20 June 2024

the long road 2024 stage splits

The Long Road announces day splits and more artists

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The Long Road, the UK festival for country, Americana, and roots music, has unveiled the day splits and the third wave of artists for its highly anticipated summer event. Building on the excitement of previous announcements, the festival has detailed the performance schedule for its eclectic lineup. With tickets selling fast, the fifth edition of The Long Road promises to be its biggest yet, set to take place at Stanford Hall in Leicestershire from 23rd to 25th August 2024. The festival kicks off on Friday with a headlining performance by American country vocal group Chapel Hart. Returning by popular demand after a memorable appearance during Rissi Palmer’s Color Me Country takeover, Chapel Hart will headline the Interstate Stage. The opening night will also feature performances by alt-country band American Aquarium and hip-hop country group Gangstagrass, among others. Additionally, audiences can look forward to sets from folk duo Campbell Jensen and pop-rock artist Gina Larner, ensuring a dynamic start to the weekend. Saturday promises to be a highlight, with the Rhinestone Stage hosting a UK-exclusive headline show by the legendary Don McLean. Famous for timeless hits like “American Pie” and “Vincent (Starry, Starry Night),” McLean’s evocative storytelling and musical legacy resonate globally. The Saturday lineup is further enriched by Paula Cole and Brittney Spencer, known for her collaborations with Beyoncé. Meanwhile, the Interstate Stage will feature performances by The Red Clay Strays and Colbie Caillat, adding to the day’s diverse musical offerings. The festival culminates on Sunday with a high-energy performance by country-pop star Russell Dickerson. Known for his electrifying live shows and chart-topping hits, Dickerson will headline the Rhinestone Stage. Joining him is West Texas native Randall King. The Interstate Stage on Sunday will showcase folk-country group Flatland Cavalry and country artist Pokey LaFarge, while Ron Pope, renowned for his viral hit “A Drop in the Ocean,” will lead performances from The Front Porch Stage. Newly confirmed additions to the lineup include country singer Redferrin, whose song “Jack & Diet Coke” gained significant popularity on Spotify’s US Viral 50 Chart. Redferrin is noted for his collaborations with artists like Florida Georgia Line and Nelly. Also joining the Friday lineup are Georgia songwriter Jonah Kagen, Wood Burnt Red, Oscar Corney, Bailey Tomkinson & the Locals, and Alan Finlan. On Saturday, the festival will welcome Pearl Charles, who blends rock and country, alongside Charlotte Young. Ollie Hawkins has been added to the Sunday lineup. With an impressive array of talent across its stages, The Long Road 2024 is set to deliver an unforgettable experience in the heart of the English countryside.   To read more exclusive articles and latest news, see our last issue here. Never miss a story… Follow us on: Instagram: @Maverick.mag Twitter: @Maverick_mag Facebook: Maverick Magazine Media Contact Hannah Larvin, Editor, Maverick Magazine Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 920 Email: editor@maverick-country.com

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josephkekuku

Instrumental deep dive: Steel guitar

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What is a steel guitar?  Steel guitar is considered a staple of country music. The softer, lilting sound of a steel guitar can be found in country music throughout the 20th century and into the 21st.   The steel guitar is usually played on the lap, by plucking the strings with one hand – as opposed to strumming – whilst running a steel bar over the strings with the other hand, hence the name. It’s known to create a smoother sound, with glissando (notes stepping up in half tones quickly) and vibrato (the ‘wobbly’ sound when a note is held), this unique tone makes it instantly recognisable to the ear and incredibly popular. Called the ‘frying pan’ in its early days, for its long neck and circular body shape, steel guitar is played sitting down.     The history of steel guitar  Believed to have been originally conceived by teenager Joseph Kekuku in his Lāʻie high school dormitory around 1889, the guitar hails – like Kekuku – hails from Hawaii. Hawaiian music dominated the US music charts in the 1910s. Following the fall of the Hawaiian Kingdom orchestrated by US settlers and colonialism, Hawaiians travelled to the US and took their culture, art and instruments with them. The economic hardship in Hawaii led many to leave behind their home islands in pursuit of better jobs and more security, many Hawaiians turned to music to preserve their heritage and language (which was being discouraged in Hawaii after the fall of the Kingdom). The steel guitar was an innovation on the six-string guitar, which itself was brought over to Hawaii by vaqueros (cowboys from Mexico and Spain), these Spanish-speaking cowboys taught locals to play the six-string guitar, all long before Kekuku’s invention came into being. Kekuku himself left Hawaii in 1904, setting up a shop in Seattle where he also taught local musicians about his instrument, the steel guitar.   The sound of steel guitar gained popularity and by 1915, Hawaiian guitar music was outselling every other genre of music in the US. Of course, many Hawaiians moved to the Southern US. It was under the rule of segregation that the steel guitar met blues music. As native Hawaiians were banned from staying in whites-only spaces, performers – and other natives who played steel guitar – lived and worked in places where African-American, native and other immigrants also lived. The mixing together of cultures, through shared experience, sowed fertile ground for musical flowers to grow. It was here, in shared spaces that the steel guitar became a mainstay in blues, featured on tracks by Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. Using the slide method of guitar playing, the steel guitar was quickly a mainstay in American music. Kekuku toured for many years, before settling down in Chicago and continuing to teach steel guitar.     Read the full feature in our free digital magazine here: https://bit.ly/3WUe56j Never miss a story… Follow us on: Instagram: @Maverick.mag Twitter: @Maverick_mag Facebook: Maverick Magazine Media Contact Hannah Larvin, Editor, Maverick Magazine Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 920 Email: editor@maverick-country.com

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