July 2019

Scottish singer/songwriter Kerri Watt has released the first single from her as of yet untitled upcoming album in the shape of Cut Me Loose. You can listen to the track below. [wpdevart_youtube]ZnUkpg-6kTQ[/wpdevart_youtube] The Glasgow based artist has gone for a more Americana focussed direction on the track instead of her country-pop feel, with Watt channeling some of her more rockier influences for the track. Speaking about the song, Watt explained the full meaning behind the track and also opened up on some of the artists that she took inspiration from when penning the song. “Cut Me Loose is about breaking free from someone who’s had a hold on you, leaving all the drama behind and never looking back,” said Watt.  “The mood is bold, empowering, a little dark and sexy with a dramatic energy. I was inspired by artists like Barnes Courtney, Kaleo, The Black Keys and Ballroom Thieves when writing the track.” It’s been a very busy year for Watt so far, who has appeared at C2C 2019, Glastonbury and British Summer Time in Hyde Park when it comes to festivals, but also had a special moment when supporting Keith Urban at his one-off gig at O2 Forum Kentish Town back in March. When Urban performed his track The Fighter, which features the vocals of Carrie Underwood, Watt was asked to cover Underwood’s parts. As of yet, the album release date and name reveal is TBA, though it is believed that new music will be released by Kerri Watt between now and the end of the year.

Country-blues singer/songwriter Emma King is to release a special four-track 10” vinyl (also available digitally) on July 26 titled ‘The Sun And The Blues’, but has offered her fans a special insight to the album with a video Q&A, which you can see below. [wpdevart_youtube]M0Wq4QwRXD4[/wpdevart_youtube] The EP was recorded over a four-year period between 2014 and 2018 and showcases four of King’s best live recordings at two of America’s homes of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee. The EP was tracked live to analogue tape by Grammy award-winning engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price), Jake Niceley (Alison Krauss, Osmond Brothers) and Dustin Richardson (Milk Carton Kids).

This summer, Jägermeister is introducing the Jägermeister Mule, a refreshing mix of Jägermeister, ginger beer, cucumber and lime with slightly spicy after notes. The cocktail is the brand’s meisterful reinterpretation of the classic Moscow Mule, with a twist. Florian Beuren, UK Brand Ambassador at Mast-Jaegermeister UK explained. “The flavours in the Jägermeister Mule work together in harmony to create a really refreshing serve that lets the signature taste of Jägermeister come through. Ginger is one of the core five ingredients in Jägermeister so the ginger beer works well to amplify this. The addition of lime and cucumber balances the fiery tones of the ginger resulting in a simple yet complex serve.” The cocktail will be available on bar menus around the UK from July onwards, and is also perfect for creating an exciting but simple serve at-home to enjoy during pre-drinks, with a special brunch, or at a summer BBQ. In supermarkets limited edition bottles will come with a free ginger beer voucher plus a guide to creating the perfect Jägermeister Mule at home. Jägermeister Mule Recipe What you’ll need: 50ml of ice-cold Jägermeister, Ginger Beer, Lime, Cucumber, Ice Method: Toss a handful of ice cubes into a nice long glass Pour over 50ml of ice cold Jägermeister, without spilling a drop Fill to the brim with your ginger beer of choice Make it fruity with a wedge of lime, squeezed in for maximum taste Top it off with a slice of refreshing cucumber Jägermeister Mule: Sorted.

British country music duo Ward Thomas have released a new song called Breathe In, which has been a staple on their live setlist for a few years. You can listen to the track here. The song was written with Rebekah Powell and Jessica Sharman in the twins’ mum’s kitchen and was described by the duo as “one of those songs that just happened all at once.” Earlier this year, Ward Thomas – made up of Catherine and Lizzy – released their third album in the shape of ‘Restless Minds’, which peaked at No. 8 on the UK charts. This was their first album since 2016’s ‘Cartwheels’, which made history as the duo became the first British country music act to have an album peak at No. 1 on the UK album charts. Breathe In is the first music Ward Thomas have released since ‘Restless Minds’ came out in February.

The stage splits for Maverick Festival are now available for viewing and for those in attendance to plan who they are going to see. The likes of Chance McCoy, Hannah Aldridge and The Brother Brothers are performing at the event at Easton Park Farm in Suffolk, which takes place between July 5-7. This is the seventh incarnation of the festival, which features six stages and contains over 40 artists, who proudly claim to be the UK’s first Americana festival.

Midland have revealed that their second album, ‘Let It Roll’, will be released on August 23 worldwide, with the album now available for pre-order. This can be done here. The album marks to follow up to the hugely successful ‘On The Rocks’, which catapulted the band firmly into the country music limelight, which they haven’t left since. At CMA Fest 2019, the band surprised everyone by performing new album track Mr. Lonely on the middle stage in the Nissan Stadium in Nashville and much is expected from the new record. The band will also be returning to the UK in December after a hugely successful tour in December 2018, with the final gig being at the iconic Roundhouse in London. Midland will be playing: December 2 – Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland December 3 – O2 Academy Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland December 4 – O2 Ritz Manchester, Manchester, England December 5 – O2 Institute Birmingham, Birmingham, England December 7 – Leadmill, Sheffield, England December 8 – Roundhouse, London, England Tickets are available here.

Ferris & Sylvester have unveiled the video for their latest single Flying Visit, which is the band’s first piece of music since their 2018 EP, ‘Made in Streatham’. You can see the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]hgwkZaR9LB8[/wpdevart_youtube] The video was released just prior to the duo’s debut appearance at Glastonbury festival, with Ferris & Sylvester playing a grand total of four sets over the weekend – performing at Strummerville, the BBC Introducing Stage, The Rabbit Hole and The Green Peace Stage. In a band statement speaking about the song, the duo expressed their pride at how the video came out and said that the way it was shot – a performance basis – felt right. “We’ve toured this song for so many months and when it came around to making the video, it only felt right to do a performance based piece,” they said. “Simple and straightforward, in a run-down village hall. We wanted to let the song speak. “We teamed up with Sam Parish-Rookes once again for this one and as always with Sam, the process from the storyboard to the final edit has been a total journey and loads of fun. We are so proud to have made a piece like this.” The duo have had a remarkably busy 2019 and that doesn’t look like slowing down soon, with a number of different festivals and tour dates to come later in the year. All dates and tickets can be found here.

Florida-born country artist Michael Ray will be returning to the UK in October for a headline tour, with a date at Bush Hall pencilled in. Tickets are available here. Ray – who shone at C2C 2019 – has had a hugely productive 18 months with the release of his second album ‘Amos’, with One That Got Away in particular faring brilliantly as a single from the record. The tour will be called ‘The Nineteen Tour’ and speaking about it, Ray said that he can’t wait to be back in the UK and wants to give something back to his fans at these gigs. “Playing the UK like we did earlier this year was a bucket list item for me, and so to be back so soon – headlining these shows  – is in thanks to those fans who adopted these lyrics as their own,” Ray said. “Not just the singles but the album cuts, too and that is all an artist can ask for is that folks listen to the art, the music.” “Thank you for welcoming us back, we can’t wait to see you on the road.” Ray will be partaking in Country Music Week to kick off his tour, with four dates to follow after that in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. Michael Ray will be playing: October 22 – Bush Hall, London, England* October 23 – Institute 3, Birmingham, England October 24 – Arts Club Loft, Liverpool, England October 25 – Night and Day Cafe, Manchester, England October 27 – Stereo, Glasgow, Scotland *part of Country Music Week

Rising country music artist Jessica Lynn will be coming to the UK for her TV special Takin’ Over to be aired on July 5, as well as for an eight-date tour in August. The artist will be appearing on Spotlight TV – formerly known as Keep It Country TV, though it changed to represent a broader music taste – for a one-off showing of her TV show, but will also be returning not long after to perform. Lynn will be appearing in the core touring areas such as London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham, while also trekking to Maidstone, Portsmouth and Derbyshire. Jessica Lynn will be playing: August 6 – The Lexington, London, England August 7 – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, England August 9 – Night People, Manchester, England August 10 – The Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Scotland August 11 – The Ice Box Arts and Music Centre, Glasgow, Scotland August 13 – Civic Hall, Dronfield, England August 14 – Square Tower, Portsmouth, England August 15 – Old School Hall, Maidstone, England