Samantha Stanley

With the release of her debut album “12 Stories” back in 2013, Brandy Clark instantly proved that she wasn’t a wallflower when it comes to her music. While in the midst of bro-country, Brandy released gutsy songs like “Stripes”, “Pray to Jesus” and “Hungover”, her style was a welcome and refreshing change from what was the in thing at the time. Since then, Brandy’s music has continued to resonate with fans here and across the pond for being about real-life success, struggles and everything in between.

After the release of “12 Stories”, Brandy signed with major label Warner Bros Records and released the highly anticipated album “Big Day in a Small Town.” Produced by Jay Joyce, it was a bigger and bolder version of the Brandy Clark fans have come to know and love.

During her recent European tour, we got to talk with Brandy while she was in Sweden about the difference between working on music whilst on an independent label vs a major label, what inspires her, what song she finds difficult to perform live because of the personal meaning to her and more.

CC: Hi Brandy, it’s great to speak with you today. Firstly, happy belated birthday! How did you celebrate?

BC: Thank you! Well it felt like I celebrated forever because I had just gotten to Amsterdam, so it was my birthday was seven hours earlier than in the States. I walked around Amsterdam and had a beautiful day and a lot of well wishes, so it was a really good time.

CC: You’re currently in Sweden as part of your European tour, have you had chance to explore?

BC: I did today, I walked around a little. I’ve had the least amount of time to explore here, I got to explore in Germany and Amsterdam a little bit more but this is such a beautiful place. From what I can see of Stockholm, it’s so beautiful.

CC: The last time we spoke, it wasn’t too long after your appearance at C2C. Quite a lot has happened since then and you’re about to tour the UK for the second time. Due to demand, an additional show was added in London, which is awesome. It must be pretty cool to be able to do that outside of the US?

BC: It is! You know, it’s crazy to me and I felt this way in Germany the other night – well in every place we’ve been – it blows my mind when anyone knows my music that I can’t touch or a place that I’ve not been, that always blows my mind. It doesn’t shock me if I play a show in Nashville and a lot of people come or in my home state of Washington, but other places? That just floors me, that people go out and they find music. That’s a great thing for an artist like me and it really does just blow my mind.

CC: A UK fan favourite is Charlie Worsham and you guys went out on a tour together earlier this year. How was that?

BC: That was great. You know, Charlie is one of my favourites. He’s just a great artist, he’s a great artist, a great musician, singer and songwriter. Being on tour with him was amazing because I felt like every night the level of musicianship was just so high on his end of things, so you want your end of things to be just as good.

CC: Your second album “A Big Day in a Small Town” was released last year and was the first release on a major label. How did the experience differ compared to working on “12 Stories”?

BC: Well the level of pressure was a little higher. Having “12 Stories” be a success, there was a pressure to make “A Big Day in a Small Town” be a success as well. The time we recorded was much quicker because with this record there was a budget and with the first one there really wasn’t, so I could spend a month and do nothing but that – that was pretty great.

Some of the ways we worked on releasing it were different than “12 Stories”, we had some different opportunities but both ways were really fun and there’s nothing like the first time. With “12 Stories”, experiencing all those things for the first time, that’s pretty great.

CC: What I loved about “A Big Day in a Small Town” was it had all of the elements that fans fell in love with in the first place but everything was bigger and bolder. I particularly liked the transition between tracks, I thought that was really funky.

BC: Oh thank you. Yeah, I worked with Jay Joyce on this record and he’s really great. It was his idea to do those transitions and we came up with them together, you know what they were going to be, the musicians that were in the studio were involved in that as well but that was his call. I’m really glad that I was open to it and that it worked out the way it did.

CC: Country music is known to be about real life, but I think artists such as yourself and Lori McKenna really take it up a notch with your song writing. It is more real day to day life rather than a glossy version. Has there ever been times you’ve written something where you thought “that’s a bit close to the bone”?

BC: Yeah, I’ve written things where some of my songs are more me than others. There’s songs on “A Big Day in a Small Town” like “Since You’ve Gone to Heaven”, that was inspired by the death of my father which was many years ago now but I had that idea after he passed away. He was killed in an accident in July of 2001 and then a couple of months later 9/11 happened. I remember watching the ticker tape on CNN and all the terrible things that were happening and thinking man, since my Dad has died the world has gone to hell.

I had that idea but it was several years before I sat down and wrote it because it really was just too close to home. That one for me hits real hard, real close to home and every once in a while, I’ll play it in a show but most times I don’t because it’s real hard for me to get through it.

CC: I did wonder if there are any songs that were maybe a bit too personal that are difficult to perform live.

BC: That one I definitely do feel that way about.

CC: You recently released a live album recorded at one of your shows “Live in Los Angeles”. How did that come about and how do you choose a particular show to record?

BC: That came about completely organically, some places you play have the ability to record the show and usually if they do, I try and make that happen. I like to go back and listen and kind of hear not just the songs but what I’m saying in between the songs so I can see what works, what could work better so that was the reason why we recorded it – but it went so well that night that we decided, well it wasn’t me, it was the label (Warner Brothers) that said let’s to turn this into a live album. It was a longer show than what’s on the record, so we had to cut some songs but I feel really lucky that I got to do it…easiest record I’ve ever made. So that was real cool.

CC: I think it’s quite a good way for fans who maybe can’t attend a show, they’re still experiencing some aspect of it this way.

BC: That’s how I felt too.

CC: During your set on Miranda Lambert’s tour, you opened with a new song “Favourite Lie”. Does that mean new material is in the near future?

BC: Yes it does. In fact, part of why I’ve started to play new songs in my set is just to see and try a few things out that I’m thinking about for my next record, so I can see how the crowd responds to them. It’s my goal to make a new record this year, I don’t know when it’ll come out but that’s where my head is right now other than touring – figuring out what my next record is going to be.

CC: What would fans be surprised to know about you?

BC: Wow, that’s a great question. A lot of people think I’m this badass, I don’t know if that’s the right word to use but I see that a lot because of my songs. I think people would be surprised that I’m not a substance abuser is what I was trying to get at there, I’m not somebody who is getting high all the time or drinking all the time – not that I don’t ever do those things but I’m more straight laced than my songs.

CC: I’ve seen on social media that you like to binge watch TV shows. So, what kind of shows do you watch in your downtime? There’s never enough Netflix suggestions!

BC: I love “Narcos”, that’s one of my favourites and I love “The Crown”. I pretty much just watch Netlfix, I don’t really have any episodic television that I’m watching right now. I love “Breaking Bad”, which is a series that’s a little bit older, but I watch a lot of that and this is crazy but a lot of the time it helps me fall asleep at night. I like TV shows that are about the seedier elements of life, “Narcos” and “Breaking Bad” are about drugs and people dealing drugs, which is probably some of where I draw inspiration from.

You can buy Brandy Clark’s albums on iTunes and keep up to date with her via her social media channels and the official Brandy Clark website;

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube

Australian native Morgan Evans has already experienced success down under, where he released three EP’s, a self-titled debut album and won multiple CMC Awards. Residing in Nashville, Evans is working to get his music heard worldwide and having recently signed a US deal with Warner Nashville he is well on his way to achieving that.

Before the last show of his UK tour this Summer, we were lucky enough to catch up with Morgan Evans in London and got to know a little more about him, what we can expect from his music and how he creates his brilliant mash up videos.

CC: Firstly, congratulations on signing your record deal in the US with Warner Music Nashville, that’s exciting and you’re in great company on that roster. What can we expect from your album and are there any ideas of a release time yet?

M.E: Very exciting! It means I get to put out music all over the world now, so yeah I’m excited. The first single is coming out on the 21^st July so here it comes. I’m on my first trip to the UK basically to introduce myself rather than put out music and for people to have no idea who you are so we came over to say hello. We’ll be releasing more music this year and then a full album next year.

CC: You mentioned that you can now release music worldwide but for those who don’t know your music yet, if there was one song that you’ve already got and you could say listen to that, that’s me. What would it be?

M.E: I don’t think I have it. I think that’s the point, I mean I put out three EP’s and an album in Australia and spent a lot of time touring down there but two and a half years ago I moved to Nashville and rediscovered myself as a songwriter and I think I learnt to write songs. I think before I was just putting words and music together and now I feel like I’m learning to write and to know what a great song is. The first single that is coming out, “Kiss Somebody” will be the first song I can go hey, go check that out. In the meantime, I’ve been doing these mashups online, have you seen them?

CC: Yes!

M.E: So when I moved to America I left my band at home and that was a big deal for me because it was my brother and two of my best friends and we toured together for eight years almost. When I moved to Nashville I had a couple of weekends of shows, and put together bands with great Nashville musicians and it just didn’t feel right. So I just went ok I can’t play with them, I need my old band and until I can get my old band I’ll get this loop pedal. I got one of those and started playing around with that a lot at home, writing a lot on it and that’s where a lot of the inspiration for the record came from.

CC: How do you come up with the mashups? I love music but I could never listen to different songs and think they’d work together, and some of the ones you’ve done I would never have thought they’d work but they do. I can’t get my brain around how it works!

M.E: Thank you. Well I guess the story that I just told was the reason I got this pedal and the reason I started doing the mashups was because I was going out and playing and much like what I’m doing here, I’m going to play to people and people coming to the shows might be aware of who I am but they don’t necessarily know the music because there’s nothing out here yet. I thought I need to play some songs they know but I want to do it more creatively than just get out and play a cover.

I started putting them together and one of my friends said that’s pretty cool, you should record that and put it on YouTube or Facebook, so we did. We put one up and people really responded to it and were messaging me saying they liked it and were sharing it with their friends so we recorded another one and another we recorded the other day which should be coming out next week or the week after. It’s just a cool way of saying I’m back, this is what I’m doing, I’ve got my own stuff coming but in the meantime, check it out.

CC: I like that you do that though. I saw your tweet about the Bobby Cast and Bobby Bones seems to have said many times that there are some artists that just won’t do covers and are very much like no I am only doing my music. I think it’s good that you’re introducing yourself that way, and you could even gain fans from those artists’ fan bases.

M.E: Thank you, well actually on the last one we put up, well on both the first two that we put up a bunch of the artists that I included in the mashups were sharing them. When someone like Keith Urban puts it on their page, that’s amazing! Little Big Town shared it and Brett Eldredge and all those guys so it was pretty cool.

CC: What can you tell us about your journey so far?

M.E: It’s been long. I don’t know, it’s funny because I feel like I’m at the start now. I’m ready to start and it’s taken a long time to get to a point where I feel like this is who I am, this is what I want to do and how I want it to sound and this is what I want to say. I think people come to that at different times in their life, it took years playing in Australia, years of back and forth between playing in Australia and Nashville to finally biting the bullet and getting the paperwork done which is no mean feat. When you get to Nashville as a musician, there is a very high standard.

CC: Everyone wants what you’re going for.

M.E: Yeah, which can either be very inspiring or intimidating and I think the combination of those two things either destroys you or make you want to be better every day. I’ve had more days where I want to be better than I’ve had wanting to destroy myself so through that process I think it’s been the biggest learning curve. Landing there and just being forced to be better.

CC: Sink or swim?

M.E: Yeah! Pretty much, and sink wasn’t the worst thing ever. I mean sink was go back to Australia and be reunited with my family and friends and all of that, which is an awesome life but to be able to do what you love with people in the world that are doing it at the highest level? That’s a pretty cool thing.

CC: You have already had success in Australia and it’s probably fair to say you’re starting over in a sense here in the UK and in the states where you’re performing to new fans and getting your music heard. What’s that like when you’ve already been on the scene in Australia for a few years?

M.E: Oh yeah, absolutely! I see how it could be difficult for some people that have success in a country, then go to another and have to start all over again but for me while any success I was having in Australia was happening, I was always going to Nashville to write and to be creative. It was actually good for me to escape and go somewhere else to be totally immersed in creativity, so I guess I always understood that feeling. I never got the whole ah yes! I’ve made it feeling that people talk about or might say.

I always had an understanding that I’d leave Australia and have to start all over again so I guess because I was always aware of it, it’s not a shock to me. There’s something really awesome about it as well, in Australia we played CMC Rocks Festival in front of fifteen thousand people then we went over to New Zealand and played with the Dixie Chicks which was twenty-six thousand people. Huge shows but then we played in Glasgow the other night, there might’ve been one hundred and fifty people there in this little club underneath a church called Oran Mor. It’s a cool old place and there’s something about this feeling, it’s like you’re meeting them and they’re discovering you and you’re meeting them at the same time. You can stay behind afterwards and meet everybody, I feel there the nights you’ll remember forever and look back on as the good ole days.

CC: It’d be good to hear your take on this, as it’s a bit of an interesting debate among UK fans. We have a UK Country scene here; some people love it and some people just aren’t on board and say it’s not real country because they’re not American. Obviously, you’re not American so what are your thoughts on that?

M.E: I don’t think you have to be American to sing country music at all. That’s like saying in the fifties and sixties you had to be from England to play Rock N Roll, it doesn’t make sense. I get that it’s certain kinds of country just like there’s certain kinds of rock n roll or certain kinds of pop music and maybe if someone from the UK was singing about driving their truck and drinking Jack Daniels that could be seen as not real. When I hear music from The Shires and Ward Thomas I get that it’s country but I love that is has that different edge to it. I think that’s cool and probably why people here are responding to that, I mean they’re doing really well aren’t they?

CC: Yes, Ward Thomas were the first country act to have a Number One album and are opening for Miranda Lambert on her UK tour then The Shires have been signed to an American label and have had their own success here in the UK.

M.E: That’s huge! To answer your question, no I don’t think you have to be from America to play country music but I think it’s important to still be yourself and be authentic because that’s the main part of country music. Both those bands are doing really well.

CC: You’ve toured with Taylor Swift, Alan Jackson, Dixie Chicks and more recently Kelsea Ballerini. Have you taken anything from these tours that have influenced the way you perform in your own shows?

M.E: I think the best thing those artists do is to be themselves, particularly Taylor, Kelsea and Dixie Chicks. I’d put them all in the category of just being themselves. Maybe on stage they’re a bigger version of themselves but watching people like that makes you go that’s why people love them so much. The people that love those artists love them more than they love their songs, they connect personally because their songs are real. I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned.

It’s not just about playing live either, it’s about all of it. It’s about the songs they write, how they sing the song, how they look and how they present themselves and their authenticity. That’s just so important! If I’ve learnt anything, it’s that.

CC: Another congratulation is in order, as you and Kelsea got engaged back in December. Obviously in the states she’s one of the biggest stars at the moment and the ‘it thing’ right now, is that an added pressure for you with releasing your own music there? 

M.E: She’s doing well, yeah! In terms of the music thing, as an Australian in Nashville you already have to prove yourself so much because you’re not from there. It’s like why should we take a chance on someone who’s not from here when we could have someone who is from here who is doing the same thing? I feel like being with Kelsea and meeting people through her, it’s a similar kind of thing.

It’s like well you’re just here because of her so you almost have to prove yourself again but because I was already doing that it’s kind of the same feeling. I’m like whatever…let me have a go, let me play for you and that’s all I can do. I could look at it as extra pressure but at the end of the day all I can do is be as good as I can possibly be and be who I am.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Morgan Evans (@morganevansmusic)

CC: Being happy will influence both yours and Kelsea’s music in a positive way.

M.E: Yeah! Everyone loves her too, she’s such an awesome chick. It’s not like she’s someone that’s controversial or that certain people don’t like, she’s a genuine good person and people almost like you better for being a part of her life.

CC: Does living in Nashville change the way you make music or any of the creative process at all compared to how you did things in Australia?

M.E: Yeah, definitely. I used to write all of my songs by myself because I didn’t know you wrote with other people. Then I went to Nashville and it was like oh hey they all write songs together, what a great idea. That’s mostly what I do now, often I’ll start a song by myself but I’ll usually take it in to a couple of friends and we’ll finish it together. So collaboration is probably the main thing for sure.

CC: As we mentioned earlier it’s the first time you’ve toured here, what has the experience been like for you?

M.E: It’s been amazing! We played this festival in Manchester called Buckle and Boots, it’s a real grass roots kind of festival. It’s around 1500 people there and was again like that pub in Scotland where I got to play to a bunch of people that probably had no idea who I was and by the of the set everyone was singing along with their hands in the air. It was like this shared experience of discovery, I was discovering them as the UK Country core fan group and I was like the new kid in town I guess.

So that was great, and as I said Scotland was great, Bristol was really cool and the last show in London, again I don’t know what to expect. London feels like a worldly city, Manchester was very England, Glasgow was very Scotland, Bristol was very Bristol/England but in London I feel like I could be in Sydney or New York so who knows what the crowd will be like.

CC: Who do you consider to be your musical heroes and if you could sit and co-write with one person, past or present who would it be?

M.E: Paul McCartney, though I probably wouldn’t want to write with him. I’d probably sit down and be like let’s get drunk and you tell me stories. Keith Urban is someone I look up to, he’s doing it now and has been for a long time and is at the highest level. Keith seems a good person, I’ve got to know him a little bit and every part of his career and life is just good and classy. I’m a big Ed Sheeran fan too, I think he’s doing great. I love the way he is, he’s just himself all of the time and John Mayer too. Musically he has always made really, really great music that everyone loves which I think is the hardest thing to do.

You can buy Morgan Evans’ current single “Kiss Somebody” on iTunes and keep up to date with him via his social media channels and the official Morgan Evans website;

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube

If you had asked me a few years ago who I would love to see play a show in the UK, I would have said Miranda Lambert. I also would have told you it would never happen. At the time Miranda Lambert was and still is one of, if not the biggest female artist in Country music today and at the top of her game in the United States. When it was announced in late 2015 that she would be a headliner for Country2Country in 2016, I for one was over the moon. Fast forward to late 2016 and a UK tour announcement was like all our Christmas’s came at once. Tickets purchased for Glasgow and London the countdown commenced.

I’m sure by now most people have heard about Glasgow and encore-gate. For years I have been told the Glasgow crowd are one of the best and I was excited to finally experience that for myself. However, a number of factors left me feeling a little disappointed. The show itself seemed to be going well, but unfortunately the venue chosen was the wrong one. Security were beyond strict with people standing and dancing, which killed any kind of atmosphere that was being built between Miranda, her band and the crowd – something Miranda picked up on as she noted on a couple of occasions that she thought the crowd would’ve been rowdier.

I will give it to the Glaswegian crowd, they tried, they did but from the stage I’m not sure it could be seen that people in different sections were being told to sit by security while those upfront were able to sing and dance to their hearts content. Making her way through the well-rounded set list of old and new, it came to introducing the band to the audience. Everything was fine until Miranda got to the last band member, a lovely guy from Essex, England which prompted boos from some of the crowd that turned into cheers once Miranda asked the audience to show her band member some love. Gotta love that old England and Scotland history! *Insert eye roll here*

There have been a lot of comments made over the last week, those saying the boos were banter or panto but honestly regardless of this booing at a show is rude and it is not the time or place. My stance on that is if you want a panto, wait for Christmas and get yourself a ticket. Miranda and the band continued, finishing on a great performance of “White Liar” and then just like that Miranda said her goodbyes, the lights went up and the show was over. People stood and waited for an encore but as soon as the stage was left, crew were there disassembling equipment.

From fans who met Miranda after the show, including myself it was clear she was visibly upset and wasn’t aware of the England and Scotland ‘banter’ and didn’t know why people were booing. Whether this was the cause of the show finishing slightly earlier, we won’t know but sadly the misunderstanding and venue troubles took the shine away from what should’ve been a great night for both Miranda & co and the crowd.

A couple of days later it was time for London and honestly I was apprehensive. I thought Miranda would either not be up for it after Glasgow and the comments made by fans over the past few days on social media or it would be one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Thankfully, it was the latter. The whole vibe was different, whether the London crowd had heard about the drama and wanted to make up for it in a sense or whether that would’ve happened anyway who knows, but from the moment the pre-show music started the crowd were on their feet cheering, much to the elation of Miranda who appeared to be content and at ease on stage.

From the get go Miranda seemed to relish in the atmosphere at Hammersmith, saying quite early on mid song “now that’s what I’m talking about”. Starting the set with “Fastest Girl in Town” it was high energy, all guns blazing with everyone up on their feet, with people cheering and singing along happily.

I’ll be the first to admit that there were some tracks on Miranda’s latest album “The Weight of These Wings” that didn’t resonate with me that much, but after seeing them being performed live I have a new love and appreciation for them. If you’ve heard “We Should Be Friends” and “Pink Sunglasses” sang on the streets of London the last couple of days, chances are it was this girl here. These are tracks that are so more suited to a live show and inject fun between the more emotional songs like “Over You” and “Ugly Lights”.

A highlight was “Ugly Lights”, a song Miranda says was written after her divorce where she admittedly maybe drank a little bit too much while she was sad, but then she got happy again. This then went into a crowd favourite “Mama’s Broken Heart” which I’m not ashamed to admit at this point I almost lost my voice screeching along.

Once again it was time for the band introductions, which went a lot more smoothly than it had done days previous. With the crowd roaring loudly for the Essex Steel Guitar player – Spencer Cullum -Miranda told the crowd she’d been waiting six months to hear that. At this point, Miranda shared the spotlight with her backing singer Gwen Sebastian who currently has a single out called “Cadillac” which was co-written with Miranda. Before leaving the stage temporarily, Miranda told the crowd that Gwen was going to perform her new song and I for one love that even in her own show she gives  others a chance to shine.

If you haven’t heard of Gwen Sebastian, I highly recommend you go and check out her solo material. I’ve been to a lot of shows and I have never paid as much attention to the backing vocalist as I have Gwen, her stage presence is brilliant, she’s so fun to watch and puts on her own little show stood behind Miranda. Whether it’s dancing while she waits for her cues to do her part, or her general interaction with the rest of the band, you can’t not watch. The crowd listened intently as she performed “Cadillac”, her vocals soaring through an almost silent venue until they erupted with applause which appeared to really touch Gwen before Ms Lambert returned to the stage.

At this point, we got a lovely surprise in the form of Miranda’s boyfriend Anderson East who Miranda said had performed in Europe more than she has, so he was showing her the ropes. Performing “Getaway Driver” together, their voices harmonised perfectly and it was clear to see how happy and in love they are with each other, something that was not lost on the crowd. I’ve never seen Anderson perform before but enjoyed what I saw and will definitely check out his own material.

Miranda is known for big powerful songs, full of attitude and while they are crowd pleasers it’s the tracks “Over You”, “The House That Built Me”, “Tin Man” etc that really show off her vulnerable side that maybe isn’t shown as much with her badass persona. She commands a respect from the audience during these moments, that they are more than happy to give.

One of my favourite parts of the show was “Little Red Wagon”. Again not a favourite of mine from the “Platinum” album but it’s so fun and sassy when performed live, even more so with the change of lyrics to the cheeky “you only love me for my big sunglasses, and my Tony Lomas I got the hell out of Oklahoma”…take that as you will.

With another rambunctious performance of “White Liar” Miranda performed “Gunpowder and Lead” which while not her most successful song to date, it is absolutely a crowd favourite. Full of attitude andangst, it was an almost perfect end to an amazing show. However, the encore made it that much more special.

“Tin Man” is one of the best songs of Miranda Lambert’s career, it is raw, vulnerable and soul bearing and I’m so happy we got to see it being performed live in London. You could’ve heard a pin drop as the packed Hammersmith Apollo listened intently to one of the best in the business up on stage accompanied by just a guitar. I’ll be very surprised if it isn’t nominated, let alone wins Song of the Year at the CMA Awards!

 

Finishing with a cover of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” with the help of her band members and road family, I left Hammersmith with sore feet, an almost lost voice and sore hands from cheering so much. Everything I want from a gig and more.

Set List:

• Fastest Girl in Town
• Kerosene
• Heart Like Mine
• Highway Vagabond
• We Should Be Friends
• Vice
• Baggage Claim
• Over You
• All Kinds of Kinds
• The House That Built Me
• Pink Sunglasses
• Ugly Lights
• Mama’s Broken Heart
• Cadillac [Gwen Sebastian]
• Getaway Driver [with Anderson East]
• Ain’t Living Long Like This [Rodney Crowell Cover]
• Automatic
• Little Red Wagon
• White Liar
• Gunpowder and Lead

Encore:

• Tinman
• Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For [U2 Cover]

A special thank you to Kevin Cottreau for allowing us to use photo’s and video taken by him in our review.

Having binged on Bobby Bones’ podcast “The Bobby Cast” over the past couple of months, a subject that is often repeated is how in the Country music format a song is only a number one song for a week and the turnaround is very quick on who gets the next one. However, Sam Hunt has defied that with his single “Body Like a Back Road” going into its third week at the top this week.

Since its release to Country radio back in February, “Body Like a Back Road” raced to the top of the charts in twelve weeks and is currently climbing pop radio’s Top 15 as well as being on a twenty-week streak at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Chart, making it the longest command for a song by a solo make on the nearly 59-year-old chart.

Written by Hunt, Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, “Body Like a Backroad” has quickly become the Number One most downloaded country song of 2017 so far, as well as the third most downloaded song across all genres this year which is hardly surprising with 100 Million streams in ten weeks and 212 Million total streams to date.

Fans were first introduced to the Georgia native with his smash debut release“Montevallo”, now an RIAA-certified Triple Platinum album.

This summer fans can see Sam Hunt on his 15 in a 30 Tour, with venues selling out across the States with special guests Maren Morris and Ryan Follese.

 

For more information on Sam Hunt, “Body Like a Backroad” the 15 in a 30 Tour and more, visit www.SamHunt.com.Make sure you also check out his socials, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Sara Evans has been a staunch supporter of women in Country music, particularly during the now infamous “Tomato Gate” conversation. So with the release of the track listing of her upcoming album “Words” which will be available worldwide July 21^st 2017, it should come as no surprise that the 14 track album is made up of songs written by 14 of some of the industries finest female songwriters, including Sara Evans herself, Ashley Monroe, Caitlyn Smith, Hillary Lindsey, Hillary Scott, Liz Hengber, Sonya Isaacs & more.

Teaming up once again with co-producer Mark Bright, which whom worked with Sara on her 2005 album “Real Fine Place” and 2014’s “Slow Me Down”, “Words” is the first album to be released on Sara’s own record label Born To Fly Records and is somewhat of a family affair, with Sara’s daughter Olivia Evans singing on the lead single “Marquee Sign” and Sara’s siblings Matt Evans, Lesley Evans Lyons and Ashley Evans Simpson providing harmonies on “Night Light”.

Fans can already pre-order “Words” from iTunes and in doing so will receive “Marquee Sign” and “Words” instantly. They can also pre-order the album from Sara’s official website and receive songs “Long Way Down” (June 30^th), “I Don’t Trust Myself” (7^th July) and “Diving In Deep” (14^th July).

Limited edition fan packages are also available for pre-order, where you can choose from several bundles ranging from a signed CD or vinyl alone, with a Sara Evans t-shirt, journal, mug or acoustic guitar. Bundles can be shipped to the UK but please note additional shipping costs across the pond. You can find these packages here.

Track Listing:

1. Long Way Down (Tammy Rodgers / Liz Hengber / Jerry Salley)
2. Marquee Sign (Sara Evans / Jimmy Robbins / Heather Morgan)
3. Diving in Deep (Gordie Sampson / Hillary Lindsey / Steve McEwan)
4. All the Love You Left Me (Ben West / Hillary Lindsey / Gordie Sampson)
5. Like the Way You Love Me (Sara Evans / April Geesbreght / Jason Massey)
6. Rain and Fire (Claude Kelley / Charles Harmon)
7. Night Light (Daniel Tashian / Jaida Dreyer)
8. I Need a River (Marcus Hummon / Darrell Scott / Sonya Isaacs)
9. I Don’t Trust Myself (Caitlyn Smith / Gordie Sampson / Steve McEwan)
10. Make Room at the Bottom (Ashley Monroe / Brett James)
11. Words (David Hodges / Jake Scott / Jimmy Robbins)
12. I Want You (Shane Stevens / Victoria Monet)
13. Letting You Go (Sara Evans / Emily Shackelton / Victoria Banks)
14. A Little Bit Stronger – Acoustic (Hillary Scott / Hillary Lindsey / Luke Laird

For more information on Sara Evans, visit SaraEvans.com and ARealFinePlace.com. You can also engage with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

There have only ever been three songs in the history of my twenty something years on earth that have made me cry the first time I heard it, and those are “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” by Martina McBride, “Same Day, Different Bottle” by Lauren Alaina and “Either Way” by Chris Stapleton. There are now four, with the release of “For the Record” by the outrageously talented Lucie Silvas.

While many are discovering Lucie Silvas just recently, UK fans will know that she had a very successful career here before moving stateside and settling in Nashville where she is now making the music she was quite clearly born to make.

The first album of what I like to call the start of Lucie’s musical rebirth “Letters to Ghosts” was released back in 2015 and since then I’ve been looking forward to hearing more, and today is the day! Lucie released two new tracks, “My Old Habits” and “Just For The Record” June 2^nd which I recommend you go and buy.

“Just for The Record” will break your heart, it is as simple as that and I will go as far to say that Lucie Silvas is the female Chris Stapleton. Her voice and lyrics in this song are haunting, full of a vulnerability that will resonate with listeners. Although it’s sung from the perspective of someone who has done their lover wrong, the chorus and second verse can be interpreted from any point of view, whether you’re the one who has done wrong or been the innocent party.

From the opening verse, to the first chorus of “And I won’t hate you if you wanna forget me, and say it was all a cloud of smoke, say it was nothing but a joke. Everything that you say about me is true, but just for the record I really loved you.” It doesn’t matter how much I’ve heard this song, and trust me it’s been on repeat for weeks, my eyes leak every damn time. Regardless of what happens in a relationship I think everybody wants to feel like it mattered and the line “just for the record I really loved you” is hard hitting because in any situation, whether a person is right or wrong with their actions, it doesn’t mean they didn’t love the other.

This track makes me excited to hear what Lucie Silvas has been working on, as I previously mentioned this sound feels like a musical rebirth for the Brit and I absolutely love it.

You can buy “Just For the Record” and “My Old Habits” on iTunes, and make sure you follow Lucie Silvas on her social media pages to keep up to date. You can also see her headline this years Nashville Meets London on Sunday 23rd July 2017 at Canada Square Park in Canary Wharf, London – more information can be found here.

What is Country music? It’s a question often asked by fans, by critics, industry people and even by artists. Throughout the history of the genre there have been artists who have been criticised for being either too country or not country enough, but that’s what happens when a genre is made up of sub genres and lots of musical styles but at the core it is about story telling. Which brings me to the next two words. Chris Stapleton.

Back in December 2014, Justin Timberlake tweeted “REAL music fans already know. So, mainstream: @ChrisStapleton

Remember that name…”

Fast forward to May 2015 Stapleton released his debut solo project “Traveller”, after that Stapleton went on to win Album of the Year at both the CMA and ACM awards, Best Country Album at the Grammy’s as well as numerous other awards including Male Vocalist of the Year. The rest, you could say is history.

“From A Room: Volume 1”, the highly anticipated follow up to “Traveller” was released in May, as the first of a two-part project that was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A. Once again produced by Dave Cobb and Stapleton, this nine-track album is just enough to wet the taste buds but will certainly leave you wanting Volume 2 sharpish.

As soon as “Broken Halos” begins that gravelly tone Stapleton has become known for shines, with harmonies from his equally talented wife Morgane. It’s a good introduction to the album and was recorded the day a childhood friend of Stapleton’s passed away from pancreatic cancer, making it that much more emotional to listen to.

I defy anyone to listen to “Second One to Know” and not get the urge to tap your foot, it’s one of the rare up tempo tracks and feels like it was made to be performed for live audiences, particularly with the brilliant guitar solo that concludes the song.

“Up to No Good Livin” tell the story of a guy who hasn’t had the greatest track record previously, but has changed his ways and is frustrated that despite his best efforts his other half doesn’t trust him because of past actions and behaviours. Accompanied by Morgane on vocals, it’s classic Stapleton and I’d just like to put out in the universe that we need a Morgane Stapleton album pronto!

Back in 2008, the incomparable Lee Ann Womack released her “Call Me Crazy” album and featured a track called “Either Way”, which was written by and had harmonies by non-other than Chris Stapleton. It was my favourite track from that album so when I heard Stapleton was releasing his own version, I’ll admit I was very excited and not at all disappointed when I heard it. It paints the picture of a couple who have given up completely on their relationship and rather than making the break, they go through the motions of being together and faking this picture-perfect existence because it’s what the couple are used to. Stapleton’s version of “Either Way” will rip your heart out, and I would like to think come next award season it will be nominated.

“Death Row” starts with a funky instrumental introduction that I can’t help but think of a scene in “The Pink Panther” until the vocals kick in. The song itself is very bluesy and mellow, and while not one of my favourites overall, I feel it is strategically placed as the last track of the album to leave listeners wanting more.

Chris Stapleton makes the kind of music that will make you feel something, whether it’s happiness or sadness you will feel and that to me is the epitome of Country music. For me it reminds me of the music my Grandad would have played in his car on a Sunday throughout my childhood but what is great about Stapleton’s sound is while it could’ve been popular in any decade, it still feels modern and relevant.

If you were at C2C in 2016 you will have experienced the musical genius that is Chris Stapleton, I have never and probably never will hear a reaction like that of a packed O2 arena cheer for an artist and boo when they realised his set was over and they wanted more. So, dear C2C I beg of you please have Stapleton back as a headliner. We need more!

Track Listing:

1. Broken Halos
2. Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning
3. Second One To Know
4. Up To No Good Livin’
5. Either Way
6. I Was Wrong
7. Without Your Love
8. Them Stems
9. Death Row

If you haven’t already, make sure you buy “From A Room: Volume 1” here.

 

Kelsea Ballerini has been making waves on the country scene since her debut single “Love Me Like You Mean It” was released back in 2014, followed by her album “The First Time” the following year. I think it’s safe to say that during that time, Kelsea has defied all the odds against her and has skyrocketed to become one of the faces of the genre right now. As the first female artist to have three singles from her debut album go to number one since Wynonna Judd, with a fourth currently in her sights it was only a matter of time before the Knoxville, Tennessee native made her presence known on our shores with a UK show and what a presence it was.

If you were lucky enough to get a ticket to the sold-out show at Under the Bridge in London, I’m sure you will agree it was a very special evening.

Singer-songwriter Catherine McGrath was the opening act and I’ll be completely honest I hadn’t heard her music so was going in completely ignorant but by the end of her set I wanted more. She was a very pleasant surprise to me, it may have been the first time seeing her live but hopefully that won’t be the last! What I loved about Catherine was her interaction with the audience between songs, it can be quite difficult to be an opening act knowing that you’re not necessarily the reason people are there but she grabbed the audience’s attention and rather than trying to force anything or for interaction feeling awkward, she was personable and hilarious without trying to be which made her even more endearing.

The UK scene is booming with talent right now and I really think Catherine McGrath could become one of the front runners, she’s an excellent storyteller and has a sweet toned voice to match. If you don’t have her EP One, make sure you check it out.

Having toured with some of the biggest stars and having a successful solo tour in the states, it was refreshing to see that despite that a smaller London venue still managed to move Kelsea Ballerini. This was evident throughout the show, she looked ecstatic to be there and frequently told the audience that she was freaking out and couldn’t believe they knew the words to unreleased music – something a UK audience has become known for.

Kicking off the show with her current and last single from her debut album, “Yeah Boy” was a
fun way to start with the crowd singing along word for word from the get go.

A highlight of the show was hearing new material from Kelsea’s upcoming album in the form of “Roses” and “High School”. “Roses” is a different musical direction for Kelsea, it wouldn’t sound out of place on a Taylor Swift record and gives a good indication of what we could potentially expect from album number two, which excites me. I’m sure it’ll bring up the ever present debate of is this country music, but lyrically it tells a story and is cleverly written and that is what should be at the forefront.

Hearing the crowd echo “Peter Pan” was one of the best moments of the night, it’s a fan favourite and with good reason and if it wasn’t an already standing venue would have garnered a standing ovation I’m sure.

“Xo”, Kelsea’s official UK single was an awesome moment where for a short space of time it felt like a soft rock show. I mean, when Kelsea Ballerini tells the crowd to jump it would be rude not to and they happily complied, making the standing venue look like a mosh pit temporarily while Kelsea played drums in a slightly dramatic, theatrical way.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Completely Country (@completelycountry)

 

After leaving the stage, the crowd shouted for more and they were in luck. Kelsea came back out, only this time into the crowd with a mic and guitar to perform the title track of her debut album, “The First Time”. It’s one of my personal favourites from the album and to see it be performed in such a small, intimate setting was brilliant.

Of course there was no other way to end the night than with the song that made fans fall in love with her in the first place and that was “Love Me Like You Mean It”. I’m not sure who loved who more, but there was definitely a love fest going on between Kelsea and the London crowd. The atmosphere throughout the entire show was incredible.

It’s always special to see an artist play their first UK gig, whether they’re a smaller artist or someone who is a big name. Those shows are always the ones that go down on your list of favourite gig memories and seeing an artist look humbled by a crowd in another country knowing their music is what I love most about music and this gig reminded me of that.

If you didn’t get to see Kelsea on this trip, fear not because luckily for us she will be back in the UK this October where she’ll be opening for Lady Antebellum on their “You Look Good World Tour”. So if you haven’t already got tickets for that, make sure you do by purchasing tickets here.

You can also download “The First Time” from iTunes, and we cannot wait to hear album number two!

Thank you to Jamie-Lee Bassingthwaighthe for allowing us to use his gig photos.

Set List:

• Yeah Boy
• Looking at Stars
• Square Pegs
• Dibs
• Stilettos
• Roses
• High School
• Sirens
• We Were Like/Girl Crush/Blue Ain’t Your Color/I Hate Love Songs
• Peter Pan
• Xo
• First Time
• Love Me Like You Mean It

It barely feels like five minutes since it was June of 2016 but it’s that time of year again where fans and artists are gearing up for what is said to be the ultimate week for country music fans, CMA Fest and with that comes the CMT Awards. This year hosted by Nashville star Charles Esten and with a venue change due to the success of the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup, it will definitely be a fun filled event.

Today, the nominees were announced by Brett Eldredge and they are as follows;

Video of the Year

• “Forever Country” – Artists of Then, Now & Forever
• “Today” – Brad Paisley
• “Wanna Be That Song” – Brett Eldredge
• “Church Bells” – Carrie Underwood
• “Middle of a Memory” – Cole Swindell
• “Different for Girls” – Dierks Bentley & Elle King
• “H.O.L.Y” – Florida Georgia Line
• “Dirt on My Boots” – Jon Pardi
• “Blue Ain’t Your Color” – Keith Urban
• “Peter Pan” – Kelsea Ballerini
• “Better Man” – Little Big Town
• “Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day” – Luke Bryan
• “Vice” – Miranda Lambert
• “Star of the Show” – Thomas Rhett

Male Video of The Year

• “Came Here to Forget” – Blake Shelton
• “Record Year” – Eric Church
• “Lights Come On” – Jason Aldean
• “Blue Ain’t Your Colour” – Keith Urban
• “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” – Luke Bryan
• “Star of the Show” – Thomas Rhrett

Female Video of the Year

• “Church Bells” – Carrie Underwood
• “Peter Pan” – Kelsea Ballerini
• “Road Less Traveled” – Lauren Alaina
• “80’s Mercedes” – Maren Morris
• “Vice” – Miranda Lambert
• “Back to God” – Reba McEntire

Duo of the Year

• “Lovin’ Lately” – Big & Rich Feat. Tim McGraw
• “21 Summer” – Brothers Osborne
• “How Not To” – Dan & Shay
• “H.O.L.Y” – Florida Georgia Line
• “I Know Somebody” – LoCash

Group Video of the Year

• “Saltwater Gospel” – Eli Young Band
• “You Look Good” – Lady Antebellum
• “Better Man” – Little Big Town
• “Drinkin’ Problem” – Midland
• “Song for Another Time” – Old Dominion

 Breakthrough Artist Video of the Year

• “In Case You Didn’t Know” – Brett Young
• “Dirt on My Boots” – Jon Pardi
• “Used to Love You Sober” – Kane Brown
• “Road Less Traveled” – Lauren Alaina
• “Hurricane” – Luke Combs
• “Love Triangle” – Raelynn

Collaborative Video of the Year

• “Forever Country” – Artists of Then, Now & Forever
• “Sober Saturday Night” – Chris Young Feat. Vince Gill
• “Different for Girls” – Dierks Bentley Feat. Elle King
• “May We All” – Florida Georgia Line Feat. Tim McGraw
• “The Fighter” – Keith Urban Feat. Carrie Underwood
• “Setting the World on Fire” – Kenny Chesney With Pink

CMT Performance of the Year

• “Hicktown” – Jason Aldean (From CMT Concert of the Summer)
• “Want to Want Me” – Jason Derulo and Luke Bryan (From CMT Crossroads)
• “Pink Houses” – John Mellencamp and Darius Rucker (From CMT Crossroads)
• “80’s Mercedes” – Alicia Keys and Maren Morris (From CMT Crossroads)
• “You’re Still the One/Any Man of Mine/Man I Feel Like a Woman” – Meghan Trainor, Jill Scott and Kelsea Ballerini (From CMT Artists of the Year)
• “Close” – Nick Jonas and Thomas Rhett (From CMT Crossroads)

CMT Social Superstar

• Brett Eldredge
• Jake Owen
• Keith Urban
• Kelsea Ballerini
• Lauren Alaina
• Thomas Rhett

To vote for your 2017 CMT Social Superstar use the hashtag #CMTawards with the artist’s tag, #VoteBrett #VoteJake, #VoteKeith, #VoteKelsea, #VoteLauren, #VoteThomas. You can vote 10 times per valid Twitter or Instagram account up until June 6^th, then up to 50 votes on June 7^th. To vote for any other category, go to CMT.com

Make sure you watch this years CMT Awards live from Nashville, June 7^th and check out our Twitter account @CCountryUK where we will be live tweeting.

 

Not only do fans have the excitement of seeing Shania Twain make a historic appearance as a fifth judge and key advisor to the remaining twelve contestants on NBC’s The Voice, they can also be excited about news that the wait for new music is almost over!

Shania’s brand new single “Life’s About to Get Good” is scheduled to hit Country airwaves this June and after a fifteen year break between albums, the love awaited new full length release if due to be released in September.

When talking about “Life’s About to Get Good” Shania says “I was at home looking out at the ocean and I said to myself, ‘Here I am stuck in this past of negativity, but it’s so beautiful out. I’m not in the mood to write a ‘feeling-sorry-for-myself’ song.” The songwriter recognized that with all of the negative in life also comes the positive. “You can’t have the good without the bad. And that’s what the song ended up being about.”

While June still feels a way off, Shania plans to debut her new single for lucky festival goers during her headlining set at Stagecoach Festival in California this Saturday.

It comes as no surprise that fans and critics are excited to hear new Shania music, after all there aren’t many artists who have achieved the level of success that she has throughout her career. Shania is a five-time GRAMMY Award-winner and the reigning Queen of Country Pop. With more than 75 million albums sold worldwide and U.S. sales topping 34.5 million, Shania remains the top-selling female country artist of all time. Shania’s albums include her Platinum-selling 1993 debut, Shania Twain; the GRAMMY Award-winning, Double Diamond-selling 1995 release, The Woman in Me; Come On Over, the best-selling studio album in Soundscan history by a female artist in any genre and the best-selling country album of all time with over 40 million units sold worldwide; and UP!, Shania’s third consecutive Diamond-selling album release.

Recognizing her indelible impact and achievements in music, Shania is the first and only female to receive CMT’s Artist of a Lifetime Award. Shania also recently received the Icon Award at Billboard’s Women in Music ceremony. Shania’s hits include “Any Man of Mine,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “You’re Still the One” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”