A new Maren Morris track in the shape of Kingdom of One has been released for compilation album ‘For the Throne: Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones’. Morris, who is performing at Royal Albert Hall on May 31, is joined by a number of high profile artists across several different genres on the 14-track compilation album, including Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, SZA, The National and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy. Fans of the ‘Girl’ artist were treated to Kingdom of One on April 12, but those hoping to own the song in physical form can now do so as the compilation album is officially released as of today (April 26). HBO show Game of Thrones is currently in its eighth and final series and is shown on Sky Atlantic in the UK. The track listing for ‘For The Throne’ is: Kingdom of One – Maren Morris Power is Power – SZA, The Weeknd & Travis Scott Nightshade – The Lumineers Hollow Crown – Ellie Goulding Baptize Me – X Ambassadors ft Jacob Banks Too Many Gods – A$AP Rocky & Joey Badass Turn on Me – The National From the Grave – James Arthur Me Traicionaste – Rosalia ft A.Chal When I Lie (Remix) – Lil Peep ft Ty Dolla Sign Love Can Kill – Lennon Stella Wolf at Your Door – Chloe x Halle Devil in Your Eye – Mumford & Sons Pray (High Valyrian) – Matt Bellamy

Country music star Sarah Darling will be returning to the UK in August for the Cambridge Folk Festival, who has been announced for the festival along with 11 others. Darling has a very healthy relationship with the UK and has frequently stated that she sees it as her second home, generating a huge fanbase over here in the process. This was emphasised at the recent C2C 2019 festival, where Darling performed several gigs that were at full capacity before embarking on a UK tour with Liv Austen as support – including a sell out at Bush Hall. In addition to Sarah Darling, Kerri Watt – another star of C2C and who supported Keith Urban at his O2 Kentish Town Forum show – has been announced, while the likes of Lucy Ward, Katie Doherty & the Navigators and Jack Broadbent will be performing. Also, Daoiri Farrell will be bringing his All-Star Celtic Session band, which includes the likes of Michael McGoldrick, Donal Lunny, Niamh Dunne, Seán Óg Graham, Donald Shaw and Robbie Walsh. The new announcements join Lucinda Williams, Nick Mulvey and Fisherman’s Friends on the bill and tickets are available here. The full line-up for Cambridge Folk Festival is: Lucinda Williams José González Nick Mulvey Richard Thompson Ralph McTell Tunng Fisherman’s Friends Lisa O’Neill Lil’ Jimmy Reed & the A Team Talisk Nancy Kerr, James Fagan & Friends Sam Sweeney Rura Jarrod Dickenson Karine Polwart Calexico and Iron & Wine Amadou & Mariam and Blind Boys of Alabama Graham Nash The Unthanks Gruff Rhys Robert Finley Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening The Rails McGoldrick, McCusker and Doyle Siobhan Miller Holy Moly & the Crackers The Tweed Project Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra Sarah Darling Daoiri Farrell’s All-Star Celtic Session feat. Michael McGoldrick, Donal Lunny, Niamh Dunne, Sean Og Graham, Donald Shaw and Robbie Walsh Roo Panes Jack Broadbent The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican Ryan Young and Jenn Butterworth Katie Doherty & the Navigators Kerri Watt Amy Montgomery Lucy Ward SING4SANE The Sisters of Elva Hill

American country star Cam will be performing at The Long Road Festival in September, with Jessie Buckley, Jillian Jacqueline, Suzy Bogguss and Rich Hall also being announced as part of the second wave of the line-up. The Burning House singer wowed the UK with her Main Stage slot at C2C 2019 and it has transpired that fans will not have to wait very long to see Cam in action again. In addition to Cam, Jessie Buckley – star of the film ‘Wild Rose’ – will be performing songs from the feature, while Grammy winning Suzy Bogguss will be bringing her country flair to Leicestershire. The acts join the likes of Kip Moore, Josh Turner, Asleep at the Wheel and LANCO. Speaking about the additions, Baylen Leonard – The Long Road Festival’s Creative Director – believes that the new additions to the bill will further enable attendees to fully experience what the genres on display have to offer. “With this latest addition of exciting artists to an already stellar lineup, you can experience the true width and breadth of Country, Americana, and roots all in one place,” Leonard said. “There truly is something for everyone. I can’t wait to welcome them and you to celebrate the music and the lifestyle at The Long Road.” The event takes place between 6-8 September and tickets are available here. The Long Road Festival line-up so far is: Rhinestone County Kip Moore Josh Turner Cam LANCO Suzy Bogguss Morgan Evans Eric Paslay Jillian Jacqueline Lainey Wilson Lauren Jenkins Crossroad County Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi Asleep at the Wheel Rich Hall’s Hoedown John Paul White Sam Outlaw The Steel Woods Thompson Square Suzanne Santo Jessie Buckley Sunny Ozell CoCo and The Butterfields Liv Austen CC Smugglers Jaime Wyatt The Cactus Blossoms Katy Hurt Matt the Electrician Leslie Stevens The Hanging Stars Robert Chaney Peter Bruntnell Carson McHone Native Harrow Rose Cousins William the Conqueror Beth Rowley The Grahams Front Country Lucy Blu Fair Country Charley Crockett Austin Jenckes Sam Lewis Ags Connolly Sean McConnell SUSTO Jake Morrell Ian Noe Beth Snapp Bill and the Belles Amy Speace Arkansas Dave Lockeland Drew Young Band

The Rising MOVING ON Renegade Maverick Records **** An exemplary follow up album After bursting on the scene in 2014 with their debut album ‘Coming Home’, fans of Northern Ireland band The Rising had to wait four years until they got a follow up, which is in the shape of ‘Moving On’. Lead singer Chantelle McAteer takes every given opportunity to show off her tremendous vocals, while the accompanying instrumental elements made up by Chris Logan (guitars, banjo, mandolin) and Brian Mellors (bass) merge expertly with her voice. The first half of the album is very strong, with the likes of Forgive and Not Forget, Even the Stars Fall For You and Reasonable (which has a superb bassline in) all standing out, while the second half is backed up by Take a Hint and Finally Found You, both of which are excellent. If there is any criticism to be levelled, it’s that the overall production of some of the tracks is a tad questionable – you get the feeling on the title track in particular that if the vocals were more polished, it could be a blockbuster of a hit – but this is outweighed by the overall quality of the songs themselves. Plus, if it really bothers you that much, go and see them live – these songs are sure to bring the house down as the trio continue their ascension in the music world. A thoroughly enjoyable listen from a band definitely on the up. Rob Ramsey www.therisingmusic.com

Fresh from the release of ‘Mr. Lonely’, we spoke to Jess Carson from Midland to find out everything possible about the track Mr. Lonely is out now, how have you found the reaction to it? It’s been really good. Country radio here in the US has jumped onto it – it was the most added song of the week that it came out, which is crazy for a song that has such a throwback, honky tonk feel. It’s exciting for us and it’s a song that despite the subject matter, which is quite tongue in cheek, is a feel good song. It’s a song to put on a Friday or Saturday night before you go out dancing and tear it up. Is the song indicative of the musical direction that you’re heading in for the new record? There are certain boxes that we check and will probably want to check on every album and this is like our honky tonk attempt. It’s got that Brooks & Dunn thing and that Garth Brooks kind of throwback – it’s an uptempo country song you can line dance to. We like to have as many different rhythms and as many different grooves on our albums, but this is definitely one that does that honky tonk thing. What inspired you to write the song? Musically, it’s a song that we want to play live – it’s fun to play live and it gets the crowd going. We’ve been on the road for three years, so we’ve figured out what kind of songs we want to play live in a set. Lyrically, I think it has very smart lyrics and it has a very flushed out character. It’s about this guy that there aren’t necessarily a lot of songs about, this kind of lothario type and we wanted to write a song about this guy. I think you get to know who he is pretty well in those three minutes. As a band you seem to love steel guitar, was there anything different about utilising it this time around? We feature steel on almost every song, but we’ve had the honour of working with Paul Franklin in the studio – who is probably the greatest living steel player. We also work with Dan Dugmore from time to time and he’s also in that same class, but Paul has just played with everybody. When you’re in the studio with Paul Franklin and you say, “hey, I think it would be cool if this song did something like…” and then you reference a George Strait song in the 80s, chances are it was him that played that steel part. He’s just the guy. How was it recording the song? We’ve got pretty much the same personnel as ‘On The Rocks’ in that we have Dann Huff, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne producing, we have the same guys in the studio and the same studio itself. We have fun in the studio and we try to keep it light, but we work hard and we’ve got a crew together now that just works. We’re blessed in that way. When can we expect the next instalment from the upcoming album? I don’t know! I don’t know if we’re going to roll out another song before we release the whole album or what. I actually don’t know. I do know that the album is coming out in the late summer and if you want to hear the new songs, we’re actually playing five or six off the new record in our set, so come see us play!

UK country pop star Liv Austen has revealed that she will be releasing a double A side featuring tracks Detour and Whole Heart, which is set to be released on May 17. The double A side marks the first release from the Norwegian born artist – who recently supported Sarah Darling on her UK tour – since her debut album ‘A Moment of Your Time’ was released in October 2018. It will be available for physical purchase as a limited edition 7″ vinyl – only available by Austen’s website or at her gigs – as well as being available on all streaming platforms. Speaking about the two songs – which were placed together to represent a key part of her life – Austen explained that the two tracks are very personal to her with a lot of meaning and that writing the songs gave her a new sense of empowerment. “Detour and Whole Heart are very special songs to me because they came completely from a place of raw honesty – my mask is totally off in both of them. It’s fascinating to me how vulnerability and strength go hand in hand as much as they do; when I opened up and wrote about something so personal and painful, I felt more empowered than ever.” Liv Austen will also be appearing at The Long Road Festival this year and will be performing on the Friday (September 6).

Jessie Buckley is the latest name to be included on the Black Deer Festival lineup, with the ‘Wild Rose’ star to perform a number of tracks that feature in the film. Buckley, who plays Rose-Lynn in the film – a single mum of two who has aspirations to make it as a country music singer in Nashville, but is constantly torn between chasing her dreams and doing what’s right for her family – wrote or co-wrote several of the songs that were used in ‘Wild Rose’ and will now be playing those to the general public at Black Deer. The singer/actress will also be performing songs from the film on June 27 at St Luke’s in Glasgow, Scotland – which is where Rose-Lynn originates from in ‘Wild Rose’. Black Deer takes place between June 21-23 and tickets are available here.

East Yorkshire’s Pocklington Arts Centre is set to be a vibrant and entertaining venue in July, with The Shires and Platform Festival to take over it for two nights. On July 12, The Shires – with support from Beth McCarthy – will be headlining the intimate venue, which has a seating capacity of 200, though The Shires’ gig will be part standing. It’s been five years since the duo last played at the venue and tickets will cost £30 and are available here. The music doesn’t stop there though and the following day on July 13, Platform Festival will be returning to Pocklington Arts Centre, with a number of exciting acts pencilled in to perform. Hothouse Flowers are headlining the event, while The South, Seth Lakeman, Lucy Spraggan and The Grand Slambovians will also be on the bill, in addition to a number of other artists. Tickets for this event are £47.50 for adults, £35 for U18s and there is a family ticket (2+2 or 1+3) that is £150. Similar to The Shires’ gig, Platform Festival is also part standing. Tickets are available here.

Black Deer Festival – specialising in Americana and country music – is returning for its second year between June 21-23 in Royal Tunbridge Wells, but what does the festival fully entail? Here’s a full introduction from the festival themselves about it all and what to expect should you attend.  What is Black Deer Festival? Black Deer Festival is a three-day celebration of music, food and family – cultivating a community of spirit and independence where the lines between artists, supporters and promoters disappear.  Heading into its second year,  Black Deer Festival is back and will be taking place across three days at Eridge Park in Royal Tunbridge Wells between June 21-23. The festival is a living and breathing demonstration of what Americana and country music can be and offers a soundtrack to an independent way of life across seven dedicated stages, each with the highest production values. You’ll also find live music scattered throughout Black Deer’s spectacular and unspoilt landscape, helping to set the perfect scene. Its founders are no strangers to UK music festivals – having produced and directed much-loved events with musical legends like Bob Dylan, The Eagles and Neil Young (remember Hop Farm?) – and have a lifelong love affair with country music and the authentic Americana aesthetic. You only have to read the story behind Haley’s Bar to understand the importance of this place in their hearts. This compelling blend of originality, experience and passion has shaped Black Deer into an exciting and emerging force on the UK festival scene and one in which families can take advantage of top-class production values, quality and comfortable accommodation and great food. Music The music is from the top table, too. There are big names you’ll recognise – such as country icon Kris Kristofferson & The Strangers (Merle Haggard’s band); Aussie roots rockers John Butler Trio; The Mavericks celebrating their 30thanniversary; blues heroes Fantastic Negrito, The Marcus King Band and Larkin Poe; Texas troubadour Ryan Bingham; bluegrass boppers The Dead South; country punk Justin Townes Earle; alongside a who’s who of Americana musicians making waves on the country and roots circuit: Band Of Horses, The Staves, Neko Case, The Wandering Hearts and Yola. Legendary English song-writing hero Billy Bragg will also be at Black Deer, whilst a real coup has been pulled off in securing ‘Wild Rose’ star, Jessie Buckley, who’ll be performing songs from the hit country film’s big-selling soundtrack. Family Black Deer welcomes children of all ages and offers families the chance to create memories that will last forever – kids can safely climb to the top of ancient oak trees, work together to help to build a wild west town or listen to stories around the campfire. Comfort is king at Black Deer and organisers have gone to great lengths to provide world class production facilities and top of the range accommodation offerings for locals and visitors alike: if you’re looking for luxury, try Fancy Camping; if you’re looking for value for money, try Pre-pitched Camping (the option to arrive with your weekend home ready and waiting in the general camping area). The not-for-profit ‘Woodland Tribe’ bring their unique approach to outdoor adventure play to the Young Folk children’s area of the festival and this is the place where your children will make memories with their very own stage, dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians. Arts and craft workshops, guitar lessons, face painting, dressing-up tents… you name it, your kids will find it. Food The festival also offers the very best in outdoor and smokehouse cooking – with expert demonstrations and competitive BBQ competitions taking place across the three-day event. Skilled masterclasses from celebrated chefs such as legendary US pit master Ray ‘Dr BBQ’ Lampe; Channel 4’s ‘River Cottage’ expert Gill Meller; BBC regular and ‘Guild of Food Writers’ Chair Genevieve Taylor; ‘UK BBQ Magazine’ Editor, Marcus Bawdon; ‘Caravan Restaurants’ Executive Chef, Matt Burgess; maker of probably the best charcoal in the world, Matt Williams; award-winning food and drink journalist and author, Melissa Cole; ‘Temper’ owner and chef, Neil Rankin; ‘Hunter Gather Cook’ founder and forager, Nick Weston; and UK BBQ pioneers, restaurateurs and authors Jon Finch and Ben Merrington will all treat you to more than just a glimpse of the good life. Lifestyle If you’re looking to shop, Black Deer’s Mercantile area offers thoughtfully-crafted artisan wares for you to browse – but expect to part with your hard-earned cash for things such as authentic leather ware, denim, homewares, tools, original printed art, quality textiles and much more. Mercantile is where Black Deer pays homage to the cultural heritage of America, but also where contemporary artisans bring new perspectives and offer modern interpretations of classic designs.  What they say about Black Deer… “I am confident that we will be paying host to Black Deer for many years to come.” – The Marquess of Abergavenny, owner of Eridge Park. ‘Best New Festival on the Block’ – Association of Independent Festival Awards 2018 “Homely, friendly, well-organised and fun. The setting was so beautiful it took my breath away when I arrived.” – UK Festival Guide “Black Deer was bold and creative.” – Americana UK “An amazing weekend!” – Times of Tunbridge Wells And from Black Deer’s audience (4.9 out of 5 Stars, Based on the opinion of 99 people who took the time to review our festival): “Really well thought out, lots for the children to do, great stages, too many choices of great acts!” “What a great first year festival black deer was! Tonnes of top acts, some surprises to discover and those you already enjoyed. Add in the food selection and the whole experience was brilliant.” Black Deer offers music, food and fun for all the family – the three pillars of any award-winning, modern-day festival. Set in a location that is one of the best in England, Black Deer is a unique celebration of all the things that are at the heart of Americana and country music. You can get tickets here.

Glastonbury Festival have announced a further wave of artists for their 2019 event, with The Shires, James Morrison and Jade Bird being pencilled in to play the Avalon Stage. The contemporary music festival, which takes place between June 26-30, will be headlined by Stormzy, The Killers and The Cure, but Glastonbury is unique in the sense that fans of any genre can attend and find 15-20 acts they would like to see. Elsewhere on the Avalon Stage will be Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Yola, Lucy Spraggan, Beans on Toast and classic acts such as Reef and Bananarama. The Shires’ inclusion will be a notable one for country music fans attending the festival and the group – who are also supporting Carrie Underwood in the summer – are no strangers to it, having headlined the Acoustic Stage in 2016 Tickets for Glastonbury have completely sold out, but there will be a resale on April 28 for those who missed out in October. The Avalon Stage lineup is (in alphabetical order): Bananarama Beans on Toast Cut Capers Elephant Sessions Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs Ibibio Sound Machine Jade Bird James Morrison Lucy Spraggan Morcheeba My Baby Nahko and Medicine for the People Reef Skinny Lister Steeleye Span Tankus the Henge The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican The Blue Aeroplanes The Burning Hell The Cat Empire The Dead South The Magic Numbers The Shires Yola