2025 - STAGING Maverick

Paper Kites Announce New Album for January Release

Alternative folk favourites The Paper Kites have confirmed details of their seventh studio album If You Go There, I Hope You Find It, due for release on 23 January through Nettwerk Music Group. To mark the announcement, the band have shared a new single titled “Every Town”, a tender, wistful piece built on soft melodies and gentle lyricism. The track arrives with an official video, offering a first glimpse of the record’s tone — warm, melancholic, and quietly affecting. If You Go There, I Hope You Find It follows the same reflective spirit, featuring recent single “When The Lavender Blooms”, recorded at Melbourne’s Sing Sing Studios and mixed by multi-Grammy winner Jon Low. Early notes on the album describe it as intimate and healing-minded, shaped by themes of nature, hope and simplicity, with each song unfolding like a conversation rather than a performance. There is a sense of return threaded through it — of leaving, searching, and coming home changed. The band are currently back on the road in the United States, including their own headline dates alongside support slots for The Teskey Brothers. They are also scheduled to appear at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville before heading to Richmond for Iron Blossom Music Festival later this month. Fans in the UK and Europe will have a longer wait — but not by much. The Paper Kites have announced an extensive 2026 headline tour across the region, with tickets on sale now. London is set for a show at the Roundhouse, following previous sold-out runs at Koko, Kentish Town Forum and a major summer performance at Somerset House. Additional stops include the O2 Ritz in Manchester and 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin. The Paper Kites now count more than two billion streams worldwide, their soft-spoken sound resonating far beyond folk circles. Their breakout track Bloom has gone multi-Platinum internationally and remains one of the most recognisable modern indie-folk singles of the past decade. It has since been covered on The Kelly Clarkson Show, while the band’s music continues to soundtrack television staples such as Grey’s Anatomy, This Is Us and Virgin River. Though their influence has grown, the group remain rooted in restraint and nuance — collaborators rather than chasers, working quietly alongside artists such as Lucy Rose, Nadia Reid and Rosie Carney. Their rise has been gradual, steady and built less on spectacle than on craft. It is that patience, along with harmony-rich songwriting, that has carried them to this seventh chapter. And if the new single is any indication, If You Go There, I Hope You Find It doesn’t mark a reinvention so much as a deepening — another page in a story written gently, thoroughly, and always in service of feeling.

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Big Valley Jamboree Reveals 2026 Headliners

News / Editor

Big Valley Jamboree is gearing up for its 34th edition, returning to Camrose from 30 July to 2 August, and organisers have confirmed a powerhouse 2026 Chevrolet Main Stage line-up to match. This year’s festival places three major names at the top of the bill: eight-time ACM Group of the Year Old Dominion, multi-platinum hitmaker Riley Green, and four-time GRAMMY winner Keith Urban. ACM New Artist of the Year Nate Smith will open the weekend during Thursday’s Kickoff Party inside the Coors Original Saloon. “As we celebrate the incredible history of Big Valley Jamboree, this line-up feels like the perfect way to honour where we’ve been and where we’re headed,” said Troy Vollhoffer, CEO of Country Thunder. “Keith Urban, Old Dominion and Riley Green each bring something unique to the stage, and together they capture the spirit of what BVJ is all about: great music, great community and memories that last long after the weekend ends.” Urban, returning to BVJ after years away, brings more than two decades of chart success to the Alberta stage. The three-time Entertainer of the Year holds 20 number-one singles – including “Somebody Like You,” “Blue Ain’t Your Colour,” and “Long Hot Summer” – and remains one of the most recognisable live performers in modern country music. Old Dominion step into their headlining slot as one of the most decorated groups in the genre, with eight ACM Awards and seven CMA wins to their name. Their catalogue of fan favourites – “Break Up with Him,” “Written in the Sand,” “Make It Sweet” – has helped position them amongst country music’s most in-demand live acts. Riley Green will headline Big Valley Jamboree for the first time following his well-received Kickoff Party appearance in 2024. Known for hits like “There Was This Girl,” “I Wish Grandpa’s Never Died,” and “Worst Way,” Green arrives off the back of multiple ACM and CMA wins and continues to build momentum. More names join the 2026 roster, including Cameron Whitcomb, Noeline Hoffman, viral breakout Gavin Adcock and Chase Rice. The programme also features Robyn Ottolini, Sacha, Josh Stumpf, Morgan Klaiber, Travis Dolter, Sully Burrows, The Dead South, Mark Chesnutt, Billy Dean & Collin Raye and Logan Layman. Festival-goers can also expect two signature events: Thursday’s Kickoff Party led by Nate Smith, and the official BVJ After Party, complete with late-night surprise guests throughout the weekend. Further updates are expected in the months ahead. Tickets and camping packages are already on sale, with a new payment plan allowing visitors to secure their place for £20 down, followed by equal monthly instalments. A landmark summer for country fans is already on the horizon – and Big Valley Jamboree looks set to make 2026 one to remember.

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Brooks & Dunn – The Long Game

Exclusives / Editor

They didn’t arrive as revolutionaries. But Brooks & Dunn redrew the borderlines of country music just the same — blending honky tonk, arena rock, and emotional clarity into a sound that still echoes through the genre’s bloodstream. When Brooks & Dunn reunited in 2015 after a five-year hiatus, it wasn’t out of necessity. They had nothing left to prove. Already Country Music Hall of Famers, with more CMA Awards than any other duo in history, they could’ve stayed gone — proud, platinum, and preserved. But Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were never interested in legacy as museum piece. Their return wasn’t nostalgic. It was purposeful. A reminder that the sharpest tools in country’s box were far from relics, they still had an edge. Three decades after their 1991 debut, Brooks & Dunn remain a blueprint: for duos, for crossover acts, for anyone trying to make traditional country sound contemporary without losing its roots. And for all the numbers — the chart-toppers, the tour grosses, the awards — their real achievement might be that no one’s ever done it quite like them since. Their origin story is tidy on paper, but jagged in reality. Both men had solo ambitions. Dunn was a powerhouse vocalist from Texas with a gospel background. Brooks was a sharper-edged songwriter from Louisiana with industry connections and an ear for momentum. Arista Records head Tim DuBois suggested they try working together, and they did, somewhat reluctantly. The pairing didn’t immediately make sense. Their writing styles clashed. Their personalities diverged. But the tension became fuel. In interviews, Brooks has often said the act only worked because they were so different. Dunn, more reserved and vocally dominant, brought the ache. Brooks, gregarious and guitar-forward, brought the grit. That tension gave them range. It let them pivot between floor-fillers like “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and ballads like “Believe.” They weren’t trying to split the difference, they were doubling the spectrum. By the time their debut album Brand New Man dropped in 1991, the balance had clicked. Four No.1 hits later, Brooks & Dunn weren’t a gamble. They were the new standard. Throughout the 1990s, Brooks & Dunn became country’s most bankable act, not by chasing trends, but by setting them. Albums like Hard Workin’ Man and Waitin’ on Sundown fused dancehall energy with emotional storytelling. Their music lived on jukeboxes and in stadiums. It worked as well in boots as it did in headphones. They built an aesthetic as much as a catalogue. Cowboy hats and designer jeans, Telecasters and pyrotechnics. They didn’t play small, they scaled country up. And they did it without sacrificing the fundamentals: story, heart, and voice. Radio embraced them, but so did fans outside the usual orbit. Their sound, stitched with blues, rock, honky tonk, and even gospel, made them accessible without sanding off their roots. Dunn’s vocals soared; Brooks kept the rhythm grounded. And they just kept winning. By the end of the decade, they’d earned Entertainer of the Year, dozens of chart-toppers, and a place on the Mount Rushmore of modern country. To read the full article, see our last issue here. Never miss a story… Follow us on: Instagram: @Maverick.mag Twitter: @Maverick_mag Facebook: Maverick Magazine Media Contact Editor, Maverick Magazine Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 920 Email: editor@maverick-country.com

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HuneyFire Release Festive Christmas Single

News / Editor

Afro/Latina country duo HuneyFire are embracing the holiday season with the release of their new single, “My Christmas Wish”, a warm and romantic track celebrating love in December. The song is described as a light-hearted tribute to spending the festive period with someone special, wrapped in harmonies and seasonal glow. “My Christmas Wish is a sweet and playful holiday single about the joy of being in love at Christmas and wanting nothing more than to spend the season with the one you love,” the duo said. HuneyFire added that the track captures “the simple and tender desire to make memories together under the glow of Christmas lights.” Written and produced by Cheaza Figueroa, the song features Figueroa and daughter Marri Nevarez-Barlow sharing lead vocals and harmonies, bringing a soft, familial touch to the arrangement. The recording also features Caitlin Evanson on fiddle, Eddie Dunlap on dobro, and Hugo Castillo contributing drums, bass guitar, organ, piano and synth. The single was recorded at Mir Records USA. “My Christmas Wish” adds a festive chapter to the duo’s catalogue, blending country instrumentation with soulful, honey-toned delivery, and positions HuneyFire as emerging seasonal voices within the genre. HuneyFire continue to build momentum as a mother-daughter pairing distinctly placed within country music – blending cultural heritage, harmony-led songwriting and a modern Americana sensibility. Their work has drawn attention for its warmth, sincerity and genre-spanning influences, marking them as artists to watch as they move into the new year.

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Tim Brink & The Rising Release ‘Dark City’

News / Editor

Tim Brink & The Rising have unveiled their debut album Dark City, a cinematic blend of Southern gothic storytelling, Americana grit and brooding blues. The release marks a defining moment for frontman Tim Brink, the Quebec-born vocalist and multi-instrumentalist whose career to date has included international touring with Pete Möss, a finalist position on La Voix IV, and even consideration as lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots. Dark City leans into the mythology of desolate highways, ghost-town silence and hard-earned redemption. While fans of Colter Wall, Chris Stapleton and Orville Peck may find familiar textures, Brink carves his own territory – darker, more atmospheric and rooted in the tone of series such as Yellowstone, True Detective and Justified. The album, co-written by Brink and guitarist Samuel Busque, unfolds like a film. Songs move with tension and release, borrowing the grit of Johnny Cash, the intensity of Rage Against the Machine and the dramatic flair of Tarantino. Produced by Busque alongside Michel Francoeur and mixed and mastered at Red Tubes Studio, the record explores themes of vengeance, forgiveness and the moral grey spaces that sit between. Brink’s vocal performance anchors the work – raw, soulful and weathered like a road map creased at the edges. The music shifts between thunderous instrumentation and quiet reflection, offering a listening experience that feels both widescreen and intimate. Dark City is now officially released, signalling a bold entry onto the North American roots-rock stage and marking the beginning of a chapter that is wholly Brink’s own – storm-charged, cinematic, and unafraid to stare directly into the dark.

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Julian Taylor Announces Return to the UK for 2026 Tour

News / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Acclaimed 5x JUNO-Award and Polaris Music Prize–nominated singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is set to return to the UK in April 2026, bringing his soulful blend of folk, roots, and Americana back to UK audiences. Following widespread praise for his recent releases and a growing international fanbase, Taylor’s upcoming tour marks a highly anticipated moment for listeners eager to experience his storytelling and musicianship in an intimate live setting. Tickets are available to purchase now here. Joining him as a very special guest is celebrated artist Michele Stodart, known for her emotive songwriting and captivating stage presence. Together, the pair will deliver an unforgettable run of performances across England, showcasing their artistry in some of the country’s most beloved venues. Commenting on his return, Taylor shared, “Some of my greatest friends will be joining me on the road. My phenomenal band of soul sisters – the one and only Michele Stodart (The Magic Numbers) on bass and vocals. The brilliant Raevennan Husbandes on guitar and vocals. The powerhouse Siân Monaghan on drums. These women bring that organic, powerful groove to my Soulful Americana, Folk Rock, and Alt-Country sound, and there is nothing like playing this music live with them. And as a beautiful bonus, the incredibly talented Michele Stodart will open each night with a solo set of her own magnificent, critically acclaimed tunes before joining the headline show.” Taylor recently released ‘Don’t Let ’Em (Get Inside of Your Head)‘, a soulful new single that brings together alt-country grit and blues rock urgency with one of modern music’s most distinctive voices: Jim James of My Morning Jacket. The new track will appear on Taylor’s forthcoming album, Anthology II, which is set for release on January 23, 2026.

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Jesse Lynn Madera’s Speed of the Sound of Loneliness

News / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Jesse Lynn Madera honours John Prine with this sweet, captivating cover for hit October Birthday. “To celebrate the late John Prine’s October 10th birthday, I wanted to honor him by recording one of my favorite songs, “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness”. I have always loved John’s “kitchen table” lyricism and delivery, and this one is a wonderful example of a Prine song that casually breaks a heart. It’s not dramatic; it’s not even really melancholy. He perfectly captured a slow motion disconnect. I love how well this song does that. “I’m drawn to songs that capture the quiet ache of human connection, and John Prine was a master at putting that into words with a relatable picnic table poet, family reunion philosopher type of delivery. Covering ‘Speed of the Sound of Loneliness’ is a way of honoring John’s brilliance. His writing has a timeless honesty, and I wanted to share that spirit with listeners. We all know what it feels like to be worlds apart from a loved one while in the same room, and this song captures that desperate urgent longing well.” said Jesse Lynn Madera. In its 2024 and 2022 wrap-ups, Music Connection featured her in its annual Hot 100 list of the Best Unsigned Artists. Jesse’s touring history includes sold out shows at New York’s Bitter End and The Cutting Room as well as notable appearances at festivals such as Mile 0, 30A, Annapolis Songwriters and Mile of Music. She has been a supporting act for acclaimed artists like The Zombies, Dan Navarro, Maddie Poppe, and Mary Fahl. Tour Dates: 11/5 – 118 North Main Stage – Wayne, PA 19087 (Support for Dan Navarro) 11/6 – Ramshead – Annapolis – (Support for Dan Navarro) 11/8 – Caffe Lena – Saratoga Springs, NY (Double bill w Dan Navarro) 1/16-18/26 – 30A Songwriter Festival – South Walton, FL 1/28-29/26 – Mile 0 Fest – Key West, FL 4/16/26 – McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Houston, TX 4/18/26 – Opening Bell Coffeehouse – Dallas, TX 4/29/26 – Jammin Java – Vienna, VA 5/01/26 – The Cutting Room – New York, NY 5/06.26 – Gibson Community Music Hall – Appleton, WI 5/07/26 – Hey Nonny – Arlington Heights, IL Listen here .

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CMA Country Christmas

News / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

The Country Music Association and ABC have revealed this year’s hosts and performers for the 16th annual holiday television special, “CMA Country Christmas.” Hosted by Lauren Daigle and Jordan Davis, “CMA Country Christmas” features performances by Daigle, Davis, Riley Green, Lady A, Little Big Town, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and BeBe Winans. Filmed in front of a live audience in Nashville, first-time co-hosts Daigle and Davis bring warmth, charm, and cheer to the stage as they guide viewers through a night of heartfelt music and holiday spirit. “CMA Country Christmas” airs Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 9/8c on ABC, with streaming available the next day on Hulu and Disney+. “CMA Country Christmas” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Milton Sneed is the Director and Jon Macks is the Writer. About “CMA Country Christmas” Starting in 2010, “CMA Country Christmas” rings in the holiday season annually with a show full of festive classics and one-of-a-kind musical performances. The event is filmed in Nashville and airs each holiday season on ABC. ABC is the network home to the CMA Awards and CMA’s summer concert TV special “CMA Fest.”

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Molly Tuttle: A Sun-Kissed Reinvention

Exclusives / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Six Grammy wins and a reputation as one of bluegrass’s most formidable guitarists couldn’t contain Molly Tuttle, as she steps into a brighter, freer realm Molly Tuttle has long stood alongside bluegrass’s finest-an award‑winning flatpicker, songwriter, and singer who shattered glass ceilings as IBMA’s first female Guitar Player of the Year and a two‑time Grammy winner. Rooted in California, raised on the guitar by her multi‑instrumentalist father, she moved to Nashville to carve her own legacy. Her latest album, So Long Little Miss Sunshine, released in August 2025, marks a clear pivot-into folk‑pop, country, and rock, while still honouring her roots. Produced by Jay Joyce, it blends soaring acoustic guitar with bold production choices, and includes a captivating banjo‑topped rendition of “I Love It.” The album also reflects Tuttle’s growing willingness to incorporate humour, irony, and storytelling with looser boundaries, something she has cited as a personal goal since her earlier albums. Critics have noted that Sunshine moves with a cinematic quality, each track styled with a tone or colour that plays into her evolving self-image. An emotional shift Tuttle has spoken candidly about the emotional shift in this album, saying it was about bidding farewell to a version of herself that had long tried to blend in. That declaration captures the record’s heart, a reckoning with identity, memory, and creative direction. The title track, “So Long Little Miss Sunshine,” plays like a farewell letter to a former persona. Tuttle’s vocal delivery is restrained but purposeful, using gentle lyrical subversion and folk-rooted cadence to guide the listener through grief and growth. It’s a track that lingers, more epilogue than anthem. Beyond Golden Highway Before Sunshine, Tuttle fronted Golden Highway, her band with whom she released two consecutive Grammy‑winning albums (Crooked Tree and City of Gold). But in May 2025, she announced that Golden Highway would step back, freeing space for a new ensemble designed to suit this album’s evolving sound. That shift wasn’t easy: Golden Highway had been more than a band-it was a family, musical collaborators, and the backbone of her sound. The transformation speaks to Tuttle’s resolve to grow, even when that means relinquishing comfort zones. On the creative front, Molly describes experiencing a spark between her roots and newer influences, writing songs that straddled two worlds. She began with tracks that felt more contemporary and personal, then found her bluegrass senses reawakening mid‑project. She chose to record with Jay Joyce in Nashville, drawn to his ability to blend textures across genres. The album cover, designed by Tuttle herself, captures that tension visually, featuring multiple versions of Molly wearing different wigs. It’s a playful emblem of shedding expectations and embracing the many shades of identity. In a recent media profile, she explained feeling grateful for where she is now, even if the path wasn’t always straightforward… Read the full article here.

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Warren Zeiders: Edge of Anthem

Exclusives / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Warren Zeiders brings lacrosse determination and storytelling candour to country’s frontier—viral hits, relentless drive and emotional honesty assemble into a new paradigm of success In the hush of a drop‑lit stage, Warren Zeiders embodies transition—not just of sound, but of identity. Born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the former college lacrosse player spent twelve years chasing a ball before a snapped dream became his greatest pivot. Music swept in not as plan B, but as inevitability. In previous interviews he’s explained that if he cares about something and invests himself fully into it, nothing will stop him, reflecting that same athletic hunger now rechanneled into song. He began building a following by sharing cover videos on TikTok while completing a business degree at Frostburg State University. Zeiders recorded in his dorm room until “Ride the Lightning” exploded online, a rough‑hewn anthem of love and escape that racked up over 500 million views, earned platinum status in the U.S. and Canada, and marked the arrival of a raw, unfiltered new artist. Romantic soul His rise was meteoric yet grounded, leading to Acoustic Covers, a 2021 debut that merged Tyler Childers solemnity with Lynyrd Skynyrd swagger, all filtered through gritty vocals. That path led to Warner Records, 717 Tapes the Album in 2022 and then to his breakthrough: Pretty Little Poison, released August 2023. The title track, a rush of heart‑ache disguised as a drug metaphor, went to No 1 on country radio, making Zeiders country music’s neatest breakout since Nate Smith. His sound balances outsider rock—think Nickelback energy—with the ache of a slow‑burn ballad that refuses to let go. Zeiders followed up with Relapse (2024), a lean, moody record produced by Mike Elizondo and Ross Copperman. Singles like “Addictions” and the brooding title track introduced a darker tone, confirmed in the double‑album Relapse, Lies & Betrayal in March. Its tracklist is as confessional as it is ambitious, with Billboard capturing Zeiders at his most unguarded, shaking off a raw, living pain. Tough Love When Zeiders first toured Europe, he was amazed by fans knowing every lyric despite his being unknown years before—a humbling reminder of how far he’s come. Critics describe his stage presence as athletic: each performance feels rehearsed yet urgent, like controlled chaos enhanced by grit. Seeking to play stadiums, Zeiders himself has said he isn’t afraid to show the edge in his performances, nor to declare his ambition to one day fill arenas with roaring crowds Discipline as devotion In interviews, Zeiders has underscored how his athletic past shaped his professional ethos, likening his touring schedule to a training regimen: disciplined, strategic, and always forward-moving. He cites motivational figures like Tom Brady, David Goggins, and Kobe Bryant as technicolour influences on his commitment to relentless improvement. Far from an opportunity for breaks and downtime, he uses time on the road as a purposeful rehearsal for the next set. Zeiders treats touring like prepping for a championship, leaning on structure even when away from home. His follow-up to a show isn’t partying; it’s watching Netflix or Dune Part Two with his team to distil visual ideas for upcoming videos and stage design. His local success at the Morgan County Fair, headlining crowds after only a few releases, underscored that foundation. He described “Pretty Little Poison” as an anthem to destructive attraction, calling it “like a moth to a flame,” a preference for what hurts with magnetic pull…. Read the full article here.

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