNA2HLBA Hollie Robinson A bright, bubbly, fun loving 14 year old singer-songwriter and the youngest artist to feature in the showcase. In 2017 Hollie represented the UK at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles returning home with 3 bronze medals and an Industry award in her vocal categories. Hollie performs Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson: https://youtu.be/PCCes-lwApI Riley 19 year old singer-songwriter based in Glasgow, Riley has been working on her own songs since she was only 11 years old. She has built up a following due to her great contemporary folk style songs with poetic lyrics all sung in a beautifully understated style. Mr Gray by Riley: https://youtu.be/wlkUtLEsZzw Joseph Miller In early 2014 Joseph independently released an acoustic collection of songs titled The ‘One-Take’ sessions. The tracks were originally recorded as demos in one take with just an acoustic guitar and vocal. These lead to Joseph being personally selected by Christina Perri (‘Jar of Hearts’/’A Thousand Years’) to open for her on the Glasgow stop of her ‘Head or Heart Tour’. Think of Me by Joseph Miller: https://youtu.be/TP_mePo6GDI Zoee An Aussie singer-songwriter now living in Larnark in Scotland and a rare Alternative Country/Pop phenomena. Since moving the UK in 2015 Zoee has featured on the BBC Introducing stage at Brentwood Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the UK Open Mic songwriting competition. Just A Little Bit Longer by Zoee: https://youtu.be/uipDJj6eh7M The Blue Highways Named for the forgotten highways and roads that linked American towns and cities, The Blue Highways take inspiration from American roots music and infuse it with their British sound and background. Formed in early 2018 they recently recorded their debut single, Take Me Away, at Reservoir Studios in London with Chris Clarke (Danny and the Champions of the World). Take Me Away by The Blue Highways: https://youtu.be/lvF1G_So-pw Zoe Tait – The LadyBugg  From Johnstone in Scotland, Zoe is a 16 year old singer-songwriter that plays all her own music, and has already announced playing at “Party At The Palace” this year. With a nickname like “The LadyBugg” unsurprisingly Zoe quotes Jake Bugg as one of her biggest influences. Callum by Zoe Tait: https://youtu.be/IZgjEE7TL8M Robyn Taylor With over 30 years performing across the UK and abroad, Robyn Taylor has found her voice in country music and her amazing stage presence really connects with audiences. Here first single ‘Stop My Heart’ went straight in at No.6 on British & Irish Hot Discs Chart, and In The Arms of Love has been nominated for ‘Listeners Choice Award’ on UK Country Radio in 2018. Stop My Heart by Robyn Taylor: https://youtu.be/w6jGdqmHBIk