Single of the Week: Julie's Moon - Dean Owens & The Whisky Hearts

Our single of the week this week is not just a great song...it's also for a great cause.

Available to download from the end of next week, Dean Owens & The Whisky Hearts have released the poignant 'Julie's Moon'. The track was written after Dean's sister, Julie, sadly passed after fighting cancer and is now being released in aid of Marie Curie's Great Daffodil Appeal.

By purchasing this song, you'll not only have a beautiful new song in your library but will also have helped a fantastic charity. It'll be one of the best decisions that you make next week.

About Dean Owens

Dean Owens is one of Scotland’s finest singer songwriters, with fans including Bob Harris, Ricky Ross, Irvine Welsh and Russell Brand.  His songs including 'Raining in Glasgow' and 'Man From Leith' have been hailed as classics of Scottish songwriting.

In September 2014 Dean’s beloved big sister Julie finally lost her battle with cancer. She was 50. Julie was a huge supporter of her brother and his music, always encouraging him, always at his gigs. Written very shortly after her death, 'Julie’s Moon' is one of Dean’s most personal songs, although it was a subject he would have preferred to avoid. But some songs insist on being written, and the final result is lyrically poignant but also characteristically musically memorable. It’s a searingly personal song, an ocean of the heart - a special song for a special girl and a special cause.

Dean: “This is a song I wouldn't have chosen to write due to the circumstances, but when it came to me I knew I had to just go with it. My sister was a big fan of my music so it seems only appropriate that she now has her own song, and I’m delighted if it can do some good in raising awareness and funds for the work of the Marie Curie charity"

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'Julie's Moon' will be released March 10th to coincide with Marie Curie's Great Daffodil Appeal. All proceeds from sales of the single will be donated to the Marie Curie charity.

David Adam Byrnes Signs With Silverado Records

Silverado Records have announced the signing of Arkansas native David Adam Byrnes.

Byrnes has released two previous studio albums and tours extensively. He’s opened for some of country music’s biggest names, including Hank Williams Jr., Chris Young, Thompson Square and many others. He was a featured act at 2016’s Nationals Final Rodeo at the Mirage in Las Vegas, alongside now label mate, Joe Diffie. David is represented by Arlis Albritton and Tayler Bock of Full On Management.

“David is an exceptional talent, and just radiates country music in everything he does. We’re thrilled to have him on the label, and are really looking forward to sharing some amazing new music with his fans,” said Silverado Records VP/A&R Aaron Chesling.

Byrne’s music is traditional country music through and through, with his Arkansas roots prominent in every song he sings. With his true country sound Byrnes joins the label to create multiple albums, with new music coming soon. "I am so excited to start this new journey with the amazing folks at Silverado Records," says Byrnes. "They truly believe in me as an artist, writer, and performer. I love their family atmosphere, approach to the music business, and overall passion. It's a perfect match and I can't wait to get to work!"

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For all the latest Silverado Records news, check out silveradorecords.com.

Shantell Ogden Reveals Video For Latest Single 'Different Sides of the Mississippi' - WATCH

Following the success of her previous release 'Devil Comes Knockin', Nashville-based singer/songwriter Shantell Ogden has released her latest single 'Different Sides of the Mississippi' and revealed a brand new music video for the song.

Taken from her 2016 album The Road That Drives Me, Shantell describes the track as "a three-minute-movie about what happens when couples drift apart from each other. As the story unfolds, the narrator is trying to understand what has gone wrong in her relationship, ultimately hoping for reconciliation. I believe that anyone who's ever lost someone they still loved will connect with the emotion in this song."

Watch the video below:

About Shantell Ogden

Shantell's songs have received airplay on more than 800 country and Americana radio stations and shows internationally, reaching Top 2 chart positions both in the U.S. and Europe. Her songs have also appeared on the CW's TV series Hart of Dixie and in several feature films. She's won honors for Songwriter of the Year and Americana Song of the Year for 'Ghosts in the Field' in the 2015 IMEA Awards, and Americana Album of the Year for Better At Goodbye in the 2014 IMEA Awards.

Last year Shantell toured the UK & US and enjoyed extensive media appearances including Coffee, Country & Cody (WSM) and Good Day Utah (Fox), in support of her acclaimed fifth studio album The Road That Drives Me.

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For more information on Shantell, visit shantellogden.com.

Carolynne to Release New EP 'Coming Back to Me' In April

Yorkshire-based country singer-songwriter Carolynne has confirmed the release of her debut solo EP Coming Back To Me, out on 7th April 2017.

Having performed at festivals and venues across the UK, enjoyed extensive radio play and national press coverage, and been the first country artist to take to the X Factor stage, this release of brand new songs follows her previous singles 'Take the Keys' and 'I Love You But Shut Up'.

About Carolynne

For country singer-songwriter Carolynne, music has always been a priority. Though she's now had over 6.5m views on YouTube to date and has been featured extensively on national radio, print and television across the UK, her story starts at the age of just fourteen, when her family of “country music fanatics” inspired her to hit the road joining five-piece Country band 'Sundown'. After several years of touring the UK, at eighteen she left her family home in Yorkshire, heading for London to pursue her career in music, before long signing a contract with BMG and starting to work as a published songwriter. The next couple of years took her abroad to Sweden, where she spent time writing for other pop artists while developing her own songwriting style & sound, a blend of country, rock and pop. As well as collaborating with some great songwriters she continued to work as a touring performer across the U.K.

This allowed Carolynne to hone and develop her unique style of performance, which would eventually catch the eyes and ears of X Factor judge Gary Barlow when she later appeared on the show as a finalist. Gary described Carolynne as “supremely talented” with a voice that “just oozes Country”. With the X Factor propelling her into the public eye in front of millions of viewers & being the first UK contestant to bring Country music to the X Factor stage, Carolynne’s next move was unexpected for someone in her position; knowing she wanted to fulfil her dream as a songwriter, she headed to the heart of country music and the home of many of her influences - Nashville, Tennessee.

During her five months spent travelling across the USA, from Nashville to Arizona and L.A., she performed at every opportunity, and had the chance to work with, among others, Grammy award-winning songwriter Jeff Silbar (Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson), who as well as penning songs for the country elite in Music City also wrote the award-winning hit ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’.

Carolynne's debut single 'I Love You But Shut Up' was released in 2015, attracting strong support from the mainstream and country media - including a slot on the BBC Radio 2 playlist and a live acoustic session on Terry Wogan’s Sunday show; national TV appearances including Channel 5's The Wright Stuff - and publicity across high-profile press and magazines such as Maverick, Country Music Magazine and The Independent, Since then, Carolynne has taken time away from the spotlight to work on new material, an EP written and produced with longtime collaborators The Elements and mixed by Ash Howes (One Direction, Ellie Goulding, The Corrs).

She’s continued to perform live in between writing and recording, including, to much acclaim, an appearance at London’s Country to Country (C2C) 2016 festival at the O2 arena for the third consecutive year, and a two-night residency at London’s Live at Zedel, prompting Jennifer Selway at the Daily Express to describe her songs about heartbreak and desire as having “true country style”.

Thanks to the attention she draws at her energetic live shows and extensive media coverage, Carolynne's music has been heard by country fans all over the UK and beyond, building up a combined social media following of over 133k followers in the process, so it’s safe to say fans are eagerly awaiting her next move. As she told Country Music Magazine, who highlighted her as a ‘Shooting Star’ artist early in 2017, the title of her brand new debut EP Coming Back To Me is “about coming back to music, because I’ve lost my way with music at points in my life, I’ve fallen in and out of love with it but it always finds its way back to me…”

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Carolynne's Coming Back To Me EP is released worldwide on 7th April 2017, and will be available to pre-order on March 3rd. For more information visit carolynneofficial.com.

Mandy McMillan Signs With SIlverado Records

Silverado Records have announced the signing of Nashville based singer-songwriter Mandy McMillan to a multi-album deal with the label.

McMillan, from Stony Plain, Alberta Canada, has been in Nashville since 2012, writing songs and performing across a wide swath of the South, and building a loyal core of fans. She also has tremendous support from Canadian fans, and frequently returns to Alberta for performances and charity events.

"Every once in a while you meet an artist you just know you want to work with from that first encounter. For us, that's Mandy! Her songwriting, strong vocals, fun personality, and strong work ethic embody exactly what we look for in a recording artist," said Silverado's CEO Scott Thomas.

"Mandy's great original songs, and ability to captivate a room make her an incredible addition to Team Silverado" said Silverado VP/A&R Aaron Chesling.

She's opened for several of Country's big names like Trisha Yearwood, Craig Campbell, Maggie Rose and, in perhaps a foretelling of the future, once opened for now label-mate HISH at a Love Your Melon event. McMillan was a guest artist on the label's 2016 holiday release, A Silverado Family Christmas, and recently performed on the label's most recent live Silverado Signature Songwriter Series at Belcourt Taps in Nashville. Her most recent EP, self-titled, was released in 2014.

In Mandy's own words: “I’m very happy to be a part of this team that's more like family than anything else. Can't wait to work along side Scott, Aaron, Heather and the rest of the amazing team at Silverado!”

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Connect with Mandy over on Twitter, @MandyMcMillan

Single of the Week: 'Ones You Love The Most'

Kate Ellis' new track, 'Ones You Love The Most' is our single of the week.

Kate's take on the well known adage features her moving vocals at the very forefront of this track, at times quivering with emotion, as she sings about the inevitability of hurting those closest to you. Citing some of music's greats as influences - Mary Chapin Carpenter and Leonard Cohen, to name a few - this simplicity of this single feels very much like a tribute to them. There's no overbearing production to this number, just a stirring voice, a talented band and what makes music great - heart.

Have a listen below:


About Kate Ellis

Kate Ellis is an Americana singer-songwriter, who was born in Louisiana, grew up in New York and is now based in London, England. Having performed in festivals and concerts across the USA, London and Paris, the timeless sound of her music reflects her love of classic singer-songwriters from Gram Parsons and Gillian Welch, to Mary Chapin Carpenter, Leonard Cohen and Nanci Griffith.

Kate’s southern country-folk roots come from her father, an important early musical influence who once played guitar with Hank Williams on the famous Louisiana Hayride, where Elvis and Johnny Cash started out. The story of her upbringing provides an interesting background to her musical journey - as well as being a musician, her father worked as a high-profile ‘Mad Men’-era Madison Avenue advertising executive, and her mother was a New York socialite during the sixties and seventies. Although Kate had a natural talent for classical piano and art in her early years, she found herself following a different path before pursuing music, attending law school and eventually becoming a lawyer.

Kate’s emotional and seductive vocals take you into a world of private beauty, reflection and feelings. The music is always intimate and evocative – you listen and want to be there. A journalist for the Observer commented: "Kate Ellis writes hauntingly beautiful songs and has an amazing voice, I'm a fan!" While TheMediaEye.com said: "Kate’s contemporary country-folk classic sound, and a voice best described as a cross between Emmylou Harris and Suzanne Vega, make her debut album eagerly anticipated."

Her debut single ‘Ones You Love The Most’ is released on 10th February 2017, and Kate will be playing live throughout the year - tour dates to be confirmed.

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'Ones You Love The Most' is available to stream via Soundcloud/Spotify and available to download via iTunes now. For further information on Kate, visit kateellis.com.

Sean Rowe Shares Video For New Album's First Single, 'Gas Station Rose'

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Sean Rowe whose thunderous soulful voice Esquire recently proclaimed has the “kind of intensity that pulls you in and keeps you there” has released an
appropriately sparse video for his 'Gas Station Rose'.

The track, off Rowe’s forthcoming album New Lore which arrives on April 7th, is a bittersweet road song built around a simple guitar, some well placed piano chords and Rowe’s soulful and powerful voice.

“I wrote the melody while in Las Vegas,” Rowe explains, “I knew there was something to the song because I loved to play it. Lyrically it's about overcoming obstacles and looking for a place to hang your hat. The characters in the story are in it together. It’s not easy but it's worth it. The line, “we are the elders of our minds” means that we control our own destiny, that it's what we believe about ourselves that determines where we go.”

New Lore’s simple yet powerful sound focuses on Rowe’s renowned baritone and evocative songwriting, delivering a collection of affecting stories of desperation and resilience.  His voice is beautifully augmented throughout by tasteful arrangements including flourishes of piano and a string section. The album was recorded in the city of Memphis at the historic Sam Phillips Recording studio and produced by Matt Ross-Spang who began working at the legendary studio when he was 16 and recently won a Grammy for his work with Jason Isbell.

Rowe says of the album, “This is a record about loneliness and a longing for connectedness. This yearning for a sense of home. Musically, I think this record is more focused than any before. I’ve become really aware about what it is that I do well, allowing my voice to come through and lyrically grabbing people with the stories.. Those are kind of my superpowers. The instruments on the record never intrude on my voice and words.”

It is a sound that echo’s Rowe’s recent crossover hit  'To Leave Something Behind' a song that resonated with a whole new wider audience after being featured in the recent  Ben Affleck film The Accountant.

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For more information about Sean, visit seanrowe.net.

ALBUM REVIEW: 'Dream Country' - Sarah Darling

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover...but you know that sometimes you can't help but do it. I did it with Sarah Darling's latest release Dream Country. The album box art is stunning: a constellation map is printed on the disc, gold stars are embossed on the case and the album insert folds out into another gorgeous map, with the stars representing people Sarah wanted to thank for bringing this project to life.

Wow, I thought. The music has some seriously high standards to live up to now.

I needn't have worried. Dream Country, like its case, is a work of beauty.

We open with 'Wandering Star', a track that sets the tone for the album brilliantly. Atmospheric and ethereal, it's a track of self-belief and reassurance that it's okay to find yourself lost in life. A strings section helps to make this one aptly dreamy.

'Where Cowboys Ride' is a four minute trip to Wyoming. Described as a 'love letter' to her home state, it's hard not to fall in love with the idyllic landscape she's painting for us. The theme of home continues on 'Anchor' a track written with a certain Mr Sam Palladio and is about missing his home. Another beautiful song...listening to this album really, really makes you want to get out there and see the world.

Sarah puts a new twist on 'Tell That Devil', a song that was already dear to my heart. Probably more people listening to this album will recognize this track as a song sang by Juliette Barnes in Nashville but this song, originally cut by Jill Andrews, currently serves as the theme song for Wynonna Earp, a drama about a demon-hunting eponymous main character (and currently this reviewer's favorite show). Darling does this one justice, providing feisty vocals to a kicking beat.

Then comes a drastic change of tone and something that left me speechless. The personal, 'Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want'. Sure, it's not an original but it's a song that you can feel resonates so deeply with Sarah. It's vulnerable and, musically, is so beautifully arranged. It's absolutely stunning.

Honesty features also on the following 'Starry Eyes'. Life is fraught with difficulties, she admits here but you gotta push through them to get to where you want to be. It's an optimistic message that many will relate to, and will also need to hear.

Sarah then takes us across the channel to 'Montmarte'. It's three and a half minutes of beautiful imagery, immersing you in a picturesque Parisian cityscape. 'Halley's Comet', a track that has been steadily growing momentum (and deservedly so) is next up and, again, it's another spellbinding number. Opening and ending with a delicate piano, there's again vulnerability to the vocals, vocals that soar and shine bright.

'You Take Me All The Way' is a sultry and playful number, with a jazzy melody. And then we end with 'Stargazer'. It's the perfect song to end on. Sarah calls it 'a lullaby to help you get through' - a philosophy that is very much at the heart of Dream Country. This is an album for the dreamer; hopeful and inspirational. And it's an album that is very much needed in the world right now.

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Dream Country is out this Friday (10th February).

Catherine McGrath Announces UK Tour & Festival Dates

Following last night's sensational performance at London's Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, country-pop’s newest rising star Catherine McGrath has announced a number of UK shows including support for US country singer/songwriter Canaan Smith on his March UK tour.

Catherine has also just announced a third date with The Saturdays’ Una Healy and will now be playing at Bush Hall on the 15th May in addition to the February shows at London’s St Pancras Old Church on 15th and Dublin’s Sugar Club the following day.

You can also catch Catherine performing at this year’s Country 2 Country festival at London’s O2 Arena on the 11th and 12th of March and The Great Escape in Brighton on the 18th of May with many more to come. Full live dates below.

Following a series of live in-session videos, Catherine has just revealed ‘Say You Love Me’ filmed live from Firepit Studios, showcasing her stunning voice which is winning the hearts of young fans across the country.

This comes after the release of her debut EP One, which came out just before Christmas via Warner Bros. Records and saw Catherine dubbed as ‘Ones To Watch 2017’ by Amazon Music. The EP has so far clocked up almost 1 million streams on Spotify and features the three original tracks ‘Hell Would Have To Freeze Over’, ‘Cinderella’ and ‘She’ll Never Love You’ as well as her beautiful version of Jessie Ware’s hit single ‘Say You Love Me’.

All four tracks have been added to numerous Spotify playlists including the UK and Global New Music Friday Playlists and lead track ‘Hell Would Have To Freeze Over’ reached #1 on the Very Nearly Nashville Playlist – with Catherine as the cover star – and #9 on the Spotify Viral Chart.

Embracing her love for Nashville and country music while conserving her Irish folk roots and pop influence, Catherine’s songwriting talent is going from strength to strength. Writing of love, loss and life, her youthful touch relates to her audience and is as engaging as it is beautiful.

Tour dates are follows:

February
Wed 15th – St. Pancras Old Church, London (supporting Una Healy)
Thu 16th – The Sugar Club, Dublin (supporting Una Healy)

March
Sat 11th – C2C Festival, London
Sun 12th – C2C Festival, London
Tue 14th – Bush Hall, London (supporting CAM)
Wed 15th – O2 Institute 2, Birmingham (supporting Canaan Smith)
Thu 16th – Deaf Institute, Manchester (supporting Canaan Smith)
Sat 18th – Thekla, Bristol (supporting Canaan Smith)
Sun 19th – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (supporting Canaan Smith)
Mon 20th – Concorde 2, Brighton (supporting Canaan Smith)
Tue 21st – Bush Hall, London (supporting Canaan Smith)
Mon 27th – The Social, London

April
Wed 19th April – The Bedford, London

May
Mon 14th – Bush Hall, London (supporting Una Healy)
Thu 18th – The Great Escape Festival, Brighton

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For more information about Catherine and her tour, follow her on Twitter @imcathmcgrath

Rodney Crowell Announces New Album Featuring Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow and John Paul White

Multi-Grammy award winning troubadour Rodney Crowell will release his new album Close Ties on 7th April through New West Records.

The 10-song set is his first album in over three years and follows The Traveling Kind, his acclaimed collection of duets with long-time collaborator Emmylou Harris. Co-produced by Jordan Lehning and Kim Buie, the album features a duet with Sheryl Crow on the haunting 'I’m Tied To Ya' and 'It Ain’t Over Yet' a vocal collaboration with his ex-wife Rosanne Cash and John Paul White. It is the first time Crowell and Cash have appeared on record together since Cash’s Interiors album in 1990.

Rolling Stone premiered the video for 'It Ain’t Over Yet' which also features legendary harmonica player Mickey Raphael.

Fifty years after Crowell first started playing as a teen in Houston garage bands, he has moved into elder-statesman territory, and continues to extend the path carved out by the top-tier songwriters who preceded him. His songs have been recorded by country legends (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Strait), to current country chart toppers (Tim McGraw, Keith Urban) to blues icons (Etta James) to rock and roll legends (Van Morrison, Bob Seger). He is a Grammy award winner, a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, recipient of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting from the Americana Music Association, and the author of his autobiography, Chinaberry Sidewalks.

Close Ties Tracklisting:

1. East Houston Blues
2. Reckless
3. Life Without Susanna
4. It Ain’t Over Yet (featuring Rosanne Cash & John Paul White)
5. I Don’t Care Anymore
6. I’m Tied To Ya (featuring Sheryl Crow)
7. Forgive Me Annabelle
8. Forty Miles From Nowhere
9. Storm Warning
10. Nashville 1972

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For further information about Rodney Crowell, visit rodneycrowell.com.

Holloway Road Confirm C2C Appearance + Announce New Single 'If She Falls' Out 10th March

Country-pop duo Holloway Road have confirmed their performance at this year's Country to Country (C2C) Festival in London in March, and have also announced the release of their brand new single 'If She Falls', which will be made available to stream & download on March 10th 2017.

About Holloway Road

The first thing you notice about UK duo Holloway Road’s live performance is that it doesn’t look like country music; they’re more baseball caps and trainers than Stetsons and boots. But the sound they make sits somewhere between the country-pop chart and the Nashville songwriting they both grew up listening to. The second thing you notice is the crowd’s response; Holloway Road have spent the last two years playing throughout the UK & Europe, honing their live show, and as a result they understand the importance of being both a standout name on any lineup and a high energy crowd-pleaser.

They haven’t been afraid to gain momentum while learning their craft - having played the Martin stage at CMA Fest 2015 in Nashville, performed for the Country to Country (C2C) crowds in London on two consecutive years, written with Jacob Bryant (John & Jacob), and landed both their EPs in the iTunes country top ten thanks to radio play across the UK for their singles ‘Little Harder’ and 'Where We Are Tonight' and national coverage in publications like Maverick and Country Music Magazine - success in a growing international country scene is increasingly becoming part of the Holloway Road story.

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For more information on Holloway Road, visit hollowayroadmusic.com.