May 2023

Big Loud Records country songstress MacKenzie Porter is setting off sirens with a perfect mix of timeless country and shimmery pop, forming the F5 level summer jam, ‘Chasing Tornadoes.’ Returning with more of her “mesmerizing vocals and hook-driven songs” (Billboard), her newest adrenaline-filled offering is an addicting twist-and-turn-filled tale of a wild lifestyle and an unpredictable relationship. Written by Emily Landis, Jamie Moore, and Lainey Wilson, and produced by studio mastermind Joey Moi, the song’s electric lyrics find Porter spiraling: ‘Cause baby I’m a sidewinder Storm rider I’m going down like a telephone wire You’re a mustang runaway Two lane drifter I must have a thing for twisters Hot as Arizona Cold as Colorado Trying to catch that feeling like lightning in a bottle I’m gonna go where the wild wind blows Tearing up the road Chasing tornadoes Ignoring the tornado warnings, Porter stares into the eye of the storm, running a hundred miles an hour while slinging her lightning strike vocals around the whirlwind. Throwing caution out the window, the international triple threat embraces the fast life on the supped-up track, perfect for a summertime drive down a dirt road. “‘Chasing Tornadoes’ is the first song off of my full-length, debut album with Big Loud,” beams Porter. “We have so much new music coming, and this is the perfect intro to what the rest of the record feels like. It’s such a fun, feel-good song, and I can’t wait to play it live!”

Moya & Beth Taylor started the adventure with the first Chickenstock in their back garden (close to the present site) in 2018, which grew from them hosting large garden parties ……and the immortal words from a friend saying “you should put this on for the public!”. So they did! With plenty of help from friends and family, including Simon & Sophie Giles. Both Moya & Beth had worked in the Entertainment Industry for many years, both on and off stage. Moya has been Assistant Manager of a Cabaret Club, including running the Karaoke stage, has acted in many productions, including a production that toured France, Produced & Directed and worked backstage as Prompt, Props and as a follow-spot operator. She then moved out into business and trained as a Financial Adviser before becoming a Finance Officer for a Multi-Academy School Trust in South-East London. Beth, despite a few brief appearances acting on Stage, prefers the technical aspect of the industry. She worked as Production Manager in the same Cabaret Club as Moya. She also ran her own Sound & Lighting Company in the mid 1990s which including managing bands. So between them they have a considerable amount of experience to run a business, as well as a love of music and music festivals. The first Chickenstock was really good fun, and everyone had such a great time, they decided to keep going. It was clear that their garden – a good size though it is, – would not accommodate a larger stage and facilities. Moya & Beth’s neighbour kindly offered them one of his paddocks, so in 2019 they moved the Festival to Pett Farm. The larger space meant more people could attend, increasing the number of food and other concessions, and most importantly more music! 2019 was another great event, so they knew 2020 must be planned! Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 outbreak the Festival had to postponed until 2021, but this gave the opportunity to get Simon & Sophie much more involved and to increase the amount of music even more to cover three and a half days. Moya & Beth met Simon and Sophie, through their daughter, Mila, as she and Simon were Scout leaders together and had become best friends. Sophie and Simon together with Mila and her wife Ella ran the bar for the 2018 and 2019 festivals. However, Simon & Sophie’s knowledge of production gained through their Preforming Arts degrees, meant that they were keen to help in a bigger way, and Moya & Beth were very happy that they joined the main organising team for putting on 2021 and beyond! They all hope that you will enjoy the friendly atmosphere of Kent’s BIG little festival, being suitable for all ages, and in a spectacularly picturesque location, and that it will become a regular on your festival calendar year after year. The number of tickets available are strictly limited – so get yours early to avoid disappointment! We also aim to make the festival site as accessible as possible to everyone. Having a son in a wheelchair Moya & Beth understand how limiting festivals can be, and if he is anything to go by, being abled bodied is not a requirement for a love of music. If you have any specific requirements, let us know of these in advance, and we will do what we can to the best of our ability for you, to make your festival experience as care free, easy and enjoyable as possible. Please see our Accessibility page for more details! Between the four they have all aspects of the Festival covered, along with the little army of volunteers, who without the wheels of the Festival would not turn. They looking forward to seeing you in the Paddock!

Nashville-based band Boy Named Banjo has released their uplifting new track “What Keeps Me Going” via Mercury Records Nashville. Over tender, harmony-laced production, the quintet shares a positive anthem of gratitude that was written following what our world has experienced over the last several years.  “‘What Keeps Me Going’ is essentially our answer to the question, ‘What is important to us?’” shares banjo player Barton Davies, who penned the song with guitarist and harmonica player William Reames and Pat McLaughlin (John Prine, Loretta Lynn). “We wrote this song as we were coming out of the pandemic and reflecting on how that whole experience had shifted our focus. Like many others during that time, we found the most meaning from the simplest things – being outside, watching the sun go down, going fishing, and spending quality time with our loved ones. That’s what kept us going then and what keeps us going today.” Reames adds, “The song highlights why we do difficult things – whether that is going to a 9-to-5 every day or covering miles in a tour van, the goal is the same: To enjoy life. We work hard to enjoy life.” Davies continues, “The song sounds like it could’ve been written about 50 years ago, and I love that about it. It’s definitely got a bit of that Laurel Canyon folk-rock feeling to it, but with our contemporary BNB approach. I love the message of the song too. It just seems kinda timeless in the sense that I could look back on this song when I’m older and say, ‘Yep, I still feel that way.’”  “What Keeps Me Going” arrives on the heels of Boy Named Banjo’s Grand Ole Opry debut in March, a momentous milestone for the band that was documented over at People.com. In a time when the popular choice is to chase the double yellow line down the road to country radio, Boy Named Banjo thrives on its fringes. The Nashville-raised five-piece is a fusion of contemporary country, Americana and folk-rock stacked on a foundation of bluegrass. The band, which has been together in some iteration since its members were in their teens includes Barton Davies (banjo), Ford Garrard (bass/standing bass), Sam McCullough (drums) Willard Logan (mandolin, acoustic/electric guitar) and William Reames (acoustic guitar/harmonica). Reames and Logan played in a middle school garage rock band together, but it wasn’t until Reames met Davies in high school that Boy Named Banjo started taking shape. Garrard and McCullough joined later and together the five guys comprise the band Boy Named Banjo that we know today.  At sold-out shows marked by audiences singing along with every word, Boy Named Banjo tells their stories with an incisive, emotional and roots-driven perspective. In 2020, Boy Named Banjo signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released their debut EP, Circles, the following year. The band spent 2022 on the road playing some of country music’s largest festivals including Dierks Bentley’s Seven Peaks and Country Jam and Kip Moore’s Fire on Wheels Tour, and made their CMA Fest debut playing at the Ascend Amphitheatre Nighttime Concert as well as a sold-out hometown show at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl. The group most recently released the tracks “Whiskey Dreams,” “Heart In Motion” and “Heart Attack,” which earned support from Billboard, CMT, MusicRow and more. Boy Named Banjo is currently prepping their next project to be released later this year.

Nashville-based rising artist Canaan Cox is the definition of a triple threat: singer/songwriter, actor, and dancer. His music is a fusion of contemporary country, pop, and a touch of rhythm and blues — which is showcased on his five-track EP, End Up In A Song, out today. Diligently honing in on his craft since moving to Nashville in 2016, Canaan has built a loyal fan base, and is set to go overseas for his U.K “Coming Home” Tour in June. On Wednesday, the title and focus track of the project, “End Up In A Song,” was unveiled exclusively by Taste of Country. Encapsulating the DIY artist’s project as a whole, the lyrically clever and catchy tune radiates summer energy. Watch the “End Up In A Song” official lyric video below. Inspired by a time in his life of emotional unavailability which turned dating into more of an inspiration for songwriting vs. a search for love, Canaan shares: “It’s a song within a song that I started writing years ago when I was going through a heartbreak and found myself repeatedly with pen and paper creating from the memories. As I continued to date, I quickly realized I wasn’t ready to let anyone else in yet, but felt each encounter was just fuel for my songwriting.” Canaan has not only co-written his songs, but has also created, directed and produced all of his music videos. Utilizing a powerful confidence and ferocious work ethic, Canaan embodies the term “self-made” in its most accurate and authentic definition. Previously released EP singles include “Twice” and “Hate Me More,” which gained immediate support from official Spotify playlists such as “Next From Nashville” and “New Music Friday Country,” along with Amazon’s “Breakthrough Country.” During a chance encounter in 2021, Canaan met radio and television personality Bobby Bones, who admired his hustle and invited Canaan to appear on his show which reached over 9.2 million listeners. His January 2022 single, “As You Leave,” received critical acclaim with playlisting on several Spotify official playlists including “New Boots,” “Wild Country,” “Breakout Country,” “Next From Nashville,” Apple’s “New in Country,” and was also highlighted in Amazon’s “Breakthrough Country” playlist. Following the massive support he received on the Bobby Bones Show, “As You Leave” was spotlighted on the “Country Top 30.” This momentum led Canaan to a phenomenal year of streaming, seeing incredible 10x growth in 2022.

With a filthy guitar riff, a rebellious loner’s story, and Kezia Gill’s powerful vocals, her new single is sure to set the airwaves on fire. ‘Smokey’ is out on June 2nd and it’s a huge slice of Americana rock! Over a weekend in March, the country music festival ‘Country 2 Country’ took place in Glasgow, London and Dublin. Among the international lineup, which included Lady A and Zac Brown Band, were some outstanding homegrown artists. It was impossible not to notice Kezia Gill, the flame-haired, tattooed powerhouse that proudly represented British artists and blazed a path through the heart of the festival with her electric energy on stage and huge soulful voice. With a back catalog that bends genre lines, she has loyal fans who enjoy Country, Blues, Americana, and Rock music. Nobody can predict what she will do next which keeps her fans on their toes and hungry for more from this incredible entertainer. The buzz around Kezia has been felt both sides of the pond. Her performances at the festival attracted the attention of industry heavyweights CMA in Nashville, who featured her in their International Artist Spotlight.   Her new song, ‘Smokey’, shows another side to Kezia’s songwriting. Rather than writing from experience, she created a character and crafted his story. It would be right at home on the soundtrack for Peaky Blinders or TV commercial for whiskey! “My producer Ben Haynes sent me a filthy guitar riff he had composed, and the lyrics immediately came to me.  In a break from my usual personal style of writing, I wanted to tell a story; A raw americana rock song telling the story of the loner that “stuck it to the man”. The guitar riff is the essence of the song and makes “Smokey” one of my grittiest tracks to date. I like to think we all have a ‘Smokey’ in us deep down and I absolutely loved bringing this rebel to life.”  ” – KEZIA GILL

The 50th anniversary of CMA Fest keeps getting better! Adding to the star-studded lineup, CMA Fest announces the return of the Hard Rock Stage at Hard Rock Cafe and reveals additional performers for the free outdoor daytime stages. Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, the Hard Rock Stage will feature live performances Thursday, June 8 through Sunday, June 11 from 10:15 AM – 4:40 PM daily.   Additionally, reigning CMA New Artist and Female Vocalist of the Year Lainey Wilson will open the fan-favorite Chevy Riverfront Stage Thursday, June 8 at 10:15 AM, kicking off four-days of live music on the Cumberland River. Prior to Wilson’s performance, the award-winning Tennessee State University (TSU) Marching Band will march across the John Siegenthaler Pedestrian Bridge before taking the Chevy Riverfront Stage to perform songs from their Grammy-winning album The Urban Hymnal.   Featuring some of Country’s hottest up-and-coming acts, the Hard Rock Stage includes performances by Roman Alexander, Skyelor Anderson, Graham Barham, BoomTown Saints, Aidan Canfield, “Country Proud” with artists Brooke Eden, Shelly Fairchild, Chris Housman, Angie K and Adam Mac, Logan Crosby, Shelby Darrall, Tyler Dial, Melanie Dyer, Everette, Fancy Hagood, Jordan Fletcher, Lanie Gardner, Harper Grace, Alex Hall, Jordan Harvey, Reid Haughton, Zandi Holup, Jake Hoot, Britnee Kellogg, Matt Koziol, Alex Lambert, Miko Marks, Walker Montgomery, Emily Ann Roberts, Reyna Roberts, Jordan Rowe, Matt Roy, CJ Solar, Southerland, Sean Stemaly, Texas Hill, The Dryes, Troubadour Blue and War Hippies.   Added to the Dr Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park are artists Ty Herndon, Puddin (K. Michelle), RaeLynn and Michelle Wright. Hitting the Chevy Vibes Stage at Walk of Fame Park as new additions are Noah Hicks, King Calaway, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Blessing Offor, Christian Paul and Jake Worthington. Additional performers on the Maui Jim Reverb Stage at Bridgestone Plaza include Roan Ash, Greylan James, Andrew Jannakos, Trea Landon, Bryce Leatherwood, John Morgan and Brit Taylor.   All CMA Fest stage lineups are available in the Official CMA Fest App and on CMAfest.com. All artist lineups are subject to change. Additional lineups will be announced in the coming weeks. Artists performing at CMA Fest donate their time so a portion of proceeds can directly benefit high-quality music education initiatives across the United States through the CMA Foundation.   A limited number of Four-Night Stadium Passes are currently on sale. Single night tickets for the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium are also available to purchase, starting at just $113.80 per night at CMAfest.com/tickets.   Don’t miss a beat by staying connected with CMA on CMAfest.com, the Official CMA Connect App, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and sign up for CMA Country Connection emails to receive the latest news as soon as it’s announced.   Brand-new official CMA Fest merchandise, including an online-only exclusive Fan Fair throwback hat, are available for pre-order at Shop.CMAfest.com and through the Official CMA Connect App. Many more items will be added on May 17. The last day to purchase online and receive in time for Fest is May 24. Fans will also be able to purchase merchandise at multiple locations across the CMA Fest footprint in June.

Critically-acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Jerry Leger is to release a new EP The Time Flew By on April 28, ahead of his much-anticipated return to the UK for shows in May. Tour dates are as follows:   May 8 – Kingsmead House Concert, High Wycombe May 9 – Green Note, London May 10 – Running Horse, Nottingham May 11 – Old Cinema Launderette, Durham May 12 – St. Mary’s Creative Space, Chester May 13 – The Glynne Arms, Hawarden May 14 – House Concert, Sheffield May 16 – Spirit Store (backroom), Dundalk May 17 – The Court House, Bangor May 18 – The Doublet, Glasgow May 20 – TAIGH Festival – Glen Dye Estate Strachan, Aberdeenshire May 21 – Leith Depot, Edinburgh   The Time Flew By EP features an outtake from each album Leger has made on Latent Recordings, including last year’s Nothing Pressing. Pre-save: https://eek.lnk.to/JLTTFB   Says Leger: “These are top shelf songs; they weren’t left off the albums because of their quality. Deciding which tracks make up an album can be very difficult and tricky. You have to take into account flow and cohesion. Sometimes the best songs are the ones that don’t make the final cut.” This new EP follows the release of the Latent Uncovers EP on March 24.