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Sean McConnell confirms London album launch in December

Following the announcement of The Texas Music Takeover; a seven-date UK showcase of Texas music artists throughout November and December, country/Americana singer-songwriter Sean McConnell has confirmed his album launch show. McConnell will showcase his new album at The Garage (upstairs) in London on 2nd December 2016. The songwriter, known for his work with artists including Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne and David Nail, will showcase his catalogue of new solo material. The self-titled album, his debut for Rounder Records, marks a personal and professional breakthrough – a career-defining record, with McConnell ready for prime time, yet still blessed with all the soulfulness and reflective storytelling for which he is already respected and admired. The album was released on 30th September and demonstrates exactly why this singer-songwriter has already won such a devoted audience. The single Holy Days and accompanying video are now streaming online and the album is available on CD and download. “From a very young age, I just knew that I was gonna spend my life making music,” Sean McConnell states. “I never really questioned it, so I just forged ahead and didn’t let anything stop me.” Although his self-titled new Rounder album will serve as his introduction to many listeners, the personable young artist is actually a seasoned, distinctive songwriter and an experienced performer with a quartet of D.I.Y. indie releases to his credit. Having built a substantial grass-roots fan base through tireless touring and old-fashioned hard work, McConnell is primed for a mainstream breakthrough. McConnell, a Massachusetts native, comes by music naturally; his musician parents were part of Boston’s vibrant folk music community. He began writing songs at age 12, after his family relocated to Georgia, and he never looked back. In addition to accolades for his songwriting, he has earned a well-deserved reputation as a dynamic live performer, whose shows offer his fans everything from intimate acoustic ballads to foot-stomping rock and roll. Having spent much of his life honing his craft and paying his dues, Sean McConnell is eager to launch the next chapter of his career: “I kind of feel like I’ve been in a really long boot camp,” he concludes. “I’m really grateful for that, because I feel like I’ve gained enough experience to know the deal and be prepared for anything. I’m excited to see where the next part of the journey takes me.”

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Nashville songwriters hall of fame inducts Townes Van Zandt, Aaron Barker,Beth Nielsen Chapman and Bob Morrison

Townes Van Zandt, Aaron Barker, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Bob Morrison were officially inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame last night.  The four took their bows in front of a sold-out industry crowd of more than 1,000 at NaSHOF’s 46th Anniversary Hall of Fame Gala held at the Music City Center.  The event celebrated the musical contributions of the newest inductees through star-studded performances of some of their biggest hits. “Every year our organization has the distinct pleasure of honoring four of the best of the best songwriters in our community with induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame,” said Pat Alger, Board Chair of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation and himself a Hall of Fame member. “Once again the current group of inductees exemplifies the high standards that have helped make Nashville the songwriting capital of the world.  We are pleased to welcome the class of 2016: Beth Nielsen Chapman and Aaron Barker in the Songwriter category, Townes Van Zandt in the Songwriter/Artist category and Bob Morrison in the Veteran Songwriter category.” Following welcoming remarks by Alger, the evening kicked off with inductions and performances. Bob Morrison was inducted by Hall of Fame songwriter Layng Martine, Jr. William Michael Morgan performed Looking For Love and Phil Vassar sang You Decorated My Life. Aaron Barker was inducted by Phyllis Williams, widow of late Hall of Fame songwriter/Barker co-writer Kim Williams. Curb artist Mo Pitney performed Baby Blue. The legendary Mac Davis performed Love Without End, Amen. Beth Nielsen Chapman was inducted by longtime friend/hit songwriter Annie Roboff.  Kim Carnes, EmilySaliers (of The Indigo Girls) and Pam Tillis joined Bill Lloyd to perform This Kiss.  Pop superstar Olivia Newton-John joined Lloyd, singer/songwriter Amy Sky and Chapman’s son, Ernest Chapman, to perform Sand And Water. Townes Van Zandt was inducted by producer Jim Rooney. Townes himself performed Pancho and Lefty via a video clip from the 1976 film Heartworn Highways. Darrell Scott performed White Freightliner Blues. Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White performed If I Needed You.  Van Zandt’s award was accepted by his children Katie Belle Van Zandt and Will Van Zandt. In a special tribute alongside the hall of fame inductions, Hall of Fame songwriters Alger, Mac Davis and Ray Stevens presented the Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award to the late Atlanta music icon Bill Lowery.  Butch Lowery accepted on behalf of his father. The evening also featured a special presentation to Robert K. Oermann, industry journalist and NaSHOF board historian, who was presented with the organization’s Keystone Award in appreciation for his long-term commitment to the Nashville songwriting community and the Foundation’s Hall of Fame nominating process.

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Miranda Lee Richards to visit UK supporting Ren Harvieu & Romeo at several shows

Invisible Hands Music are delighted to announce that, on the back of her well-received album ECHOES OF THE DREAMTIME, Miranda Lee Richards will be appearing live in the UK on tour plus supporting the Magic Numbers’ Ren Harvieu and Romeo on several shows, hot on the heels of her recent US dates with the Dandy Warhols. Miranda said, “I am so thrilled to be returning to the UK. I have always enjoyed such a warm reception there and I look forward to meeting more fans on the road.”   ECHOES OF THE DREAMTIME was released on LP and CD  by Invisible Hands Music. The album was recorded with her husband, producer Rick Parker, best known for his work with BRMC, in their home studio and brings together eight pastoral, atmospheric epics into a work that is her best yet. Born in San Francisco after the summer of love and before the dawn of disco, she grew up in an artistic and bohemian environment that has informed her adult life and work. After graduating from San Francisco School Of The Arts, she began to pursue a musical career. She met Kirk Hammett from Metallica who taught her to play Mazzy Star songs on guitar. Her early demos reached Anton Newcombe and she joined his band, the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Miranda then signed to Virgin Records in 2001 and released her debut album THE HERETHEREAFTER, a mix of folk, psychedelia, country and indie pop, and found fans worldwide. Follow-up album LIGHT OF X the title of which comes from a dream about harnessing beams of light to travel in time, followed in 2009 via Nettwerk Records. A beguiling, honest performer, Miranda Lee Richards is mesmeric in a live setting and these, her first UK dates in seven years, are not to be missed. The ECHOES OF THE DREAMTIME album is an addition to an increasingly important body of work.

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Additional tickets added for star-studded Charlie Daniels 80th birthday volunteer jam

Due to popular demand, with over 10,000 tickets sold to date, the producers of Charlie Daniels 80th Birthday Volunteer Jam have released additional seating at Bridgestone Arena on November 30 so that as many fans and friends as possible can experience this monumental occasion. The jam will feature guests 3 Doors Down, Chris Stapleton, Kid Rock, Larry The Cable Guy, Luke Bryan and Travis Tritt to celebrate with Charlie Daniels. After a star-studded 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam last year, this year’s celebration event will feature The Charlie Daniels Band and a select bunch of their favorite musicians and entertainers on stage for an exhilarating event for the ages. Since 1974, Daniels has commissioned his musical friends and peers to come together on a ‘volunteer’ basis to hang out, ‘jam’ together, and entertain crowds in an unconventional, laid-back fashion unknown to any other concert event — all while dedicating concert proceeds to worthy causes. This year’s event will feature extra special ‘jam’ sessions with some of Charlie’s most prolific friends who want to celebrate the soon-to-be Country Music Hall of Famer, his birthday, and his many accomplishments. “I am extremely humbled and excited for this year’s Volunteer Jam. I think the fans are going to get a great variety of music from rock to country to southern rock with this stellar lineup, which reminds me so much of some of the early ‘Jams’ that we held at Municipal Auditorium,” says Charlie Daniels. “We are also going to be raising some well-needed money to continue our support of the Veterans through the Journey Home Project.” A portion of the proceeds from the night will go to the The Journey Home Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit co-founded by Daniels and manager, David Corlew, to help Veterans of the United States Armed Forces. For more info on The Journey Home Project, please visit: thejourneyhomeproject.org. “The Volunteer Jam has been a staple of the Charlie Daniels Band’s career since 1974. We’re thrilled to be able to use the platform we’ve built through the years to give back to the men and women who give so much of themselves for us, our veterans. This is a culmination of wonderful friends, hard work and great music that is shaping up to be one of the best Volunteer Jam’s to date!” said David Corlew, Charlie Daniels’ manager and co-founder of The Journey Home Project. Charlie Daniels’ 80th Birthday Volunteer Jam is produced by Mike Smardak of Outback Concerts in association with David Corlew & Associates and Webster & Associates.

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Dolly Parton to appear on The Talk and makes debut appearance & performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Oct. 3

On Monday, Oct. 3, Dolly Parton will be the lead guest and perform as part of the Outdoor Concert Series on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, her first-ever appearance on the late night program. In addition, earlier Monday morning, Dolly will appear as the featured guest on The Talk, where she will chat with hosts Sharon Osbourne, ‎Sheryl Underwood, Aisha Tyler and Julie Chen about her new movie, Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors – Circle of Love, the success of her most recent album PURE & SIMPLE (which remains in the Billboard Country Albums Top 10 chart) and much more. Just in time for the holidays, Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors – Circle of Love, premieres on NBC this Nov. 30. The sequel to the critically-acclaimed film Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors will be available on DVD beginning on Dec. 20 and digitally on Dec. 1. Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors – Circle of Love continues with the story of young Dolly Parton as the Parton Family experiences a true Christmas miracle drawing the Partons closer together than ever – with deepened faith and love for one another. The film delivers Christmas joy and peril as an unexpected blizzard threatens the Parton family while Dolly’s father (and his kids) make sacrifices to raise enough money to finally buy his loving wife the wedding ring he could never afford. Meanwhile, an important person in little Dolly’s life begins to see that her amazing voice and musical gift might just be made for something bigger than rural Tennessee.The family-oriented, faith-based movie stars Jennifer Nettles (Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and actress), Ricky Schroder (Golden Globe® Award-winner for The Champ, NYPD Blue), Alyvia Alyn Lind (Blended), Kelli Berglund (Lab Rats), Mary Lane Haskell (Coat of Many Colors), Cameron Jones (Shortland Street), Stella Parton (Green Corn), Hannah Nordberg (American Pastoral), Farrah MacKenzie, Parker Sack, Forrest Deal, Dylan Michael Rowen, Blane Crockarell and Gerald McRaney (Major Dad). Dolly Parton makes a special appearance, introduces the film and serves as narrator. The final leg of the Pure & Simple Tour kicks off on Nov. 15 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The hottest ticket of the summer becomes the hottest ticket of the year with stops in Ala., S.C., Fla., Texas and more.

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Shane Owens to release debut album WHERE I'M COMIN' FROM December 9

Critics and fans alike have been raving about Shane Owens’ highly anticipated debut album,WHERE I’M COMIN’ FROM, citing the traditional-based artist as one – who like George Jones sang about in his classic song – just might be able to fill the shoes of legends such as “The Possum” and Merle Haggard. The Amerimonte Records recording artist received a ringing endorsement along those lines from Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Randy Travis – who lent his production talents to the album. “Shane’s song, Country Never Goes Out of Style,” is a simple and perfect description of what country living and country music is all about.” said Travis in reference to Shane’s current single, which is going for adds at radio stations across the country. “In listening to it, I can’t help but reminisce about the best days of my youth and life in simpler times—when technology was a phone with a cord and a party line, transportation was a bicycle, a horse, or a hand-me-down car with manual windows, and taking the initiative to help someone in need was your pleasure and just the way it was. Though much has changed, I think it’s important to keep a focus on our roots—it is a way of life that should never go out of style. Shane has successfully merged yesterday, and today, to remind us that country will always be in style!” James Stroud, who produced the album, has blazed trails for country superstars such as Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Clint Black, Aaron Lewis, Chris Young and many more during his career. Among Stroud’s credits include having produced over 130 No. 1 singles. The album WHERE I’M COMIN FROM will be available for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon beginning on October 21 and available for purchase on December 9 in select retailers nationwide through Memphis, TN based distributor, Select-O-Hits. “Country music fans have been yearning for an artist like Shane Owens,” said Steve Popovich Jr., President Amerimonte Records. “There’s a perception out there that traditional Country music is dead and I can assure you that’s not the case. This album is going to surprise a lot of people, and I mean that in a good way. Shane Owens is delivering a style of traditional Country music that Country music enthusiasts both here and abroad have been craving for a long time. I think fans of the genre will be pleased to know that style of Country music is alive and well.” “When I first heard Shane, I knew there was something special there,” said his publicist Kirt Webster. “His vocal stylings bring to mind the music that I – and so many others grew up on. His energy on stage is also a huge plus, but the most important element of the Shane Owens story is that in just being around him, you can tell how much he enjoys what he is doing. He is going to be a force to be reckoned with.”

Shane Owens to release debut album WHERE I'M COMIN' FROM December 9 Read More »

The Shires new album MY UNIVERSE released today

The Shires released their latest single and video My Universe 12 days ago and it  has quickly racked up over 200,000 streams in little over a week, which now sees the band with 14 million streams across their Spotify and YouTube videos. The video for My Universe was released in support of the #ItCanWait campaign to stop people texting whilst driving their cars,  which has seen over 1,000,000 people pledge to help end texting whilst driving. My Universe was album of the week on BBC Radio 2 last week and The Shires have been playlisted by BBC Radio 2 and Magic for both singles taken from this album, Beats to Your Rhythm and My Universe. As well as being set to perform on Chris Evans Breakfast show today. The Shires have seen huge support from global streaming powerhouse Spotify, being made the first ever country act to be made the face of their New Music Friday playlist in the UK earlier this month. Alongside that The Shires have been added to a whole host of playlists which has seen The Shires streamed over 12 million times on the platform. Next week the band set out on the road playing 5 HMV in-store events across the country, taking in 5 of the country’s biggest cities, they’re also set to make a big splash at their show at HMV London next Wednesday. After that, The Shires will head out on a full UK tour in the November and December, for 14 shows, with more set to be announced. Of course, all of this comes off the back of the success of their last record BRAVE which has sold over 100,000 copies in the UK and was one of only 4 debuts albums to go Gold last year, alongside releases from James Bay, Years & Years & Jess Glynn. Their last album saw them land 5 A list singles at BBC Radio 2 and appear on a string of high profile TV shows including Graham Norton, BBC Music Awards, Children in Need Rocks and many more. Winter 2016 tour dates: November 23rd Royal and Derngate, Northampton 24th St David’s Hall, Cardiff 25th Corn Exchange, Bedford 27th Cambridge Corn Exchange, Bedford 28th Colston Hall, Bristol 29th Brighton Dome, Brighton December 02nd Venue Cymru, Llandudno 03rd Institute, Birmingham 04th Bridgewater Hall, Manchester 05th Sage, Gateshead 07th O2 ABC Glasgow, Glasgow 08th York Barbican, York 09th O2 Academy, Liverpool 11th O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

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Beth Hart reveals new single Love Is A Lie from new album FIRE ON THE FLOOR

Beth Hart is on fire. Right now, the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter is riding a creative tidal wave, firing out acclaimed albums, hooking up with the biggest names in music and rocking the house each night with that celebrated burnt-honey voice. In 2016, the headline news is Beth’s latest album, FIRE ON THE FLOOR (out 14 October on Provogue/Mascot Label Group): a release that even this fiercely self-critical artist describes as “pretty frickin’ good”. But let’s not forget the backstory that brought her here…   FIRE ON THE FLOOR  is sure to build on her breakneck momentum. As the singer explains, this latest record gave her an emotional release following the bitter-sweet sessions for BETTER THAN HOME. If there’s a theme that ties these twelve songs together, it’s a sense of escapism following the hardest of times. “We were still in the mixing stages for that album and I knew I had to make another record. Making BETTER THAN HOME  was so painful, because one of the producers, Michael Stevens, was dying of cancer. It was a very emotional record to write and to make. I wanted the songs for FIRE ON THE FLOOR  to get born real quick.”   [wpdevart_youtube]YtXsK0AGCf8[/wpdevart_youtube]   Take a spin of FIRE ON THE FLOOR and  you’ll find everything from the spring-heeled soul of Let’s Get Together to the brittle rock of Fat Man. “I love that song,” she says of the latter. “That’s actually a co-write with a wonderful songwriter named Glen Burtnik, who I started writing with when I was about 24. We wrote that seven years ago – just a basic skeleton – but then I got super-inspired and wrote out the lyric. It feels good to sing it. That’s what’s so great about rock ‘n’ roll. It’s just such a fantastic way to let out your angst.” Likewise, the title track: “I love Fire On The Floor. It’s just smouldering. I think it’s gonna be a fantastic piece to perform live. It’s filled with passion. It’s about when someone you know is so bad for you, but you can’t help it. Then there’s No Place Like Home. I love that song. It’s about how, like, you spend a lot of time on the road, and you start to realise all the great things about being home. Kinda the opposite to the song Better Than Home.” FIRE ON THE FLOOR  is the album that Beth Hart needed to make. Likewise, it’s a record that you need to hear. “I’m so pleased with it,” she concludes. “I recently had to organise the sequence of the record, and while I was doing that, I was thinking to myself, ‘Y’know, this is pretty frickin’ good…!’” Upcoming tour dates:  2016 11th Nov – Symphony Hall, Birmingham, UK 13th Nov – The Sage, Gateshead, UK 14th Nov – O2 Academy, Glasgow, UK 17th Nov – Colston Hall, Bristol, UK 19th Nov – Solent Hall, Bournemouth, UK 21st Nov – Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, UK 23rd Nov – Royal Festival Hall, London, UK 26th Nov – Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Holland 28th Nov – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium 30th Nov – Splendid, Lille, France 2nd Dec – La Traverse, Cleon, France 3rd Dec – Theatre Femina, Bordeaux, France 5th Dec – La Cooperative de Mai, Clermont-Ferrand, France 7th Dec – Le Pasino, Aix-En-Provence, France 8th Dec – Salle De L’Etoile, Chateaurenard, France 10th Dec – Le Plan, Ris Orangis, France 13th Dec – Olympia, Paris, France 15th Dec – Megarama, Casablanca, Morocco 2017  6th Feb – Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea III, Tampa, US 12th May – Haus Auersee, Leipzig, Germany 14th May – Colmbiahall, Berlin, Germany 16th May – Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany 18th May – Theater am Aegi, Hannover, Germany 20th May – Kurhaus, Baden-Baden, Germany 22nd May – Capitol, Offenbach Am Main, Germany 24th May – Historische Stadthall, Wuppertal, Germany 29th May – Circus Krone, Munich, Germany

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The Crooked Brothers’ announce UK tour

The Crooked Brothers’ take on folk, blues, and rootsy Americana can’t be said to be anything but their own. One minute, gritty and galumphing and the next sweet and succulent; sometimes it’s possessed with growl that shakes the rafters and comes smashing through with a dirty rhythmic underbelly. The ‘live’ show is renowned as a rollercoaster of surprises and it’s clear that these Manitoba boys are as close and tight-knit as any brotherhood should be. Widely regarded as one of Canada’s top festival attractions, the five-piece is gearing for what will be their first major European tour with dates in the UK, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium. Practically a Crooked Family Variety Act, their concerts see banjos, mandolins, guitars – and much more – taking turns being juggled from brother to brother. A myriad of shades and textures is created. The Crooked Brothers have toured in ten countries, played in nearly every province and territory in Canada, and have released three full length albums, the latest of which was on the groovy German label, The Instrument Village.   Thurs Nov 3: Green Note, Camden, London Fri 4: Sun 6: The Canteen, Bristol  Sat 5: Square and Compass, Worth Matravers,  Mon 7: Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Tues 8: Performing Arts Centre, Kilbarchan Thurs 10: Acoustic Music Club, Kirkcaldy  Fri 11: Glenbuchat Hall, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire Sat 12: Birnam Arts Centre, Dunkeld Sun 13: Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine

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