Carolynne Announces UK Tour Dates This May/June

Following the release of her debut EP Coming Back To Me - which landed at #2 on the iTunes country chart and has been streamed over 40,000 times to date - and much-hyped return to live music at the Bob Harris-curated Under The Apple Tree night last month, Yorkshire country-pop singer Carolynne has announced two UK dates, co-headlining with The Abrams (Canada), with further tour dates to follow.

They'll play the following shows:

May 31st - London, The Borderline
June 1st - Manchester, Gullivers

About Carolynne

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'.

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For more information about Carolynne and her UK dates, visit carolynneofficial.com.

Jonathan Terrell Announces UK Festival Dates

Jonathan Terrell has announced a run of UK festival dates in July 2017, with more shows to be confirmed.

He'll play the following:

16th July: River Town Americana Festival
22nd July: Deerstock - Nottingham
23rd July: Summertyne Americana Festival

Jonathan recently released the video for his track 'It's Not Me, But It Could Be' from the Color Me Lucky EP, which has clocked up over 11k views since release.

He met the directors, Paul Galvan and Rachael Win last year during a shoot, and they kept in touch through the Austin art scene. They were approached by Tyler Beede, the pitcher of the San Francisco Giants baseball team to create a video as a front so he could propose to his actress girlfriend, Allie DeBerry. 'Allie always wanted to be in a country video so we "hired" her to be in this one,' Jonathan explains. 'We story-boarded, styled, shot and went along with everything to make a real video and in the end he got to propose to his gal.'

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For more information about Jonathan and his UK dates, follow him @heartachetycoon.

Tia McGraff Announces May UK Tour + New Single 'Nineteen'

Canadian singer-songwriter Tia McGraff has announced a full UK tour in May, along with the release of her latest radio single 'Nineteen' taken from her acclaimed album Crazy Beautiful.

McGraff will play the following dates:

May 1 - Celtic Music Radio House Concert, Glasgow
May 2 - Backstage (w/David Mundell), Kinross
May 5 - Hopkins Hall, Gloucester
May 6 - Ent Shed, Bedford
May 7 - Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury
May 9 - Green Note, London
May 11 - Otterton Mill,  Otterton, Budleigh Salterton
May 12 - Frometown Football Club, Frome, Somerset
May 13 - Bickington Hall, Bickington
May 14 - Dartmoor Hill Pony Association, Devon
May 18 - Acapela Studio, Cardiff
May 19 - Netheredge Bowling Club, Sheffield
May 20 - The Narrow Boat Sessions, Halton
May 26 - The Sound Lounge, London
May 28 - Highclere Castle Festival, Newbury

Listen to 'Nineteen' below:


About Tia McGraff

Tia McGraff is an internationally renowned and award-winning Americana/Country singer-songwriter from Port Dover, ON, Canada. With Scottish and Transylvanian roots running through her songwriting and voice, Tia’s talent has been described as “haunting and soul-gripping.”

With six album releases, four videos on CMT Canada, various film/television placements, and numerous nominations and awards - including Americana album of the year first ballot nomination for 2016 Grammy Awards - have earned Tia a respect in the music industry and a global fanbase that continues to stretch beyond demographics.

Tia’s latest release, Crazy Beautiful - produced by Colorado native, husband and longtime collaborator, Tommy Parham - was released in 2015, and immediately impressed Americana and Country radio programmers in the USA, Canada and Europe, resulting in significant activity on various airplay charts. Tommy, who moved to Nashville, TN in 1998 with a staff songwriter deal in hand, and soon became one of Music Row’s sought after hit writers, is credited with cuts by major label artists, including Lee Greenwood, and film placements in movies starring Ashley Judd, among others.

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For more information about Tia and her tour, visit tiamcgraff.com.

Southern Halo to Release Debut Album on Vinyl During UK Tour

Mississippi sister trio Southern Halo have announced that their self-titled debut album will be released on vinyl LP, available first to their fans in the UK.

The country-pop band's UK tour begins this weekend in London, with an exclusive press event on Friday 17th in Soho to launch the tour, album release and premiere the video for their current single 'Living Like That'. The record was produced by Catt Gravitt (Jana Kramer, Kelly Clarkson) and Gerald O'Brien (Martina McBride, Trace Adkins), and featured co-writes with Kelsea Ballerini and Forest Glen Whitehead (Dylan Scott, Brantley Gilbert) among others.

As the popularity of vinyl and the fanbase for country music in the UK increase, the release could not come at a better time, and the trio were keen to make this special edition available for audiences on this tour, which stops in London, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle. Southern Halo will be available on vinyl and CD at all shows, and online via their website.

The trio will play the following dates:

18th March - LONDON, The Garage (support from Jeannine Barry)
19th March - NOTTINGHAM, Bodega (support from Journey Home)
20th March - MANCHESTER, Gullivers (support from Jade Helliwell)
21st March - GLASGOW, Hug & Pint (support from Gravel Tracks)
22nd March - NEWCASTLE, Jumpin’ Jacks (support from Outlander)

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For more information about the trio and their tour, visit southernhalo.net.

Marty Stuart Hosts UK Premiere of 'Born in Bristol' Documentary at C2C Festival

Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the birth of country music, Tennessee music superstar Marty Stuart yesterday hosted the UK premiere of the documentary, ‘Born in Bristol’, which tells the story of the of the 1927 recording sessions in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia, an event Johnny Cash called, 'the single most important event in the history of country music'.

Stuart hosted a 30-minute question-and-answer session moderated by BBC Radio personality Baylen Leonard prior to the screening, which was held at the O2 Cineworld Cinemas as part of the C2C (Country to Country) Music Festival in London. Stuart, appearing at C2C in support of his new album, Way Out West, appears in the film, which tells the story of the July 1927 music recording sessions organized by Victor Recording executive Ralph S. Peer, where music legends including Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family were discovered.

Speaking about the evolution of country music from those humble record sessions in Bristol 90 years ago, Stuart said, 'I’ve always said that country music, to this very minute, is such as diverse place…it doesn’t matter where you get on. Whether it’s the Brothers Osborne or Eric Church or Florida Georgia Line or Taylor Swift, or the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, or Merle Haggard or somewhere in the middle, just get on board and start listening. You will find something that applies to your life—something that speaks to you, I’m sure.'

Produced by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Virginia Tourism Corporation and directed by Sundance Award-winner Chusy, ‘Born in Bristol’, which received shortlist consideration at the 2016 Cannes International Festival of Creativity, was filmed on location in Bristol, which straddles the Tennessee-Virginia state line in the U.S., and Nashville.

‘Born in Bristol’ features re-creations of the 1927 recording sessions, as well as appearances by Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Ashley Monroe, Sheryl Crow, Ashley & Shannon Campbell and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, each of whom contributed music tracks to the 2015 release ‘Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited’, produced by multi-Grammy Award-winner Carl Jackson and featuring an historical narrative by Eddie Stubbs, the voice of the Grand Ole Opry. The release of ‘Orthophonic Joy’ coincided with the grand opening of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Tenn./Va.

'We like to say the soundtrack of America is made in Tennessee, because our state is the birthplace of no fewer than seven different forms of American music—country, bluegrass, gospel, the blues, rockabilly, soul and rock-and-roll,' said Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. 'We invite visitors from around the world to see and hear our music where it was born and is still going strong today.'

'Quality films have been produced on nearly every genre of music. But this documentary takes a deep dive in addressing the spark that lit the country music flame. What came from those two weeks in 1927 spawned an industry and launched careers of artists, songwriters and producers now enshrined in the Country Music and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame among others,' said Commissioner Kevin Triplett, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.  'Jimmie Rodgers’ first recordings were made during those sessions. George Harrison was inspired by Rodgers’ music before he even got his first guitar. There are hundreds of stories like that. This film celebrates those stories and the ingenuity of Ralph Peer and the mountain music traditions of Ernest Stoneman, the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.  In Bristol those stories are preserved and promoted every day at the Smithsonian-affiliated Birthplace of Country Music Museum.'

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The Q&A session with Marty Stuart and Baylen Leonard will be broadcast at a later date on Chris Country, the UK’s 24/7 country radio station and official media partner of the ‘Born in Bristol’ premiere

Michael Nau Announces New Album and UK Tour with First Single

Michael Nau returns with his new album, Some Twist, out 16th June on Full Time Hobby.

Some Twist is the follow up to 2016’s Mowing and its announcement comes amidst a flurry of recent activity. Two weeks ago, Nau debuted songs from Some Twist on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and headlined two sold out shows on back-to-back nights in Los Angeles. He has received extensive BBC radio play and been selected as a '6 Music Recommends' pick. One-off single 'Love Survive' cracked the top 50 on Spotify's Global Viral Chart and Elton John has played Nau on his Beats1 show.

The first single from Some Twist, 'Good Thing', debuted via The Fader who described it as 'sweet, a little fuzzy, and good for the soul'. Bright piano and fingerpicked guitar weave together throughout the song with a chorus that swells with feedback fuzz and crashing percussion. Nau’s ever-present sense of humor, one of the hallmarks of his songwriting, gives the song a wry sense of purpose amidst its reflection.

Michael Nau has also confirmed he'll be heading out on a UK tour with Haley Bonar in March and April. He'll play the following dates:

Mon. March 27 – Brighton, UK @ Komedia
Tue. March 28 – Nottingham, UK @ Bodega
Wed. March 29 – Manchester, UK @ Night & Day
Sat. April 1 – Liverpool, UK @ Central Library
Mon. April 3 – Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny
Tue. April 4 – Norwich, UK @ Norwich Arts Centre
Wed. April 5 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla
Thu. April 6 – London, UK @ The Dome

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For more on Michael, his new album and his tour, visit his official Facebook page.

Sean Rowe Shares New Video + Announces London Show in May

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Sean Rowe, who releases his new album New Lore through Anti- on 7th April, has unveiled the video to new song ‘Newton’s Cradle’.

'When I was writing the lyrics of the song I kept thinking about the Newton's cradle... you know, that toy that you set off and it reacts back and forth.  And it reminded me of a relationship, of fighting, of that feeling when you just keep setting each other off, making each other crazy and all you want to do is walk away. When we shot the video I wanted to show that feeling you feel in an argument like the whole world is coming down around you and you feel like you're losing your mind a bit.  We had a lot of fun with the masks and props and the different settings. I wanted to do something different, and we nailed that.'

Watch the video below:

Sean has also announced a London show in May. He'll be playing St. Pancras Old Church in London on May 26th.

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 on Sean, his new album and his London date, visit seanrowe.net.

Brent Cobb Announces UK Headline Tour

After the huge success of his debut dates in the UK in February, Brent Cobb will be returning for a full UK tour in May plus two festival appearances including The Great Escape.

On his earlier visit Brent sold-out headline shows in London and Manchester and stunned crowds in Glasgow at the Celtic Connections festival with his raconteur’s wit, tales of rural life in the Deep South and heart-rending performances of songs from his critically acclaimed debut album Shine On Rainy Day.

Brent will play the following dates:

Sat 20th – Brighton, The Great Escape
Sun 21st – Oxfordshire, Wood Festival
Tue 23rd – Manchester, Deaf Institute
Wed 24th – London, The Borderline
Thurs 25th – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
Sun 28th – Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah

Brent has also released a new video of him performing the laid-back, melancholic album track ‘Black Crow’ from a session recorded at the Sam Philips Studio in Tennessee.

Released in the US last year to widespread praise, Shine On Rainy Day made number 11 in Rolling Stone Country’s Top 40 Albums of 2016. The album saw him enlist the help of his cousin and fellow Georgian, Dave Cobb, the Grammy Award-winning producer who has worked with Chris Stapleton, Jamey Johnson, Sturgill Simpson and album guest Jason Isbell.

2017 is a busy year for Brent with him heading out on the road across the US supporting the likes of Nikki Lane, The Cadillac Three, Little Big Town, Jamey Johnson and the aforementioned Chris Stapleton, as well as playing California’s Stagecoach Festival, before hitting the UK in May.

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For full information on Brent and his tour dates, visit brentcobbmusic.com.

Marty Stuart To Host UK Premiere of 'Born in Bristol' Documentary at C2C

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the birth of country music, Country to Country festival in London will present the UK premiere of the documentary Born in Bristol at The O2’s Cineworld Cinemas on Sunday, 12th March 2017 at 1:30pm, including a special question-and-answer session with Marty Stuart moderated by BBC Radio personality Baylen Leonard, himself a Bristol, TN native.

Stuart, who will perform on the C2C main stage later that evening in support of his new album, Way Out West, also appears in the film, which tells the story of the July 1927 music recording sessions organized by Victor Recording executive Ralph S. Peer, an event Johnny Cash called, “the single most important event in the history of country music.”

Produced by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Virginia Tourism Corporation and directed by Sundance Award-winner Chusy, Born in Bristol, which received shortlist consideration at the 2016 Cannes International Festival of Creativity, was filmed on location in Bristol, which straddles the Tennessee-Virginia state line in the U.S., and Nashville.

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C2C wristband and ticket-holders can attend the premiere by visiting the Tennessee Tourism booth at the Town Square and registering to win a trip to Tennessee, to receive a free ticket. There will also be a screening on Saturday 11th at 2:00pm, without Q&A.

Jade Jackson Announces Debut Album 'Gilded'

Set for release on May 19th via Anti-, Jade Jackson’s stunning debut album Gilded offers a powerful introduction to the young singer-songwriter’s preternatural writing and distinguishingly raw sound that is simultaneously new and old, merging a youthful spiritedness with a weary storyteller’s perspective.

The Bluegrass Situation called Jackson’s moody and romantic sound 'part Hank Williams, part the Smiths' and a 'unique combination of deadpan and delicate' while Rolling Stone featured Jackson in their '10 New Country Artists You Need to Know' list, describing her as 'a raspy-throated, confident-beyond-her-years songwriter channelling Hank Williams via a sombre goth-folk aesthetic.'

In anticipation, Jackson has just released a track entitled 'Finish Line'. Like so many truly affecting songs, it is a painful personal experience transformed into a musical work of affirmation and defiance.

Jackson explains, ''Finish Line' is incredibly personal to me and I'm excited to share it with you. Don't let other people tell you who you are because that's only ever up to you; when people put you down make art.'

Jade Jackson hails from the tiny town of Santa Margarita in central California where she began playing guitar and writing songs at 13. By the time she had entered high school she had attracted a growing fan base with local performances and estimates that she had written over 300 songs before graduating.

The notion that music could be more than merely a personal escape dates back to the night she went to a concert for the first time without her parents; and the headliner was Southern Californian legends Social Distortion.

'When I watched Mike Ness walk onstage and felt the energy from the crowd, it ignited something in me,' Jackson explains. 'I wanted to be on that stage too. I never knew I wanted to perform until that day. That shifted all the gears in my life.'

After that Jackson formed a tight knit band and together they have shared stages with such iconic artists as Merle Haggard, Rosie Flores and Dwight Yoakam. Along the way, Jade attracted the admiration of none other than Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness, whose wife was friends with Jackson’s mother. Upon hearing her perform, Ness offered to mentor Jackson and to produce her debut album.

The resulting album, Gilded, is unapologetically country rock, merging the heartbreak and resilience of Lucinda Williams with the melodic confidence of Emmylou Harris, yet containing the emotional presence of a young musician who cherished albums by The Gun Club and Smiths alongside the works of George Jones and Hank Williams.

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For more information on Jade and her album, visit JadeJackson.com.

AMA UK Artist of the Year Yola Carter Announces European Festival Dates

Following a year that saw the release of her debut solo EP ‘Orphan Offering’; acclaimed live performances in London and Nashville and in between; and worldwide coverage in publications like The Guardian, NPR, The Times and No Depression, British country-soul singer and songwriter Yola Carter has announced a run of UK & European festival dates over the coming months.

You can catch her at the following festivals:

8th April 2017: Ramblin’ Roots Revue, High Wycombe UK
29th - 30th April 2017: Kilkenny Roots Festival, Ireland
14th May 2017: Dart Music Festival, Dartmouth UK
21st July 2017:  Underneath the Stars, Barnsley UK
24th - 27th August 2017: Tønder Festival, Denmark

Carter was named ‘UK Artist of the Year’ in the UK Americana Music Association (AMA UK) Awards in February, and was presented with her award by Al Booth, Editor of Specialist Music at BBC Radio 2. She also performed twice at the prestigious award ceremony in London, opening the night and later as part of a finale singing ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ alongside all the evening’s performers and nominees. In her own words: "We did it! This might be a solo project but it has taken a team to get things done. I'll be heading back into the Studio to record from next week so keep an eye out new recordings and clips in the spring!

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For more information about Yola and her tour dates, visit yolacarter.com.

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

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.

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.

Sarah Darling Releases Animated Video For New Single 'Halley's Comet' - WATCH

Singer-songwriter Sarah Darling has premiered the video for her new single, ‘Halley’s Comet’.

The lead single from Sarah’s forthcoming album, Dream Country, - due out February 10th on Be Darling records - ‘Halley’s Comet’ is one of seven she wrote or co-wrote among the 10 album tracks and is “just a really personal story about a dreamer and that key figure in one’s life who encourages you to do what you love.”

Sarah worked with Nashville based production company Magnetic Dreams over a six month period. “I said I wanted it to be wide open spaces. It reminds me of being home back in Iowa and, of course, there’s a ton of stars,” she says. "As you grow up, fear can change the way you dream, and it’s easy to forget why you do what you love. I think it’s one of those videos that I hope when people see it, it will relate to kids but adults, too. It’s sort of for everyone.”

Produced by Nashville multi-instrumentalist-composer-arranger Larissa Maestro, Dream Country, “a cinematic, dreamy album with strings on it” showcases Sarah’s smooth, escapist song-writing style that crosses country, Americana and contemporary pop. As Sarah explains, “this has been an opportunity to make a record with everything I’ve ever imagined, top to bottom.”

An experienced player in the Nashville scene, Sarah has also supported stadium fillers Carrie Underwood, Kacey Musgraves, Vince Gill and Tim McGraw, and performed at the Grand Ole Opry more than 80 times. Recently she toured the UK with Jenn Bostic and Kyshona Armstrong, selling out each night. Sarah returned in October supporting British chart-topping duo Ward Thomas and will be performing at Country To Country in London in March 2017.

Sarah first made her name in America in 2003 as a top-three finalist on E! Network reality show, The Entertainer. She went on to release two successful full-length US albums, Every Monday Morning and Something to Do With Your Hands. Sarah is now preparing for the worldwide release of Dream Country, her first UK album. From wishing on wandering stars, to never giving up, the new material really captures the spirit of the ones who love to dream.  Sarah Darling is sure to take you on whimsical ride through songs about stars, and when cowboys used to ride away into the West, with her new sound that she calls Dream Country.

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Dream Country is out on February 10th and can be preordered here. For more information about Sarah, visit SarahDarling.com.