Buckle & Boots: More Acts Announced + Stage Times Confirmed!

Two more artists have been announced for Buckle & Boots 2016!

Taking place at Whitebottom Farm at Etherow Park (nr. Manchester/Stockport) between 24-26 June, Buckle & Boots Festival is set to combine some of the brightest talents in country music from the US as well as the thriving UK scene, providing a truly unique outdoor festival experience for country fans far and wide. With a variety of food, drink and camping facilities on site, Buckle & Boots is the first country festival of its kind in the UK, creating a friendly, communal atmosphere that fans are sure to embrace.

The line-up already includes acts such as Raintown, Ward Thomas and US chart-topper Phil Vassar and with just under two weeks until the weekend, two more acts have announced. They are:

Two Ways Home (UK) are Isabella Mariee & Lewis Fowler - an alt-country songwriting duo with roots in London & Vienna. It was a desire to hone their skills as songwriters and learn from the best that led Isabella & Lewis to a career defining four-week pilgrimage to Nashville in 2013. Never

before had the advice and kindness of strangers meant so much, they experienced the true spirit and support of Nashville. Two Ways Home lived the Nashville circuit and were welcomed with open arms. This inspirational journey convinced them to pursue their ambitions and they are now actively gigging around the UK. Fresh from a tour in May and the release of their latest EP Better Days featuring the singles 'Just For Now' & 'Still in Love', Two Ways Home play the Buckle & Boots main stage at 12:30pm on Sunday 26th June.


Shantell Ogden (USA) is a singer-songwriter from Nashville, TN. Shantell's songs have received airplay on more than 800 country and Americana radio stations internationally, reaching Top 2 chart positions both in the U.S. and Europe. Her songs have also appeared on the TV series Hart of Dixie and in several feature films. As a performing and touring Americana artist, Shantell has been praised by Maverick Magazine, For the Country Record and other notable media. She's won honors for Songwriter of the Year and Americana Song of the Year ('Ghosts in the Field') in the 2015 IMEA Awards, and Americana Album of the Year for Better at Goodbye in the 2014 IMEA Awards. Shantell said: "I'm thrilled to be playing the festival along with so many great artists at the Buckle and Boots Country Festival in Manchester! I appreciate the festival staff and the fans for making such a great event possible." She is scheduled to perform on the Acoustic Stage at 1:30pm on Saturday 25th June.

Timings have also been confirmed and the weekend is, as follows:

FRIDAY
Site open - 1:00pm
Music area & bar open - 4:00pm
Main stage performances start - 7:00pm
Raintown headline - 11:00pm
DJ set (main stage) 12.15am - 2:00am
Curfew/closing - 2:00am

SATURDAY:
Site open - 11:00am
Main stage performances start - 12:30pm
Acoustic stage performances start - 12:00pm
BCMA Stage performances (on the main stage) - 1:15pm - 3.15pm
Ward Thomas headline - 11:00pm
DJ set (main stage) - 12.15am - 2:00am
Curfew/closing - 2:00am

SUNDAY:
Site open - 11:00am
Main stage performances start - 12:30pm
Acoustic stage performances start - 12:00pm
BCMA Stage performances (on the main stage) - 1:15pm - 3.15pm
Phil Vassar headline - 10:00pm
DJ set (main stage) - 11.15am - 1:00am
Curfew/closing - 1:00am

For the full line-up and tickets, head to www.buckleandboots.co.uk.

Line-Up Confirmed for Buckle & Boots 2016!

Taking place at Whitebottom Farm at Etherow Park (nr. Manchester/Stockport) between 24-26 June, Buckle & Boots Festival is set to combine some of the brightest talents in country music from the US as well as the thriving UK scene, providing a truly unique outdoor festival experience for country fans far and wide. With a variety of food, drink and camping facilities on site, Buckle & Boots is the first country festival of its kind in the UK, creating a friendly, communal atmosphere that fans are sure to embrace.

Three stages will be set up at the festival for 50 acts to perform. The Heineken Stage will host the headline acts on Friday, Saturday & Sunday night, as well as some of the established artists making an impact on the UK country scene and some of Nashville’s finest talent. The Acoustic Stage will be an opportunity for fans to catch some of the most exciting emerging artists in the genre, including home-grown talents Paris Georgia, Paul Carella, Lisa Wright and many more. The BCMA will also have their own BCMA Horizon stage, where fans will be able to catch a glimpse of some of the best songwriters and musicians in the UK including the likes of Thorne Hill, The Southern Companion and Outlander.

Headlining on Friday 24th June will be Glaswegian duo Raintown, who have established themselves as front-runners in the UK country music industry with their pop-country style and powerful stage presence. Paul Bain and Claire McArthur-Bain have stunned crowds on multiple occasions at Country to Country (C2C) in London, performing at the Brooklyn Bowl for two years running, and their most recent album Writing On The Wall received remarkable reviews. Last year they embarked on a headlining UK tour, joined by Dexeter who also feature on the Buckle & Boots line-up.

Newly signed to Sony Music UK, country duo Ward Thomas were recently announced as headliners for Saturday 25th June after a short time out of the spotlight. Twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy have been focusing on material for their next album, following the incredible success of their debut record From Where We Stand which reached #1 on the UK Country Chart in 2014. A number of their songs have been playlisted on BBC Radio 2, and they appeared as special guests on Terry Wogan’s show as well as being featured on Bob Harris Country.



Closing the festival on Sunday night (26th June) will be US chart-topper Phil Vassar. Since his debut in the late 1990s, Phil Vassar has achieved two #1 hits and an impressive eight Top 10 singles in the US, and has also established himself as one of Nashville’s most talented and in-demand songwriters. His co-writing credits include hit singles ‘For A Little While’ and ‘My Next Thirty Years’ for Tim McGraw, ‘Right On The Money’ for Alan Jackson and ‘Little Red Rodeo’ for Collin Raye. Not to mention his Top New Male Vocalist win at the 2002 ACM Awards. Phil’s unique take on country and his incisive, soulful lyrics have truly stood the test of time, and audiences won’t want to miss this charismatic showman at Buckle & Boots, particularly following the overwhelming response to his performances at C2C Festival in March. You’ll also be able to catch two stellar UK acts on the Sunday in the form of the award-winning Northern Irishman Gary Quinn and Liverpool songstress Laura Oakes.

Anyone who has been to an event at Etherow Park before will already know that the action takes place in a stunning rural setting. The site is situated next to Compstall Nature Reserve, a very special wildlife site looked after by a local conservation charity, Cheshire Wildlife Trust. Situated on the banks of the River Etherow, this beautiful reserve is made up of reed bed, open water and woodland, which provide a haven for some of the region’s most threatened wildlife. It’s a fantastic hotspot for birds such as the kingfisher and yellow wagtail, plus a whole host of dragonflies and damselflies. For every ticket sold for Buckle & Boots, a donation will be made to the Trust to support them with their vital conservation work.

Tickets are available from AXS now; priced at just £50 for a weekend ticket. Single day tickets are also on sale, priced at £20 for Friday, £25 for Saturday and £25 for Sunday. For fans planning to camp at the festival, a camping pass can also be purchased for £15 per person (includes ‘posh loos and hot showers’). You won’t get better value for money anywhere else!

For more details, tickets and the full line-up, check out buckleandboots.co.uk.