November 2022 - STAGING Maverick

Tools of the Trade: Fender American Vintage II Series

Leave a Comment / Lifestyle, News / Rochelle Mills

The new Fender American Vintage II series was recently released with a selection of 50’s, 60’s and 70’s guitars and basses in the line. These instruments feature nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, ash and alder bodies, vintage hardware & cases, vintage neck profiles, year specific pickups and original specs. Maverick received the 1951 Telecaster for review, and I was totally blown away by the attention to detail, fit and finish. Right out of the vintage styled tweed case it was apparent that the Tele was constructed with flathead screws instead of Phillips head screws like a period correct ’51 Tele should be. The neck profile has a vintage feel to the shape but not too chunky as some of the later 50’s models were. The blonde finish is stunning and allows the wood grain to seep through in all the right places. Sound wise the ’51 Fender American Vintage II has plenty of bark and twang when you play it, but not piercing highs or too then sounding. This is an incredible instrument that you will want to play at live gigs and in the studio constantly. Other Teles in the American Vintage II line include ’63 Telecaster, ’72 Telecaster Thinline, ’75 Telecaster (double humbucker) and the ’77 Telecaster (single humbucker). Next up they have included a ’66 Jazzmaster, ’57 Strat, ’61 Stratocaster, ’73 Stratocaster, ’54 Precision bass, ’60 Precision and the ’66 Jazz bass. What appeals to me about the American Vintage II series is that it allows you to achieve a vintage correct Fender instrument without going through the extra cost of the custom shop. These are American made instruments based on the most popular years for each model. I think the American Vintage II series will be a big hit for Fender, just like the original models were. www.fender.com READ MORE ‘TOOLS OF THE TRADE’ IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF MAVERICK AVAILABLE HERE! Media Contact: Eric Dahl, Editor Email: editor@maverick-country.com

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Erin Kinsey to perform at NASCAR Awards

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

Rising country music artist Erin Kinsey will take the stage to help NASCAR celebrate a 2022 season highlighted by breakthrough moments from many young stars of its own. The RECORDS Nashville singer-songwriter will perform her debut hit single, “Just Drive,” which has been featured on SiriusXM The Highway “On The Horizon” and amassed more than 40 million streams and views to date, during the NASCAR Awards and Champion Celebration invite-only event this Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. “Getting the opportunity to perform at the NASCAR Awards is such an honor, especially with it being in Nashville,” says Kinsey. “As a bit of a speed demon myself, I really admire the amazing drivers who have made incredible careers out of driving fast! This is also my first tv performance, so I am just so excited to get to play a small role in such a huge night for NASCAR. Congratulations to all the winners!” While Kinsey’s first-ever televised performance marks an exciting career milestone, it will not be her first time gracing the stage at a NASCAR event. The 22-year-old Texas native also performed the National Anthem prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway this past May. Fans can tune in to watch the 2022 NASCAR Awards, including Kinsey’s performance, when it airs Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock. In addition to two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano, NASCAR will also honor first-time Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs and first-time Camping World Truck Series champion Zane Smith as part of the celebration.

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CMA Songwriters returns to London

Leave a Comment / Live events, News / Rochelle Mills

The Country Music Association is pleased to announce that the critically acclaimed CMA Songwriters Series will return to Country to Country (C2C) Festival at Indigo at The O2 on Thursday 9th March.This performance marks the eighth London appearance during C2C and kicks off the festival weekend in style. The 2023 line up will feature performances by Grammy-nominated Nate Smith, CMA Award-winning Lainey Wilson, and hotly tipped country newcomer Dalton Dover plus special guests. Tickets go on sale Friday 2nd December at 10am via www.gigsandtours.com and www.axs.com. Launched in 2005, the CMA Songwriters Series introduces artists and songwriters to audiences all over the world through its intimate storytelling format. Audiences get to know the performers, their journeys, and the stories behind their songs throughout the two-hour seated show. Each CMA Songwriters Series is unique—the one-off performances are spontaneous, uplifting, and heartwarming, leaving audiences feeling closer to the artists and their music.CMA Songwriters Series has presented more than 100 shows in multiple cities across the U.S., UK, and Europe. Artists and songwriters who have participated in the series internationally include Jessi Alexander, Jimmie Allen, Priscilla Block, Kristian Bush, Cam, Shy Carter, Brandy Clark, Luke Combs, Ross Copperman, Chris DeStefano, Russell Dickerson, Natalie Hemby, Tiera Kennedy, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, Maren Morris, Eric Paslay, Liz Rose, Caitlyn Smith, Striking Matches, Morgan Wade, Drake White, Charlie Worsham, Chris Young and more.“CMA Songwriters Series is one of the most special events for us to present in London each year and has become an opportunity that our Nashville community holds in high regard,” says Milly Olykan, CMA Vice President, International Relations and Development. “Songwriters are the backbone of Country Music, so to be able to showcase them in this way to such appreciative fans is an incredible honor. It is the perfect way to start the C2C weekend and we very much look forward to it once again.”The CMA Songwriters Series has given artists including Brandy Clark, Luke Combs and Maren Morris their first U.K. performances. This year the CMA Songwriters Series at C2C is excited to introduce audiences to Nashville singer-songwriters and artists Nate Smith, Lainey Wilson and Dalton Dover, plus special guests.

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Flat River Band signs with the Kinkead Entertainment Agency

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

Highly-acclaimed trio Flat River Band has signed exclusively with The Kinkead Entertainment Agency for worldwide booking representation. Known for their impeccable harmony, moving performances and ability to captivate every audience, the band is looking forward to reaching new audiences while embarking on a new expanded tour in 2023. The trio of brothers found radio success over the last couple of years, reaching top 40 on Billboard Indicator and in the top 30 on MusicRow Country Breakout charts for their singles “Ain’t a Woman Like a River,” “Shining Through My Window,” and “I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love,” off the well-received Sights and Sounds EP project.“We are super excited to be a part of The Kinkead Entertainment Agency and looking forward to the new adventures with them,” exclaimed Flat River Band!“What an incredible sound and true to Country, The Flat River Band has something magical to add to the Genre and will soon be added to the list of great Country groups. We at TKEA are excited to be part of the ride,” stated TKEA’s Greg Scott and Bob Kinkead.Stay current with everything Flat River Band on their website www.flatriverband.com. Follow Flat River Band on Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram and watch videos on YouTube. Music is available on all digital platforms, Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora and Amazon Music. Media Contact: Zoe Hodges, Editor Email: editor@maverick-country.com

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AMA UK!

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

UK Americana Music Week and it’s awards show are set for January 23rd -26th and the events that Stevie Smith, the CEO of AMA-UK, has curated looks set to make this the best year yet! Mike Scott of The Waterboys and Judy Collins have been announced as this year’s recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award and both artists will perform at the event. Meanwhile, a tribute will be paid to Loretta Lynn as multiple artists get together to honour the country music legend. The International Trailblazer Award goes to Nickel Creek, whilst the Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award goes to The Hanging Stars, a London based five-piece band who channel the sounds of The Byrds, Big Star and The Flying Burrito Brothers. This year’s Grassroots Award, which pays tribute to someone working in the industry who has made outstanding efforts to support Americana music from the grassroots up, goes to Northern Ireland’s Ralph McLean, whose BBC Radio Ulster show has been championing country, roots and Americana music for almost 25 years. We caught up with Stevie Smith to learn more about the week of events planned that takes place at the Hackney Empire. Americana Music Week is coming up, how important is that week for you and the association? It’s very important, it’s our flagship event and it brings the whole UK and International Americana music community together in one place at the start of the year. We showcase new emerging artists to bookers and promoters as well as celebrating the more established ones at the gala awards on the last day. How do you go about curating that schedule of shows? Members apply to showcase in July each year and a team of our board members that consist of promoters, radio DJs and managers select the line-up. We look to balance emerging with more known and UK with international. This alongside some guest hosts like Canada House and Jansen Records from Norway. I personally attend showcase events across the UK, America and Canada throughout the year to scout new talent for this event as well. What are you most looking forward to when it comes to this week of events? Seeing everyone is wonderful, bringing people together brings me joy! I also love when a new act is discovered at our event and gets booked at festivals for the summer – very exciting to see the efforts of the association working out in real time and making it clear why membership is valid and the support from the AMA-UK is really worth something. How do you help grow the genre in the UK and what support do you offer to emerging/independent talent? This is our 10th anniversary year. When we founded back in 2012 people had multiple names for this genre, lots of artists were feeling like no one understood them. The AMA-UK has managed to focus audiences, retail and media through our events: the conference, the showcases, the Awards and the official Americana chart that we founded with the Official Charts Company in 2016. Supporting emerging artists is key to the work we do. We work with festivals throughout the year and the country to host stages with emerging artists – this gets them to new territories and often to the attention of the main bookers for future years. Prior to the pandemic we were at 9 festivals a year – last year we did 2. I hope to slowly work back up to 9 and more once things get back to normal. The awards night is potentially the biggest night of the year in your calendar, how much goes into planning an event like that? Its a fine juggling act – it takes a year to plan but ultimately it all comes down to this moment, who will be nominated and who can be here to take part in the show. It’s a joyful event that really does make a difference to people’s careers, getting nominated and awarded for they work. We are delighted to be back at the iconic Hackney Empire for the awards. This means no one needs to leave Hackney Central from Monday evening until Friday morning, as every one of the 8 venues we use for the conference, showcases and awards are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other. As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations we are kicking off the week with a party hosted by legendary Radio 2 DJ Bob Harris, where almost all his past Emerging Artists recipients will be performing – it’s going to be a real celebration of where we have got to with the genre, and those emerging artist winners have all come so far since their award – The Wandering Hearts, Wildwood Kin, Robert Vincent and Lauren Housley, to name a few. Media Contact: Zoe Hodges, Editor Email: editor@maverick-country.com

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Mary Gauthier and Jaimee Harris in Manchester

Leave a Comment / Live events / Rochelle Mills

In what felt like a village church hall, complete with stackable chairs and a table at the back with refreshments, Jaimee Harris and Mary Gauthier took to the stage. Harris was opening, playing songs from her yet to be released album, ‘Boomerang Town’, the title track was an instant hit with the Manchester crowd. She had an endearing quality about her stage presence, and it wasn’t just her songs that were authentic and honest, she wore her heart on her sleeve as she addressed the audience too. A highlight was the song ‘Tattoo Zoo’ which had some clever lyrics throughout. Her voice was flawless and she remained professional as her guitar lead kept cutting out by she carried on the song, acapella at times. Without taking a break, once she had finished sharing her own songs, Harris invited Mary Gauthier to the stage. The pair went straight into the song ‘I Drink’ their voices working perfectly together. The revered songwriter made the crowd feel at ease instantly as she chatted through the songs, taking us back to the time which she wrote them and playing some of her classic material as well as songs from her latest album. She took us back to 1999 for ‘Drag Queens in Limousines’ talking us through the success of it afterwards. The audience hung on her every word as she told us about the book she’s written, ‘Saved by a Song’ and read from it on occasion, recounting tales of when she first arrived in Nashville. She made use of her Harmonica skills in ‘The Meadow’ one of those songs taken from her new album. The crowd listened intently to the stories behind ‘The War After The War’ a song written by Gauthier with soldiers wives, again the lyricism was truly something to be marvelled at. She was personable and funny, delivering each tune with strength and intent in a wonderfully intimate setting. Gauthier is one of the best songwriters of her generation, I felt honoured to be in that room, surrounded by just a few fans as she shared her stories with us but she deserved a larger crowd. Anyone unfamiliar with Gauthier’s songs needs to do their homework as I’m sure there will be at least one of her songs from her catalogue that will speak directly to your heart.

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Sam Hunt releases “Start Nowhere”

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

Multi-Platinum-selling hitmaker Sam Hunt drops new song “Start Nowhere”. Hunt and co-writers Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne lean into the comfort and ease of a life before distractions. “When you grow up in a small town, you love where you’re from, you are where you’re from, and you answer the call of adventure when you turn 18 and take off out into the big wide world,” shares Hunt on his socials. “If you stay gone too long without coming home, you can get a little disconnected. Sometimes the only way to get your feet back on the ground is to go back home where you grew up.”

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Australia’s Nigel Wearne ft UK Songstress Lauren Housley – ‘To The Edge’

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

Australia’s Nigel Wearne released his new single To The Edge on November 17th, featuring award winning UK songstress Lauren Housley. Watch HERE! Ominous, poignant and mysterious; To The Edge is a potent lament of fate gone wrong. Two lovers by the riverside grappling with truth; that irrevocable moment when the past cannot be undone and everything changes. Why was the timing so wrong? “We needed truth / But now there ain’t time to heal”. Wearne’s lush Gretsch guitar swathed with spooky Hammond organ, drums and double bass set the scene. Morricone-esque horns tug at the heartstrings, as Wearne and Housley croon and cast shadows across the tale in all its mystery. A soulful, minor-key slow-burn that skirts the fringes of jazz and 60s rock ‘n’ roll. It was early 2019 in the bustling Arts Café in Montreal, Canada. Nigel and Lauren were both in town to showcase at Folk Alliance International and found themselves on camera as part of a documentary on theconference. Instantly hitting it off, they spoke about the future of folk music and their mutual admiration of John Prine, all the while sharing their dry wit. After reconnecting in New Orleans in early 2020, they got to work during the pandemic and the rest is in the tape-reel.

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Black Deer announce 2023 line-up

Leave a Comment / Live events, News / Rochelle Mills

The award-winning Black Deer Festival today reveals the first wave of artists on the bill for the 2023 edition of the festival, taking place at Eridge Park, Kent on June 16-18 2023. From established and legendary performers to fresh, exciting newcomers, the line-up is an eclectic and diverse mix of incredible talent from the world of Americana, Folk, Country and beyond. Priding themselves on a true sense of community, one that is accessible to all, Black Deer Festival is on a mission to bring the authentic Americana way of life to the UK, with festival-goers able to immerse themselves in the music, food and storytelling of a culture like no other. Following 2022’s triumphant event that hosted some of the biggest, brightest and most notable artists including Wilco, Van Morrison, The Waterboys and more, Black Deer is excited to announce the first set of artists for 2023. Joining Black Deer’s 2023 line-up is one of the defining faces of Americana, Bonnie Raitt. In a career spanning 50+ years, Bonnie has won 10 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), released 18 acclaimed studio albums, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She continues to inspire, with her 2022 Grammy-nominated Americana Album Of The Year, Just Like That… being a timely reminder of her songwriting prowess and exquisite precision over her slide-guitar. She is no doubt an artist who has inspired many other names on the Black Deer bill and definitely not one to be missed. All the way from Colorado, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats have established themselves as an exhilarating and unique offering, effortlessly weaving the sonic styles of folk, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll into a genre-hopping sound that flourishes even more in a live setting. The band, spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist Nathaniel Rateliff, released their third LP in 2021 entitled The Future – which was capped off by a triumphant performance of their single, ‘Face Down In the Moment’ on The Tonight Show, capitalising on the marker set by 2016’s Billboard Number One, ‘S.O.B.’. The Teskey Brothers have rapidly amassed a legion of fans around the world with their soulful recordings and stunning live shows that have made them a festival favourite. The four friends from Melbourne, Australia, have warmed the hearts of listeners via their melancholic, analogue tones, with their recent cover of The Zombies’ classic, ‘This Will Be Our Year’ showcasing this, alongside their own international hit ‘So Caught Up.’ Another legend on the Black Deer 2023 line-up is Lucinda Williams. Widely considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time, with Time magazine making it official by naming her “America’s best songwriter,” Lucinda is a fiercely independent artist who had to fight for the creative freedom that has allowed her to do her best work. The trailblazing artist has an incredible back-catalogue of hits and deep cuts to cherry-pick from for her performance that will no doubt be one of most memorable sets across the weekend. Calexico has spent the better part of the past three decades exploring the dusty musical borderlands of the American Southwest, crafting singular, cinematic songs as mysterious and magnificent as the arid desert landscapes that inspired them. Their 2022 album, El Mirador is one of the year’s standout releases, blending a kaleidoscopic mix of sounds and influences. Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and activist Allison Russell, is another 2022 Grammy-nominated artist playing Black Deer. The singer has been part of several successful bands including Birds of Chicago and Our Native Daughters , but it was her 2021 debut LP that really catapulted her to international acclaim, with Variety describing it as an album flowing with “emotional potency, melodic fluency, social significance and heartrending beauty.” The rest of the first wave of artists announced for Black Deer Festival 2023 includes smoky-voiced Americana Award winner Elles Bailey, Amythyst Kiah who was described by Rolling Stone as “one of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets,” Liverpool’s ‘Scouse Springsteen’ Robert Vincent, hotly-tipped Canadian bluegrass star Bella White and Arkansas’ Dylan Earl – a Black Deer favourite who wowed crowds at this year’s event during the inaugural Ozark Holler Hottenanny. With many more big names and upcoming artists set to join the bill, as well as news on the festival’s much-loved artisan streetfood & drink offering (including the hugely popular ‘Live Fire’ Arena names, brought to you by Grillstock founders and popular authors Jon Finch and Ben Merrington), The Great Americana Songbook, The Songwriter Sessions, Gospel Brunch, Ozark Holler Hootenanny, Arkansas Porch Sessions, Young Folk area, and much more, be sure to keep an eye out for further exciting updates and announcements for Europe’s premier Americana playground, Black Deer Festival. Founders of the Black Deer Festival, Gill Tee and Debs Shilling, add: “We are thrilled to reveal the first names for Black Deer Festival 2023. Bonnie Raitt, Nathaniel Rateliff, Lucinda Williams, Allison Russell… it reads like a who’s who of Americana music past and present. We can’t wait to welcome our community back into the deer park to enjoy it all!” A limited amount of Tier 1 day & weekend tickets, along with add-ons and VIP upgrades are now available here.

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Opry Country Christmas Kicks Off November 27

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

The Grand Ole Opry® kicks off Nashville’s newest holiday tradition with the return of Opry Country Christmas at the Grand Ole Opry House. Hosted by Grammy®-winning Opry member Larry Gatlin, Opry Country Christmas will showcase songs of the holiday season beginning Nov. 27 and running through Dec. 22 for a total of eight shows. Each show features Opry members The Gatlin Brothers, Riders In The Sky, Mandy Barnett and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy. Other Opry members, special guests, and spotlight artists will round out the shows made up of artists’ original songs and timeless Christmas favorites. Spotlight Artists for this year’s run include Steve Wariner (November 27); Lauren Alaina (Dec. 1), Scotty McCreery (Dec. 4), Steven Curtis Chapman (Dec. 8); Chris Janson (Dec. 11), Josh Turner and Chris Young (Dec 15), Lorrie Morgan (Dec. 21), and Ricky Skaggs (Dec. 22). Additional artists scheduled for various Opry Country Christmas shows include John Berry, Jason Crabb, Louise Mandrell, Kathy Mattea, Jeannie Seely, and Rhonda Vincent. Tickets are on-sale now starting at $55.00 at opry.com. All Opry Country Christmas shows air on WSM Radio as well as WSM and Opry digital platforms. For Opry Country Christmas tickets and more information on the full Opry schedule including Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night performances, visit opry.com.

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