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British Americana fans will be flocking to Hackney, East London for three days of conference in January as AmericanaFest UK returns for its fourth year. Two days of conferences and showcases are topped off by a third day of events and the UK Americana Awards 2019. As Americana evolves and the charts reflect the popularity of the genre, The Americana Music Association UK’s (AMA-UK) membership has grown rapidly and therefore the event has grown too. The conference venue is bigger, the talks will take place over three days and there will be 48 artists showcasing at four venues over two days. The Awards show has moved to Hackney Empire as a result of the growth. Speaking about the festival, Stevie Freeman – AMA-UK CEO – said: “I am excited to be launching AmericanaFest UK 2019 and to announce the nominations for the UK Americana Awards. 2018 has been quite a year for AMA-UK: after our prestigious Awards, we hosted stages at seven festivals across the UK, and we had 18 UK artists showcasing at AmericanaFest over in Nashville, Tennessee.” Last year’s conference saw Bob Harris in conversation with acclaimed singer / songwriter Joe Henry and the keynote speech was from Billy Bragg. Five Special Awards were given out on the night to such luminaries as Robert Plant, Mumford & Sons and The Wandering Hearts. Previously winners have included the likes of Van Morrison, Jason Isbell, Richard Thompson, Billy Bragg and First Aid Kit. This year’s artist spotlight interview will be conducted by BBC Ulster’s Ralph McLean chatting with Ray Benson from Asleep at the Wheel. Bob Harris will be in conversation with John Oates, whose recent album Arkansas pays tribute to American music’s roots. Following her incredibly well-received Guest Curatorship of Cambridge Folk Festival, US musician Rhiannon Giddens will be giving the keynote speech. The AMA-UK will be hosting a launch event for AmericanaFest UK on 7 November at The Borderline in London’s West End. The event will be presented by musician Sunny Ozell and AMA-UK executive board member and broadcaster  Baylen Leonard. The event will see nominations and special award recipients being announced before the stage is set for a gig by London-based Curse of Lono, followed by a full set from Alabaman JP Harris. There will also be a surprise set on the night. AmericanaFest UK is open to non-members who want to just attend the showcase gigs. Showcase tickets are available to buy from HERE and more information, delegate packages to attend the conference and AMA-UK membership at https://theamauk.org/. Tickets for the UK American Awards will be available to buy soon from https://hackneyempire.co.uk/

Grassroots country event Americanarama Southside returns to The Brunel pub in Rotherhithe, London on 25 November following September’s hugely successful launch. November’s edition of the event features three London bands in the shape of The Tupelos, Mahoney & The Movement and event hosts The Glass Mountains. The Tupelos will be playing their distinct brand of indie-pop Americana, while Mahoney & The Movement will be displaying their infectious blend of Britpop/folk/Americana. Meanwhile, The Glass Mountains will take you to a place that feels like you’re on a bar crawl down the Nashville Broadway. As like before, the event is free entry, and contains three hours of original country music on a Sunday afternoon.

The first wave of acts for Country to Country (C2C) 2019 have been announced, with Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Chris Stapleton being pencilled in to headline the event, which takes place between 8-10 March in England, Scotland and Ireland. The lineup was announced by Bob Harris at Shepherd’s Bush Empire before the Songwriters Series round for Country Music Week,  and was brilliantly received by those in attendance and on social media. Brett Eldridge, Hunter Hayes, Lyle Lovett, Cam, Chase Rice, Ashley McBryde, Dustin Lynch, Carly Pearce and Drake White & The Big Fire were also announced in the first release for C2C 2019, which will take place at the O2 Arena in London, the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, and the 3Arena in Dublin over the three days. The Songwriters Series was a superb exhibition of talent within the genre, as Ashley Campbell, Kassi Ashton, Tenille Townes and Chris DeStefano took it in turns to play songs, all while offering some of the backstory behind the song they were playing. There were a few surprises as well, as Chase Rice – fresh from being announced on the bill at C2C 2019 – and Catherine McGrath both appeared at parts of the set to perform a song each, with both being loudly applauded for their efforts by the audience. Tickets for C2C 2019 go on sale on the 26th October at 10am, and are available from the following sites: England – www.axs.com/c2c or www.gigsandtours.com Scotland – www.gigsinscotland.com Ireland – www.ticketmaster.ie

Katy Hurt has released Revved Up, the second song from her upcoming EP, ‘Unfinished Business’, which is set for release in 2019. You can see the video, which depicts a western Bonnie and Clyde esque story in the desert with Hurt on the run, below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHcG7ZArloM The single, which has already amassed 13,000 streams on Spotify since its release, was recorded in Winnipeg, Canada and was produced by Murray Pulver. Revved Up itself is a superb country rock track, with Hurt’s vocal versatility really shining through on the single, while the guitar sections – both electric and acoustic – drive the song forwards. An unsigned artist, Hurt has successfully made a name for herself within the country music scene, and continues to grow from strength to strength despite not having an album to her name thus far. The Middlesex-born artist has had a very busy 2018, including standout performances at Pilton Party and Millport Country Music Festival.

With country music influencing fashion features in Vogue and mainstream artists like Ed Sheeran, the time is now for the often-side-lined music genre. With an estimated five million country music fans in the UK, and millions across the world, there has been no dedicated country app until now. CountryLine brings technology to country, delivering on-demand performances, interviews, news, views and TV shows. With high profile investors including Sir Elton John, the new digital destination for country lovers will also deliver listings, bookings, mobile payments, loyalty and member benefits. There is eager demand for all things country. In 2017 a Country Music Association study found that tech savvy millennials are the biggest group of country fans in the UK, and CountryLine is launching, just ahead of Country Music Week, to meet that demand. CountryLine is founded by entrepreneur and country music super-fan, Nathalie Cox and award-winning media and tech entrepreneur Simon Walker, co-developer of BBC’s iPlayer. Their combined expertise and experience has led to investment from industry heavyweights, Sir Elton John, Eric Nicoli (former Chairman, EMI) and Ed Richards (former CEO, Ofcom). From the country crazy to the country curious the app has something for everyone. Featuring artists, old and new, CountryLine will even be breaking brand-new talent, kicking off with hosting the single launch party for Remember Monday’s new single, ‘Drive’ this weekend. To create the app’s unique mix of content, CountryLine has partnered with the world’s greatest country creators, from the UK’s ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris to the cream of Nashville’s music scene, including coverage from CMAFest, the CMT Awards, AmericanaFest and more. The team are even working on a new deal with Lionsgate, the Hollywood studio behind smash hit TV show ‘Nashville’, which will bring even more exciting content to the platform. Co-founder and Creative Director of CountryLine, Nathalie Cox, commented: “I’ve been a country music fan all my life. While friends were into The Spice Girls, I was listening to Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. I’ve always wanted an app that delivers everything there is to know about Country in one place, so we’ve made one. “It’s an exciting time for country and Americana, it is breaking through into the mainstream outside the US and it needs a digital home for fans to listen, watch, explore and discover all things country.” A CountryLine subscription costs £2.99 per month or £29.99 for a year. To celebrate Country Music Week and the launch of the app, half price membership is available using code CMW18.

Rising Scottish artist Katee Kross marked the release of her new album ‘Body & Soul’ on 13 October, with a sold-out gig at Nice N’ Sleazy in Glasgow, Scotland. The 21-year-old, performing with The Amberjax, played her third record in full to an audience who loved every second of the night, as her reputation as an upcoming artist continues to grow. Tommy McGuire, Mick Hargan and Kerry Fearon provided support slots on the night, before McGuire took up his role as one of the Amberjax for the headline set, which saw Kross dedicate a few tracks to some of those in attendance who have been incredibly supportive of her efforts from the start. Speaking in the aftermath of the gig, Kross said that she was delighted that the set was received as it was, and that it was a fantastic experience to perform the album in its entirety. “It was a outstanding night that all went very smoothly to plan,” Kross said. “I loved being able to finally play the full album live.” Reviewing ‘Body & Soul’, Maverick gave the album 4* and claimed that the record is “staggering”, whilst also adding that “the sky is indeed the limit” for 21-year-old Kross. You can read the full review of the album in the latest issue.   Picture credit: Scott Jackson