Single Review - Cowboy Sitting at the Bar - Cody Pennington

It is clear that shows where you can hear “all the hits” from current and past Nashville performers are very popular in the UK – as we discussed when we recently reviewed One Night In Nashville.  For many, this may be the only chance to hear the songs that you hear on the Radio performed live, albeit not by the original artists.  UK Based Nashville artist Cody Pennington is about to embark on a UK tour where he will be performing such songs with his band, but Cody is absolutely not just a covers artist, he writes and records his own music and this week sees the release of his latest single which he even produced himself!

This ain’t the first bar I came to tonight

Its just the closest to the last

Cowboy Sitting At The Bar is a recognisable story to anyone familiar with the Country music genre – a heartbroken cowboy who turns to drink to try and ease the pain.  Most of us can relate to that!  The approach that Cody has taken is to put the lyrics against a quite upbeat, happy production.  The song writing is first rate, the words and emotion so recognisable and the contrast with the music and tempo give a different dimension, conjuring up the cowboy sat in the corner of the bar while around him people are having a good time. 

I’m searching for healing in a bottle of Jim Beam

The pedal steel helps to set the tone and describes the heartache as only pedal steel can before the guitar takes us on to the forced jollity of the uptempo chorus reflecting the fact that, although drinking away troubles, the story is set in a bar full of other people

This place feels like a second home

A place you can sit at the bar on your own

You’ve got enough cash you’ll never really feel like you’re alone

It is rare to find a song where the words and music almost contradict each other but come together in such a well thought out way.  The performance itself is also spot on – a little tiredness in the vocal, and real country sound overall so that you almost see as well as hear our storyteller and his weariness and heartache.

Cody Pennington may be performing other people’s songs in his stage show, but he writes as well as they do, and if he performs their songs as well as he does his own, then the shows will be a really great night out!

Cowboy Sitting at the Bar, the new single from Cody Pennington is available to download and stream from Friday 21 April

For more details and tickets for his UK tour go to CodyPennington.com

Find and follow Cody on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and sitting in the corner of a bar drunk on whisky and you…

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Single Review - What Have You Got To Lose - Katy Hurt

Katy Hurt is quietly taking over the world.  With her singles still being played on Canadian and Australian radio stations (Sirius XM and KIX) and her album being available to listen to on Lufthansa flights, 2022 and 2023 have been both exciting and rewarding for her and her career.

 

With her new single What Have You Got To Lose, Katy has taken a more soulful route to tell the story of being able to take risks and push yourself, while having the feeling of safety of a strong and supportive relationship.

 

Is there an echo of risk taking in her writing and releasing a Country Soul song when her previous singles have been more upbeat?  Absolutely not!  With an instrumental that has a similar tempo to Girl Crush, Katy’s voice just soars while displaying an absolute purity, nailing every note.  As ever with Katy’s music, just by listening you can absolutely picture her singing, picture the setting for the song.  With the storyteller being the supportive back up to the risk taker, you feel like you can achieve anything as long as you have someone behind you.

 

It is looking more and more like Katy herself can do anything, and with her debut album coming soon, we believe that too!

What Have You Got To Lose, the new single from Katy Hurt is available to stream and download from Friday 21 April.

You can find and follow Katy on Facebook, Instagram and on Spotify

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Gig Review - One Night In Nashville - Birmingham

 

Country Music is the fastest growing genre in the UK, with many people loving the sound without admitting to being a country fan.  30 years of DJing at weddings and events has taught us that any crowd will go wild for 9 to 5 or Country Roads.  The UK audience is keen to hear the Nashville classics – Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, John Denver as well as the 90s big hits – Shania Twain, Billy Ray Cyrus, Garth Brooks and the current crop of Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton.  While its hard to see these artists live outside expensive stadium gigs in the UK – unlike in the US – there is a growing market for tribute shows that aim to transport you to the Broadway bars of Nashville.  These shows can be found in bars as well as theatres with an audience that spans from hardcore country fans to pink hatted hen parties.  The age range is just as wide, with younger guests word perfect on songs from decades before they were born, such is the appeal of Country Music.  These touring shows include A Country Night In Nashville, Nashville Bad Boys Of Country, Honky Tonk Roadshow and possibly the original – One Night In Nashville.  People will never fail to love a good night out with songs they can sing along to, a bit of dancing or sat least foot stomping and clapping – ideally with a beer in hand.

 

Last Friday, dressed in our boots, belts and bling we headed to Birmingham’s Bierkeller for one of these shows.  

One Night In Nashville sets out to “replicate the experience of being in a Honkytonk in Nashville Tennessee” Maria and the band have certainly achieved this with the added bonus of their chosen venue, Bierkeller, which permits the dancing on tables and benches to really get the party going (not seen that in a Honkytonk!)

Whether you are a regular follower or stumble across the night by chance you’ll know you’re in the right place as its one of the biggest collections of hats shirts and boots seen outside of C2C.  Maria herself didn’t let the side down with awesome silver boots tied in with her outfit.

Right from the off we were straight in with the classics, only Maria’s showmanship and powerful voice can do justice to the range covered getting away with jumping between everyone’s favourite Dolly song Jolene right back to the classic Tammy Wynette Stand by Your Man and up to date with Maren Morris, Luke Combs.  Audience participation did not fall as One Night In Nashville is timeless and appeals across the ages.

The show is scripted to ensure that the audience are having a good time, there wasn’t a drop in energy, even when the audience were treated to one of Maria’s own song.  Maria Jordan - check her out on YouTube and other socials.

Maria couldn’t give such a high energy show alone, she’s accompanied by her band including Dave Heyes, an incredible drummer who happens to be Maria’s husband and Sam Heyes on bass.

The 90 minute show comes to end far too quickly with the crowd left screaming for an encore.  In Birmingham we were treated to not one but two songs and a promise that they will be back – before the country disco kicked in to round off the night.

 

If you’d like to experience One Night In Nashville make sure you buy your tickets soon, as shows are already selling out!

Silverball Country attended One Night In Nashville at Bierkeller Birmingham as guests of the band

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