Album/Single Reviews

For their fourth album The Secret Sisters, Laura and Lydia Rogers, chose a title that matches the depth of their lyrics. Saturn Return refers to the planet’s astrological cycle of 29 1/2 years. Laura relates this cycle to the time taken when a woman “comes into her own and has […]

This should have been a very big weekend for The Shires, with a main stage appearance at C2C lined-up, as well as an album showcase. No doubt Ben and Crissie will be absolutely gutted, and we sincerely hope they will eventually get their chance to do us all proud on […]

Brandy Clark’s long-time co-writer Shane McAnally said it best on Instagram: “The best story teller I’ve known, and her subtle elegance and poetic timelessness is perfectly captured on her 3rd record. It is truly a masterpiece. Every moment, every note, every word feels like it’s always been there…like someone you […]

Collaboration is a recurring theme for bluegrass supremos Steep Canyon Rangers. Their most prominent partner is comedian and skilled banjo player Steve Martin whose invitation to tour ten years ago led to recording two albums together. As it happens the Rangers are in the UK with Martin and fellow comedian […]

The brand new album from C2C main stage act and Big Machine trio, The Cadillac Three, is here. Next month could be a very important one for the continuing evolution of a UK fan base for Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason and Kelby Ray, and with ‘Country Fuzz’, they have a […]

Country music is a genre ripe, rich and fecund with female voices, hell, a large part of its creation and genesis can be attributed to Sara and Maybelle Carter back in the 1920s. Right down through the decades, female performers have stamped their presence across Country music in bold, bright […]

In a week that included new album releases from Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch, one that seems to have escaped a little under-the-radar is a new 8-track compilation from Phil Vassar. ‘Stripped Back’ is Phil’s first studio album since 2016’s ‘American South’, and features songs that he has written […]

It feels somewhat ironic, when I type the name Steve Moakler into a word document, that I get the familiar red line suggesting a spell check on his surname. His profile is relatively low, despite releasing music that should be hugely embraced. Even as recently as last summer, he was […]

We first met Laura Oakes on the 11th October 2015. She was supporting Raintown on their ‘Writing On The Wall’ tour at a venue in Wolverhampton. We hadn’t started this blog at that stage but were planning to do so and knew next to nothing about UK country music. Laura […]

‘Nightfall’ is a very important release for Little Big Town. This really has to make a statement. The stream of consistent radio hits has dried up a little, along with their awards show dominance. One thing’s for certain – the quality of their output has never diminished, and this will […]