Page 110 – Maverick Country

New Single from The County Affair Ahead of Festival Dates

‘Beach’ is the new single from Americana duo The County Affair, released on 17th June 2022 on X & Y Records The single follows The County Affair’s 2021 debut album Off The Grid, recorded at Abbey Road Studios with veteran producer Tom Nichol, which has since racked up over 100,000 downloads and over 250,000 video views to-date. The County Affair story was 30-years in the making for childhood best friends Kevin Brennan and Tony Regan. The pair met in Nottingham in the 1970s, travelling together on the same school bus each day. They talked endlessly about music and the ‘country rock’ and ‘outlaw country’ sounds that were emerging from the US at the time. “Our school friends were listening to The Clash or The Police,” says Kevin. “But Tony and I were much more interested in checking out Joe Ely, Waylon Kennings and Gram Parsons.” As teenagers, the pair gigged together extensively thanks to Kevin’s Dad having an Irish Showband, for which there was huge demand in the ‘70s and ‘80s. In their early twenties, Kevin and Tony decided to go travelling across America. Spending extended periods performing gigs in Texas, they soon became a household name within the wider Irish community, receiving glowing reviews from local press and radio. Eventually landing in the thriving music scene of San Francisco, Tony and Kevin became sought after by venues across the city, sometimes playing up to four sets a night, four nights a week. It wasn’t long before they were approached to sign to management and turn professional, but with post-graduate jobs waiting for both of them in the UK they both decided it was time to go home. 30 years later, married with families and successful careers under their belt, the duo decided in 2020 that the time was right to address what felt like unfinished business. Kevin had been penning his own songs over the past decade and sent the demos to Tony, who tweaked the vocal and lyrical arrangements, adding chords here and there. Before they knew it, The County Affair was born. Having made a few tracks available on Spotify, veteran songwriter-producer Tom Nichols heard Kevin on the radio talking about The County Affair. Tom liked what he heard and looked the band up. Kevin says, “Tom got in touch and very kindly offered to take us under his wings. We then went to Abbey Road studios to make what would become Off The Grid.” Their new single nearly didn’t make it onto the album, though. “We’d actually finished the album,” Kevin explains. “I just sent Tom a demo of Beach, which is about love and a car crash – the perfect country combination – and he loved it so much that he insisted we work it up and put it on the album.” Having recently completed a 20-date UK tour with Ward Thomas and performed at County 2 Country earlier this year at the O2 London, The County Affair will perform alongside the likes of Van Morrison and The Waterboys at Black Deer Festival later this weekend, and at September’s British Country Music Festival. In addition, The County Affair will release a live album recorded at London’s Union Chapel on 15th July.

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Jimmy Webb delivers a masterclass in Manchester!

Leave a Comment / Live Events, News / Rochelle Mills

Before the show began, a fellow audience member remarked that he didn’t think a Jimmy Webb show would attract many young people like myself, and though my presence probably did lower the average age of the crowd, Webb put on a performance that every music fan would enjoy and any musician could learn from. The night began with Ashley Campbell and Thor Jensen. I know Ashley’s music well and have always enjoyed her performances but Thor was a new artist to me and the pair have just begun performing as a duo. Tentatively, they performed a selection of covers and each others past solo work, their voices gelled well together and they built up a relaxed rapport with the audience. I must add the audience was the politest crowd I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of. Having loved Ashley’s music and her dad’s before her, I am keen to see what she can do as part of this duo. Speaking with the pair after, it seems they have big plans for records and subsequent tours (which include the UK) and with their individual talents uniting as one, I think they will go a long way! Sat at his grand piano, Webb had a relaxed demeanor as he opened his set with ‘The Highwayman’. Upon it’s conclusion, he turned to face the audience slightly. What ensued was two hours of Jimmy Webb telling us the stories behind some of his biggest hits, he went off on more than a few tangents as his tales were punctuated by the songs. He played ‘Galveston’ the way he had written it and compared it to the way Glen Campbell had interpreted it, laughing and joking as he retold the story. There were political moments too and the crowd appreciated his honesty and values. He spoke of his childhood too and how he learnt to arrange before performing an arrangement of Billy Joel’s ‘Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)’. He also gave an insight into the music industry as he told of his dismay that Kanye West had used ‘Do What You Gotta Do’ in his song ‘Famous’ without asking for Webb’s permission. Concluding with ‘Wichita Lineman’ followed by ‘MacArthur Park’, Jimmy Webb put on a truly magical evening which featured hit after hit and some of the funniest stories of how his life and career panned out. For any music fan, particularly those keen to make music, no matter what age or what genre, that show was a real masterclass!

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Priscilla Block and Shy Carter to Perform at Nashville Meets London

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

Nashville Meets London (NML) has announced the first round of performers set to appear during this year’s Nashville Meets London Music Festival. The dynamic lineup includes Priscilla Block, Shy Carter, Manny Blu, and Kyle Daniel, with more to be announced. DJ Hish will also perform in between sets, while Absolute Radio Country host, Matt Spracklen, will compère the event. The NML Music Festival will be held on August 24 and 25, 2022, in a new location, Trinity Buoy Wharf, East London. The new site is a stunning and cool new riverside venue opposite the O2 with an indoor stage and an outdoor seated area with food stalls and cashless bars. The festival will feature performances by 12 artists, with six sets scheduled for each day. Performances will be held between 4-11 p.m. on both days. This year’s event will have a limited capacity; therefore, anyone that wants to attend is encouraged to buy tickets early. Early Bird tickets for the event are £30 per person (plus the booking fee) for each day. Tickets will be available for purchase starting June 7, 2022, through the Pizza Express Box Office. Ticketing packages that provide additional perks, including access to a private/VIP space with a private bar, access to special events, and early event entry will also be available. More information on tickets and event packages providing enhanced experiences will be released in the coming days. In its seventh year, the NML Music Festival has become a summer staple for Country and Americana music fans. Festival performances will be held indoors at Trinity Buoy Wharf’s event space and will feature artists representing the U.S. and the U.K.

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Tim Prottey-Jones releases new single ‘Love On Our Side’

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

Award winning artist, musician & country radio personality Tim Prottey-Jones releases his brand new single written with Grammy nominee Jeff Cohen & Nashville artist Ryan Kinder, entitled ‘Love On Our Side’. The song is a modern take on Romeo & Juliet & the classic love stories of our time that prove love is possible even in the face of adversity. This track comes off the back of recent shows at London’s C2C Festival as well as his own headline shows in Manchester, Birmingham & Cardiff. Tim has most recently released a reworking of the 90’s one-hit-wonder “Cotton Eye Joe” with fellow UK country artist, Kezia Gill who is currently making waves supporting The Shires on their UK tour.

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Midland impress in Manchester

Leave a Comment / Live Events, News / Rochelle Mills

The gig started with a briefing from the head steward: “It is going to get very hot tonight”. He was not wrong. Not only was the crowd nice and sweaty, the stage was on fire with musicianship, dance moves and personalities of Midland. Opening the night was Jonathan Terrell with a mix of original songs and crowd-pleasing covers, he successfully warmed the crowd up before reappearing with Midland as a stand-in member (which he did a brilliant job of). One of the most stand out things for me was how spatially aware of each other were as they grooved around the stage. To me this is a testament of how well the band gels together and their spot-on harmonies confirm this. They ooze suave, connecting with the crowd and met with audible swooning. As for the music, they played a mixture of the hits and new tunes from their latest album, ‘The Last Resort: Greetings From’ all met with a tangible buzz from the audience. An audience who were also very polite! No surges, no shoving, just a sense of shared giddiness, especially when Midland closed the show on Champagne Supernova, in Manchester no less, to celebrate their favourite band. They clearly had much respect for the city they were playing. All in all if you attend a Midland gig you will come away with a happy heart and a satisfied soul. Written by Tammy Barker Images by Tamography www.tamography.co.uk

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Matt Stell Celebrates 2nd Consecutive #1 Hit “Everywhere But On”

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

SESAC and ASCAP joined forces at The Local on Tuesday, May 24th to celebrate RECORDS Nashville artist Matt Stell’s (ASCAP) second consecutive #1 single, “Everywhere But On” with co-writers Paul Sikes (ASCAP) and Lance Miller (SESAC).The song, produced by Stell and Ash Bowers, hit the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart on November 7, 2020. It follows his certified Platinum debut single, “Prayed For You,” which topped the charts in October 2019. Stell has amassed over half a billion streams across his catalog, and his latest single “Man Made” is impacting country radio now.Shannan Hatch (SESAC), Mike Sistad (ASCAP), Michael Martin (Endurance Music Group), and Will Overton (Warner Chappell Music) all honored the group with brief remarks.

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Hank Williams Jr. Premieres Video for “Jesus, Won’t You Come By Here” from RICH WHITE HONKY BLUES with CMT

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With his highly anticipated album Rich White Honky Blues set for June 17 via Easy Eye Sound, Hank Williams Jr. debuts the closing track of the 12-song collection produced by Dan Auerbach with Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “Jesus, Won’t You Come By Here.” The official music video premieres today, May 26, with CMT and CMT.com. With Kenny Brown’s electric guitar, Auerbach on dobro and Bobbie Wood’s churchy piano and organ, the Country Music Hall of Famer sings with a robust conviction that suggests the larger than life amongst us transcend mortal limitations. Directed by Tim Hardiman, the official music video features footage from the recording sessions of Rich White Honky Blues at Nashville’s Easy Eye Sound studio, interspersed with scenes of peaceful small-town living. “My brother Dan, the band and I did our thing in the studio for a few days, and this video gives fans a look behind-the-scenes…in a room together, just playing the blues,” Williams shared with CMT.com. “The other clips were shot in a small town in Mississippi – just perfect for an old southern hymnal. It’s a reminder to slow down and enjoy ourselves.” “This song perfectly encapsulates what it was like to make this record,” adds producer Auerbach. “You can hear us hanging out before we slowly fumble our way into the song. It’s a very raw and real moment in the studio caught on tape.” “Jesus, Won’t You Come by Here” follows the release of “Georgia Women,” as Tennessean shared that with the “cover of blues legend, R.L. Burnside’s 25-year-old classic, Bocephus achieves tapping into the spirit of his father’s iconic teacher Rufus ‘Tee Tot’ Payne, and a century of other blues legends.” Released alongside the announcement of Rich White Honky Blues, album opener “.44 Special Blues” (Williams’ take on Robert Johnson’s “32-20 Blues”) was dubbed by Rolling Stone as “a lonesome, acoustic blues number,” while Consequence shared “the spry solo track digs into the County Music Hall of Famer’s bluesy roots, with its vintage-style refrain, ‘Baby where’d you stay last night,’ pairing perfectly to his well-worn wail.” More than the swaggering singles, roughneck fantasy videos or relentless sense of blue-collar boogie, at his core, the 72-year-old legend is a bluesman. With Rich White Honky Blues, Williams makes good on his legacy with a turpentine and rough wood take on the hill country blues that informed his father’s raw-boned style of putting his pain out there. GRAMMY-winning Producer of the Year Auerbach recorded the set live, with a dozen songs reprising classics from Robert Johnson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Burnside, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner and a few from Bocephus himself.

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Millport Festival – stage by stage: Nashfield main stage

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Millport country music festival returns this year and with a truly fabulous line-up! 37 artists will appear on five stages at this year’s festival, of which 11 will be from the US, 11 Scottish and the remainder from the rest of the UK and Ireland, representing a huge range of the country, Americana and roots genres. The focal point of the Saturday will be the Nashfield main stage which is headlined by the one and only Drake White and the Big Fire. Drake White and the Big Fire White makes his long awaited return to the UK after suffering a stroke in 2019 which put his life on the line not just his music career. But against all odds, White learnt how to walk again and fight back to return to the stage and studio. His latest album ‘The Optimystic’ is his most personal to date and acted as therapy for the Alabama native as he went through his recovery. Despite all of his trials and tribulations, White is full of life and energy, particularly when he is up on stage and is bound to capture the hearts of the crowd in Cumbrae. His most notable song is probably ‘Makin Me Look Good Again’ but our recommended song is taken off his latest album. Sunny Sweeney Texas native Sunny Sweeney is apparently excited to get over here and visit some castle’s! Well, the British scene can’t wait to welcome her with open arms as she brings her clever lyrics and powerhouse voice to the Millport stage. Sweeney has experienced the highs of a major label deal but now embraces her independence as it allows her the freedom to create the music she truly believes in. Her songwriting is full of wit and truth and is bound to capture the hearts of the Cumbrae crowd. With five albums under her belt and another on the way later this year, Sweeney has built a loyal fanbase and will have quite the back catalogue to draw from this summer. Blue Rose Code Ross Wilson has quite a busy summer ahead of him, entertaining the masses with his blend of folk, jazz and soul. His songs build a connection with the listener through the raw emotion and authenticity he channels into the lyrics and the delivery. Hailing from Edinburgh, Wilson spent his creative formative years in East London, then moved to South England “to be by the sea’s energy” but it is in his homecoming that he has found where his heart is. Having toured the length and breadth of the UK selling out venues wherever they go and leaving a trail of fans in their wake, live performance is where Blue Rose Code really connects strongly with their audiences. Morganway Morganway are one of the UK’s most in demand country acts. They are a six-piece from the East of England, founded by twin brothers Callum (vocals, guitar, bass) and Kieran Morgan (lead guitar, backing vocals). Throughout their early years the boys played in various bands but struggled to find a box to fit into. Choosing to follow their instincts rather than convention, they became Morganway and suddenly people started listening. Joined by SJ Mortimer (vocals), Nicole Terry (fiddle), Matt Brocklehurst (keys) and Ed Bullinger (drums), the band has developed a sound built on a love for multi-layered vocal harmonies, driven guitar riffs and distinctive fiddle flourishes, bound by raw, honest songwriting. Kenny Foster Missouri-born, Nashville-based Kenny Foster grew up singing in church. After graduating from Belmont university, Foster set up various bands and interned in the music industry for companies such as Sony and CMT. Learning both sides of the industry, both the creative and business, laid the foundations for Foster’s success later on in life. His latest single ‘Somewhere In Middle America’ is capturing the hearts and minds of country fans across the world and is another stellar addition to the Millport line up.

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Canadian singer-songwriter Suzie Ungerleider announces 2022 UK tour

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

Following the release of her acclaimed album ‘My Name is Suzie Ungerleider’, three-time Canadian Juno Award nominee Suzie Ungerleider has announced a string of 2022 UK shows in an extension to her North American tour. Beginning on 1st June at London’s The Water Rats, the tour marks Suzie’s first performances in the UK of her new music. Sharing her excitement towards a much-anticipated return to UK audiences, Suzie said: “To come play live in the UK again and to share new songs, as well as old favourites, makes me very happy. I’ve always felt a special connection with the folks in the United Kingdom with their appreciation of dark humour, stories, and love of language.” Met with critical acclaim and earning Suzie her third Juno Award nomination, ‘My Name is Suzie Ungerleider’ is the first album since the artist formerly known as Oh Susanna announced that she would now record and perform under her birth name. Bursting with trademark evocative melodies and trenchant lyrics, it’s the tenth solo studio album by the American-born, Canadian-raised artist revered for such landmark records as Johnstown, Sleepy Little Sailor and A Girl in Teen City. The decision to say “so long” to her long-time moniker Oh Susanna represents her recognition that the “exciting, dark, funny, charming” character that she thought was Oh Susanna was actually Suzie Ungerleider all along. “So here I am, leaving behind the trappings of a persona that gave me the courage to climb up onstage and reveal what is in my heart,” she reflects. “It once protected me, but I need to take it off so I can be all of who I am.” Audiences will be treated to album highlights such as characteristically searing ‘Baby Blues,’ a song about how the traumatic events we witness when we’re young can haunt and indeed shape our older selves; ‘Mount Royal’, a folky Americana tune with roots influences that follows another personal tale from the chronicles of Suzie’s life, and ‘Pumpkins’, about that darkness in the soul that is so beautifully reflected in the decay of Autumn. Tour DatesWed June 1 – London @ The Water Rats Thurs June 2 – Nottingham @ The Running HorseFri June 3 – Saltaire, West Yorkshire @ The Live Room, Caroline Social ClubSun June 5 – Alstonefield, Peak District @ Alstonfield Village Hall (w/ Chris Cleverley)Mon June 6 – Sheffield @ Cubley Hall Hotel (w/ Del Scott Miller)Tues June 7 – Leicester, UK @ The MusicianWed June 8 – Moniaive, Dumfries @ Craigdarroch Arms HotelThurs June 9 – Glasgow @ The AdmiralFri June 10 – Thornton Hough @ Thornton Hough Village Club (w/ Paul Handyside)Sat June 11 – Great Easton, Leicestershire @ House ConcertSun June 12 – High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire @ Kingsmead HouseMon June 13 – Brighton @ The Greys (w/ Sarah Jane Scouten)Tues June 14 – Oxted, Surrey @ The Ginistry

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TJ Walker announces his next album and premieres its first single ‘With and Without You’ on Maverick

Leave a Comment / News / Rochelle Mills

Multi-talented, singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer, TJ Walker announces his upcoming second album ‘Halfway to Somewhere’ and debuts its brand-new first single ‘With and Without You’. The song features TJ’s trademark cool, clever lyrics, his sweet guitar work; now aided and abetted by his band, plus an added brass section! For his sophomore album, TJ Walker has broadened his genre horizons, without sacrificing his originality or love of storytelling in song, and given more limelight to the guitar. Guitar features prominently on the new album, for a reason: “During my enforced break from gigging due to lockdown, I fell in love with playing the guitar for its own sake again. Because I wasn’t out gigging several times a week, I had the desire and motivation to practice at home and started to make weekly YouTube videos about the guitar, which gave me a reason to practice! As the album was recorded mainly during lockdown, there’s more guitar featuring than on the first album.” Production went ahead despite the problems posed by COVID. As TJ explains, “The album was recorded mainly during lockdown; some elements were recorded remotely, and other parts in the studio when restrictions were lifted enough for them to open.” “‘With and Without You’ is one of the more country-sounding songs on the album,” TJ reflects, “Genre-wise, you’ll find ‘Halfway to Somewhere’ broader and more varied than its predecessor: some of the tracks nod towards the blues, even classic rock at times, but all the time the lyrics are telling stories.” Inspiration for ‘With and Without You’ came to Tom from giving a new spin to that classic country songwriting character – The Drifter: “The story told in the song comes from putting a twist into the notion of someone coming to terms with the fact they can’t live with or without someone. I thought it was funny that someone might be in a relationship with a drifter who won’t settle down for any time, so they were forced to live with AND without them all at the same time! I particularly like the lyric ‘…you’re gone again, everyone must think you’re my imaginary friend!’ Not only is ‘With and Without You’ the debut single from TJ’s new album, it’ll also be featured in a new musical called ‘Thank God for Nashville’, which features a brand-new original soundtrack and score and is set to be an exciting, melodic country rock musical for a new generation: a theatrical experience, all set in the Tennessee capital — Nashville, known as ‘MUSIC CITY USA’. “‘With and Without You’ is part of the soundtrack for this exciting, melodic country rock musical,” Tom explains, “and will be showcased in the world premiere on 30th May at the Green Note in Camden, which is being hosted and narrated by BBC Radio 2 ‘s legendary country music producer and presenter Baylen Leonard.”

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