2022 - Page 22 of 32 - STAGING Maverick

Review: Preston D Barnes – Way Back When

Leave a Comment / Top Picks / Rochelle Mills

Preston first came into the public eye as he competed on The Voice UK but he was far from a wide eyed new kid on the block, he had been a professional, highly qualified musician in the Army. For 16 years he travelled the world, visiting 38 different countries, performing with The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers before becoming an instructor at the Royal Military School of Music. ‘Way Back When’ was written by Canadian singer/songwriter Victoria Dykes, Produced by Mark Wickenden at Sonic Boom Music and co-produced by Ben Newton. The song boasts a slick production and a catchy chorus that will reel you in and, in a live setting, have you up on your feet dancing. Meanwhile, Preston’s vocals are strong but smooth, he reminded me of Brett Young or Russell Dickerson on his last release but channels someone like Mitchell Tenpenny when delivering this song. It’s hard to find fault with this track, the perfect song for the perfect voice. This is such a strong release from Preston which makes me eager to hear what’s to come!

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Review: Durham County Poets – Out of the Woods

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After their last album ‘Hand Me Down Blues’ was nominated for a Juno award and stayed on the Canadian charts for more than a year, Durham County Poets are keen to capitalise on that success with their latest album ‘Out Of The Woods’. Their laid back, clear vocal style shines on this album with every word delivered with clarity as the production makes use of horns in parts. From the rock n roll vibe of ‘Mean Old Dog’ to the sultry undertones of ‘Love’s Got a Hold on Me’, there is something for everyone on this record which is eclectic in nature. My personal favourite track is ‘That’s What Makes Me Smile’, the song that closes the record, a country brush shuffle on the drums and a harmonica set the tone for this simple yet grateful tune. In conclusion, this could be their best album to date as they push the boundaries of their capabilities and excel both with the song content and delivery. I hope this record gets the recognition it deserves and look forward to watching the band bring these songs to life on their UK tour later this year.

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Review: Barry Oreck – Leap Year

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Oreck’s fourth studio album, ‘Leap Year’ incorporates a range of genres from folk to bluegrass and country. With the support of his band, Jesse Miller (guitar, mandolin, and vocals), Rima Fand (violin and vocals), and Adam Armstrong (bass), Oreck creates some beautiful vocal harmonies which helps to bring the thought-provoking lyrics to life. He began exploring these songs as the world shut down for two years due to Covid and this is the end result. The record opens with the compelling ‘Each Song is a Seed’ which touches upon the power of a song to flatten your defences and capture the heart. Producer/Engineer, Bob Harris has done a brilliant job with the production which shouldn’t be overlooked. The stand out track comes in the form of the closing track, ‘Life in the Bubble’ which directly addresses the struggle of the pandemic, documenting this moment in history the way Oreck saw it. It’s simple and stripped back but the lyrics are strong and relatable and the producton allows them the space they need to land with the listener.

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Review: Laura Evans – State of Mind

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Originally from the Welsh valleys where singing is just a way of life for everyone, Laura Evans and her powerhouse vocals take you on a journey with her new album ‘State of Mind’. After first bursting onto the scene in 2020, with her single ‘Running Back To You’, Evans really hones in on her own unique sound on her latest record. Her storytelling lyrics shine through Josiah J Manning’s arrangement and production, which perfectly frames her sweet vocals. Manning played every instrument on the record which is something to be admired and applauded. One of the stand out tracks is the single ‘I’m Alright’. Slightly more blues-rock than country, there is a swagger to it’s delivery whilst the chorus is uplifting and anthemic. Known for her love of ballads, Evans packs a punch with ballads she has on this record. From the raw and vulnerable single-take of ‘Fool’ to the classic country feel of ‘Let You Down Easy’, they tug on the heartstrings and you find yourself holding your breath as you hang on every lyric. ‘State of Mind’ excites us, it’s a record that pulls together all of those blues, rock and country influences and delivers some spellbinding storytelling lyrics with a powerful vocal performance. The future looks bright for Evans.

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Beth Nielsen Chapman releases new single ‘With Time’

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Grammy-nominated Songwriter’s Hall of Fame inductee Beth Nielsen Chapman confirms details of ‘With Time’ – another taste of new album ‘CrazyTown’, out 23rd September 2022 via Cooking Vinyl. Written with best friend Annie Roboff (who also co-wrote Beth’s hit songs This Kiss and Happy Girl) ‘With Time’ is a beautiful lament on the passing of time written over a number of years. “We worked on With Time over such a long period and from the moment we started to write it we knew it was an incredibly special song,” says Beth. “The lyric was one of the more difficult lyrics I have ever tried to decode. I was really stumped at certain times and I would put it down for half of a year and then pick it back up and try to get one more syllable or one more phrase. When it was finally finished it was so clear what is had always been wanting to say about wonder and time and love, the magic of life and the breath of our journey through it.” Produced by the celebrated 5-time Grammy Award winner Ray Kennedy (who’s worked with everyone from Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, and Shania Twain, to John Mellencamp and Taylor Swift) ‘With Time’ is the second single from ‘CrazyTown’ following the recent ‘Hey Girl (We Can Deal With It). The new album, out this September combines elements of classic rock, blues and pop to great effect. It’s a deeply personal collection, exploring themes of navigating the ups and downs of life and love, but, as with all Beth’s albums – still with plenty of light at the end of the tunnel. “It’s about navigating chaos” says Beth. “How, even despite everything being crazy, on some level one can trust that things are in divine order and that we will be OK. There’s a lot of groove and joy and fun on this album, along with a couple of deep dive ballads.” Beth Nielsen Chapman is an artist with many accolades to her name: mega-hit ‘This Kiss’, sung by Faith Hill, was ASCAP’s 1999 Song of The Year, garnered a Grammy nomination and Nashville NAMMY’s 1999 Songwriter of the Year. Beth also received a special award by The Alabama Music Hall of Fame and was the recipient of The Distinguished Artist Award from the Alabama State Council on the Arts in 2009 and in October of 2016, Beth was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, one she considers to be the highest honour she’s ever received. In 2019 Beth was invited to become an Ambassador for the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation.

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Maddie & Tae announce ‘Through The Madness Volume 2’ out September 23rd

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Award-winning Mercury Nashville duo Maddie & Tae will release their new collection of songs, Through The Madness Vol. 2, out everywhere September 23 and available for pre-order now. Including their recent release, “Every Night Every Morning,” the project will feature eight new tracks, each penned by Maddie & Tae alongside some of Nashville’s most esteemed songwriters. A select number of signed CDs are available for pre-order today. Join Maddie & Tae’s fan club here to receive limited offers exclusive to members. Through The Madness Vol. 2 Track List: 1. “Well In Your World” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Ryan Hurd, Jimmy Robbins)^2. “Every Night Every Morning” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Jonathan Singleton, Brock Berryhill)^3. “Drinking To Remember” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Benjy Davis, Daniel Ross)^4. “Girl After My Own Heart” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Thompson)^5. “Watching Love Leave” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Benjy Davis, Daniel Ross)^6. “More Than Maybe” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jimmy Robbins)^7. “These Tears” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Laura Veltz, Jon Green)*8. “Spring Cleaning” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Josh Kerr, Tayla Parx)* ^ = Produced by Derek Wells & Jimmy Robbins* = Produced by Derek Wells & Josh Kerr Through The Madness Vol. 2 is the follow up to Maddie & Tae’s acclaimed Through The Madness Vol. 1, released earlier this year. Lauded by Houston Chronicle as “among the most unique voices in mainstream country music,” Holler notes “Maddie & Tae make for a captivating pair, and there are nuances to certain songs on this record that reward paying full attention.” Garnering praise for their “acclaimed harmonies paired with heartfelt lyrics” (E!), on the project, the eight tracks included fan-favorite “Woman You Got” which scored Maddie & Tae Group/Duo Video of the Year at the 2022 CMT Music Awards.

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Lee Brice Releases the R3HAB Remix of His Current Single “Soul” Featuring Blanco Brown

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Curb Records recording artist, Lee Brice, has released the R3HAB Remix (featuring Blanco Brown) of his current Top 30 single, “Soul” – the #1 most added single at Country Radio upon impact is off Brice’s highly acclaimed album, Hey World. The uplifting and danceable R3HAB remix pairs Lee with multi-Platinum artist, Blanco Brown, making this iteration an infectious anthem just in time for summer! LISTEN:“Soul” (R3HAB Remix) [feat. Blanco Brown] Recently, Brice kicked-off his highly awaited headlining, Label Me Proud Tour. Brice will bring his “Soul” to 23 markets, performing for all the fans who have been clamoring for live music again the way only Brice can do it – by throwing one hell of a party! Supporting Brice out on the road this summer is his good friend and artist Michael Ray and recording artist Jackson Dean. For select dates, Tyler Farr and Tim Montana will also be making appearances during the Label Me Proud Tour

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Welcome to the Hotel California… sorry, Hyde Park!

Leave a Comment / Live events, News / Rochelle Mills

It was The Eagles turn to fly through the London park, capturing hearts and minds as they played, but it was an inspiring day even before they took to the stage with a large country contingent dominating proceedings. Patrick Droney, who had never played London before today, opened the main stage with an already sizeable crowd present. He told me how he was just happy to be here, his excitement noticeable as he spoke. He won over some new fans with his performance whilst The Wandering Hearts, over on the Rainbow stage, with their sublime harmonies held the audience in the palm of their hand. Following Droney on the main stage was the powerhouse vocalist Cam. Her country storytelling went down a treat with the Hyde Park crowd. She mainly played songs from her last record ‘The Otherside’, her voice effortlessly belting the words out and connecting with those present as she sung through ‘Diane’ and ‘Forgetting You’. She interacted with the crowd as she spoke about the connection between her song ‘Changes’ and Harry Styles before launching in to the rendition which features on that album. You couldn’t fault her voice in ‘Til There’s Nothing Left’ whilst the audience adored singing along to ‘Burning House’. It was the turn of Little Big Town next who had prepared a slightly more mainstream set to what was anticipated. Their energy levels were off the scale as they performed their new single ‘Hell Yeah’, Jimi’s vocals in particular were phenomenal, the best I’ve ever heard from him as he belted out some tunes. They primarily let the music do the talking as they played song after song. ‘Better Man’ went down well with the London audience as it connected with their hearts after Karen’s heartfelt delivery as lead. They generated a party atmosphere with clever drinking song ‘Wine, Beer, Whisky’ whilst the whole park passionately sang along to ‘Girl Crush’. They concluded on the signature anthem ‘Boondocks’ as the crowd erupted into rapturous applause. The headliners, The Eagles, left everyone speechless with their energy and ambition to put on a great show. A gasp echoed round as Vince Gill took the lead on ‘New Kid in Town’, the excitement building throughout. Gill performed well and was received warmly by the London crowd. Joe Walsh’s guitar solos were mesmerising whilst special guests, Deacon Frey and John McEnroe really connected with the audience as they joined the Eagles. As they celebrated 50 years of success, they reflected by going back in time and playing their earliest hits such as ‘Best of my Love’ – their first number one. Humour punctuated the set which included ‘Tequila Sunrise’ and ‘Take it East’. But it was ‘Hotel California’ which really got the crowd going, singing at the top of their lungs. They concluded with ‘Already Gone’, the fans singing and dancing to the final note. They may be ageing but they are legends within their own right. They still have so much energy, love and passion for the music they create and it was a show that had it all!

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BST Hyde Park returns in style!

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BST Hyde Park has returned in style with Sir Elton John curating the line-up on day one and finishing off with a two and a half hour hit-filled set. With the sun beating down on revellers as they arrived in Hyde Park, Juanita Euka was lighting up the Birdcage stage as she opened proceedings at BST Hyde Park 2022 with a smile on her face. It will be a busy few days in London as The Rolling Stones, The Eagles and Adele are all set to grace the stage in Hyde Park but day 1 will struggle to be topped. There was an energy and atmosphere around the park that was infectious and it started with the artists, each one gave it their all. All who played on the Birdcage stage to the Rainbow and Great Oak stage was hand chosen by Elton and have featured on his apple music show previously. A stand out for me, was an intriguing character by the name of Tom A Smith who was sandwiched in between Euka and Tom Heaton on the Birdcage stage. Smith, just 18 years old, though not country, had some really strong storytelling lyrics in his songs and his band was a tight knit group. It was clear he was buzzing to be there as he opened the set with ‘Could I Live With Being Fake’. Following on from him was Tom Heaton who led everyone in a Taylor Swift cover of ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ whilst Gabriels drew quite the crowd over at the main stage. However the main attraction, after meeting with the artists he selected came on stage to a rammed Hyde Park. Instantly they abandoned their blankets and their churros and were on their feet, swaying and singing their hearts out as the legendary musician began to rattle through hit after hit. ‘Tiny Dancer’ appeared early on in his set, the crowd really finding their voice for the chorus before ‘Rocket man’ continued in fine voice. He could tug on your heartstrings too as ‘Someone Saved My Life Tonight’ and ‘Candle in the Wind’ also featured, a couple of classics in Elton’s repertoire that he executed flawlessly and the fans went wild for. He paid a touching tribute to George Michael before launching into ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, the song he sang with Michael, and took to number one, back in 1991. In his encore he shared ‘Cold Heart’ followed by ‘Your Song’ which he introduced as his latest hit and his first hit. Whatever music speaks to you, I think everyone can appreciate and admire Elton’s talent. It was a fabulous show on what was a well organised line up. Later on this weekend, The Eagles, Little Big Town, Alison Krauss, Cam and Morgan Wade will all take to the stage at BST.

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New Single from The County Affair Ahead of Festival Dates

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‘Beach’ is the new single from Americana duo The County Affair, released on 17th June 2022 on X & Y Records The single follows The County Affair’s 2021 debut album Off The Grid, recorded at Abbey Road Studios with veteran producer Tom Nichol, which has since racked up over 100,000 downloads and over 250,000 video views to-date. The County Affair story was 30-years in the making for childhood best friends Kevin Brennan and Tony Regan. The pair met in Nottingham in the 1970s, travelling together on the same school bus each day. They talked endlessly about music and the ‘country rock’ and ‘outlaw country’ sounds that were emerging from the US at the time. “Our school friends were listening to The Clash or The Police,” says Kevin. “But Tony and I were much more interested in checking out Joe Ely, Waylon Kennings and Gram Parsons.” As teenagers, the pair gigged together extensively thanks to Kevin’s Dad having an Irish Showband, for which there was huge demand in the ‘70s and ‘80s. In their early twenties, Kevin and Tony decided to go travelling across America. Spending extended periods performing gigs in Texas, they soon became a household name within the wider Irish community, receiving glowing reviews from local press and radio. Eventually landing in the thriving music scene of San Francisco, Tony and Kevin became sought after by venues across the city, sometimes playing up to four sets a night, four nights a week. It wasn’t long before they were approached to sign to management and turn professional, but with post-graduate jobs waiting for both of them in the UK they both decided it was time to go home. 30 years later, married with families and successful careers under their belt, the duo decided in 2020 that the time was right to address what felt like unfinished business. Kevin had been penning his own songs over the past decade and sent the demos to Tony, who tweaked the vocal and lyrical arrangements, adding chords here and there. Before they knew it, The County Affair was born. Having made a few tracks available on Spotify, veteran songwriter-producer Tom Nichols heard Kevin on the radio talking about The County Affair. Tom liked what he heard and looked the band up. Kevin says, “Tom got in touch and very kindly offered to take us under his wings. We then went to Abbey Road studios to make what would become Off The Grid.” Their new single nearly didn’t make it onto the album, though. “We’d actually finished the album,” Kevin explains. “I just sent Tom a demo of Beach, which is about love and a car crash – the perfect country combination – and he loved it so much that he insisted we work it up and put it on the album.” Having recently completed a 20-date UK tour with Ward Thomas and performed at County 2 Country earlier this year at the O2 London, The County Affair will perform alongside the likes of Van Morrison and The Waterboys at Black Deer Festival later this weekend, and at September’s British Country Music Festival. In addition, The County Affair will release a live album recorded at London’s Union Chapel on 15th July.

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