Gig Review - Emilia Quinn Bare Faced Tour - Hare and Hounds Birmingham

 

The Emilia Quinn Bare Faced tour has been around the country, and on Sunday night it reached its final stop in The Hare and Hounds, Birmingham.  The venue has a special place in music history, and in Emilia’s own journey.  A year ago she played here with her full band on her very first headline tour, and the show was recorded so that a series of live singles could be released.  This time around there was no band, just Emilia, her guitarist John W Doyle, a coffee table and some mugs of tea.

 

The relaxed set up suited the intimate, seated audience and perhaps was a welcome rest at the end of a tiring tour.  In another break from the “normal” concert style, the warm up act was John – just him, his guitar and his stories.

 

If you’ve seen Emilia live over the last couple of years you’ll easily recognise John W Doyle, not just for his amazing beard, but also for his skilled guitar playing.  This tour allowed him to take centre stage, if only for a while, and show off those quite incredible guitar skills and his songwriting.  Normally with either Emilia’s band or a blues band, he displayed a fabulous intimacy with the listening audience.  Although he doesn’t believe in talking too much about the songs “because if you've done a good job, the song should tell the story” John is fun to listen to, with a mix of stories and one liners – and great song writing.  Inspired by his time on this tour he performed a song that he had finished that morning with the great title and repeated line Whiskey Into Wine, a song that really suits his soft yet gruff voice.

Before finishing his solo set, John apologised for singing depressing songs but said “A brighter future is coming”  Throughout the whole evening, from Emilia coming out to introduce John on stage, to the duet main show the genuine affection and mutual respect was very obvious.  These two have a genuine chemistry and have clearly enjoyed this quite special tour – the catchphrase being “I’ve had a lovely time”

 

There was a short break before Emilia came to the stage along with John – slightly delayed by eating cake in the green room!  Somehow even hearing about the cake added to the feel of the evening as we all shared in the story, if not in the actual cake!

 

Emilia is the ultimate rock chick.  An Outlaw, a firecracker, the baddest bitch in the land and has rocked out festival stages with her boundless energy, but on this tour she has gone “bare faced” and stripped back – and it suits her just as well as those big stage performances.  We were promised old songs, new songs and reimagined songs – and boy did she deliver!  Notable was the smoky, jazzy version of her anthemic Outlaw, so reimagined that it took a moment to even recognise it.  Vocally and stylistically, it was Emilia channelling her inner Amy Winehouse.  If there was ever any doubt about Emilia’s sheer musical range, this one song crushed that! 

We had a new song inspired by a chat gpt prompt, we witnessed Emilia play cello on a number of songs (incredibly well!) including on a reimagined Pretty Pink Pills, we had a “full circle” moment when we heard Let It Burn which was recorded at this venue and only ever released as a live track.

Emilia paid tribute to the important people in her life – during Father's Daughter she sang to her Father on Facetime, she dedicated the next song to her ever-worrying mother and of course she praised her wife, tour manager and voice of reason Tammy – “Everybody needs a Tammy”

 

All too soon this show, and the tour, had to come to a close (with a cover of Chris Stapleton’s Fire Away and an encore of Without You) but Emilia can’t sit still for long – she’s already announced her next live shows!

 

An album being recorded, a single release planned for February in London and Manchester all on the heels of a great tour with a change of style.

It seems there is no stopping Emilia.

Find Emilia on Facebook, Instagram and her website and follow her on Spotify

 Silverball Country attended the show as guests of Emilia Quinn

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Single Review - Something 'Bout You - Jessica Lynn

 

Something ‘Bout You is a feel-good story about falling in love and having the most amazing adventures together.

If you follow Jessica on her social media, or you’ve seen her perform live with her band, you’ll know that that one line seems to sum up her (public) life.  Married to Steve who plays lead guitar with the band and touring with her family and close friends, it sure looks like Jessica does have the most amazing adventures, especially as a lot of the gigs they play have a purpose – whether its raising money for toys at Christmas or entertaining US troops.  Jessica and the band have even recently toured in Malaysia where she took part in a panel discussion.

 

The new single is pure Jessica Lynn.  Powerful guitar intro, strong vocals, great instrumentation and a fun, bouncy melody.  The sound of the song creates a feeling of those amazing adventures – the fast pace gives almost a sense of travelling – whether that’s physical or through time, and despite listening to it on a cold misty day in England, for three and half minutes I was transported to long hot summers, and yes, adventures.

There is something nostalgic about the song and I hope it brings everyone listening back to a really special time in their lives

There is!  The song will make you think of a time – for me it conjures up an image of being young, out on our bikes exploring and having fun, but the beauty of music – and this song – is that it will bring out a different memory, a different time for every listener.

Do you wanna come along with me on the adventure of our wildest dreams

Jessica has been described as “Country Arena Rock” and her music sweeps you up, and takes you along with her.  The energy of her live shows has to be experienced, but through singles like this you certainly get a feel for it!

 

Scott Vincent

We look forward to more adventures!

Something 'Bout You, the new single from Jessica Lynn is available to download and stream from Wednesday 16 October

Find Jessica on Facebook and Instagram, and follow her on Spotify

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Gig Review - First Time Flyers - Hare and Hounds Birmingham

The autumn tour season was opened yesterday by the first night of the First Time Flyers “Jump On Tour (part1)” – a teasing title, hinting that there may be more than just the three dates currently announced.  For their second headline tour since forming as a band, and their second full show in Birmingham they moved to the iconic music venue The Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath.  Its one of those “imagine who has played here” places, having played host to some legendary names over the years, and indeed Poppy Fardell promised from the stage that they would “always remember the night we played the Hare and Hounds”
 
Each night of the tour has a different supporting artist, and for those of us who saw the Birmingham show we were treated to the deep transatlantic tones of Jake O’Neill.  Hailing from Liverpool (“One of the good parts, I promise”) Jake has been gathering quite some attention, and in the summer played the Paddock Stage at Buckle and Boots festival – his first ever festival appearance.  Jake’s set was mostly his own compositions, each with a little explanation of its origins or what it means to him.  These included his first single after his semi final appearance on TV’s “The Voice”, his latest single and one written across the Atlantic, with a two second delay.  He’s also written a song in 15 minutes whilst sat on the bedroom floor at home, about wanting to leave his small town!  If you get the chance to hear Jake’s voice, and his songwriting, you really should take it!

 
Slightly delayed by some tech issues (it was the first night after all) our headliners took to the stage.  Almost immediately we were encouraged to “make some noise Birmingham” by Vicki Manser before the intro track kicked in.  Although on a small stage in a small room, the band certainly know how to let the crowd know they’ve arrived!  The songs are powerful from the off, the bass line and drums thumping.

When it comes to genre, its hard to classify First Time Flyers.  Their pedigree is solidly country, mixed with an absolute gift for performance – including between them the West End and some of the biggest stages you can imagine.  The songwriting is a collaborative affair, with experiences from all four thrown into the pot which is the honest storytelling we expect in Country Music, but the delivery at times is pure energetic pop.  Described as the “ABBA of UK Country” when you hear the pop vibe and energy and see the synchronised hand dancing from the girls during Heartbreak Handshake I’m tempted to call them the “Steps of UK Country” – in a tongue in cheek and loving way!

What is not in doubt is that all four – Tim Prottey-Jones, Poppy Fardell, Vicki Manser and Jake Morrell – love being on stage, love performing and love being on stage.  Their stage presence and their interactions demonstrate that not only is this a band made up of a lot of individual talent but also four very close friends.

The band were joined on stage by KT Parker on Bass and Lewis Jenkins on drums

Their final song was “Happier” – fitting for how much fun they were having – and was sung by the whole crowd with gusto.  The encore, after 90 minutes on stage was Say What You Wanna – with the lyrics delivered at machine gun speed, suggesting that, if allowed, they could have gone for another 90 minutes.  I guess we’ll have to wait for part 2!
 

High energy, high tempo and high volume.  However you classify them, First Time Flyers sure know how to put on a show!

 

You can catch Jump On Tour in London on 13 September and Manchester on 18 September.  Details on their Facebook and Instagram, music on their Spotify!

 

Silverball Country attended the show as guests of First Time Flyers 

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Festival Round Up - The Long Road 2024

With 2024 being our second year at the Long Road Festival, the iconic sign saying “welcome back old friend” seemed extra poignant – and the “friend” part really does sum up the vibe of the festival.  With around 8000 attendees you could expect to feel crowded and just one person in a sea of humanity, but that’s not how it feels at all – instead you wander around a well-spaced out event, either to a plan based on the very useful app or just drawn by the sound of music coming from one of the five stages – six, if you include the new, intimate stage in the VIP area.  If you’re a regular at TLR or on the UK country scene you will no doubt be bumping into friends along the way – but if you’re not, you’ll quickly make friends in the shared spaces around the stages, or squeezing onto a table to eat some of the great food on offer around the site.  “Can I sit there” is always answered with a smile and a “yes”.  For those attending solo, the Facebook group for attendees had a wonderful idea of badges so that people could meet in real life those they had met online!

This feeling of being one big family extends to the artists too.  We’ve long held that the UK country scene is a supportive family, and as we watched acts on stage it was heartwarming to see other artists stopping to watch a set – Chrissy and Ben from the Shires caught the First Time Flyers on Sunday, Alan Finlan and his band watched Oscar Corney from the side of the Front Porch stage before their own set and we bumped into Dan Smalley from Nashville catch some early morning folk from Clara Mann

The UK scene was well represented, although many of the sets were on Friday afternoon.  Kezia Gill popped in to watch Jade Helliwell and joined her on stage for a duet on her second set, and the VIP stage saw a range of UK artists gather quite a crowd, including bands heading back from the Main Stage – Colour Me Country All Stars and Morganway certainly enjoyed some shows.

 

What of the rest of the festival?  Tickets for most big events are sold on the headliners – this year we had the legendary Don McLean and on Sunday Russell Dickerson – but The Long Road is more than that.  Many people attending are wondering who will be the “new find” of the weekend (and that’s a very personal find, someone you haven’t heard before even if others have).  For us Flatland Cavalry on the Interstate stage delivered a superb set with great audience participation.  Also on Interstate was Kaitlin Butts whose set was loud and full of energy – in contrast to her later, acoustic set on Buddy’s – but both were absolutely unmissable.   For sheer crowd numbers Dasha deserves a mention – her audience stretched a long way outside the tent and her start was even delayed due to safety concerns.

 

With the music, the car show, the shopping, the food, the BBQ demonstrations, boot branding, Yeti’s roping, O’Donnells Cornhole or just the chance to meet up with friends, there is something for everybody, no matter how big a Country fan you are.  Don’t forget the little possums – the event welcomes children with their own play area, and especially welcomes dogs!

The Long Road is a family.  A very very big one!

See you next year old friend

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Single Review - Best Things - Wood Burnt Red

 

Wood Burnt Red are one of the bands that we will be looking forward to seeing at this weeks The Long Road Festival as they make their TLR debut on Friday night – on The Front Porch for the Ariat take over hosted by Two Ways Home

To make the weekend even more special they are releasing their new single – Best Things – on Friday too. 

As we have come to expect from Wood Burnt Red, the song is about real life – in this case the struggle to have it all, and the expense that goes with that!  Many of us can probably relate to the lyrics

I got a nice home, that I don’t own, 

And a car on the drive that’s not paid for.

It’s Wood Burnt Red, so it’s got a heavy sound, its got gruff vocal delivery but this time they have broken away a little from their Malvern roots and gone quite American with the sound, especially in the intro and opening verse.  As they hit the chorus they sound more like themselves and a little more comfortable, and there’s a lovely instrumental break where they sound like they are just having some fun with guitars and keys!

Unashamedly starting out as a “Dad Band”, each release and each stage performance sees the boys getting more polished with their playing and songwriting – but the songwriting hasn’t lost any of its realism or integrity, as they are not afraid to tackle real topics head on – which has included personal appearance in the past, and the difficulties of the modern, materialistic world that we all live in.

The Long Road isn’t the only festival this summer for Wood Burnt Red, having played main stage at Buckle and Boots, Black Deer with the BCMF in Blackpool to come

Best Things, the new single from Wood Burnt Red, is available to download and stream from Friday 23 August.  

Catch the band at The Long Road Festival, The British Country Music Festival and on their socials Facebook and Instagram.  If you stream music, give them a follow them on Spotify

 

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Single Review - Blue Ridge Road - Matt Hodges

 

Matt Hodges loves to perform music live, in fact he spends most of the year doing it.  If you’ve seen him at one of his many live shows, you may have heard him tell the story of taking a break in America and staying at a cabin for a few days, a side trip that inspired him to write his new song Blue Ridge Road.  The title is the name of the road that took them to that lakeside cabin, and the serenity of the cabin, compared to the frantic energy of Downtown Nashville led to the song.

When you consider Matt’s hectic schedule, its no surprise that he enjoyed a few days off – but the theme throughout the song is “Take me back”, as he sings of the freedom and allowing his thoughts to unload.  On Blue Ridge Road there are no cars, no “people chasing one last thrill”.  Matt is finding peace in nature and seems to have a longing to return to it.

Musically, the song is very restrained, as is Matt’s voice, which is effectively turned down for this track.  There is a yearning in the sound – and it is very reminiscent of Blake Shelton’s “Austin”, which is another song about longing for something you want to return to.  There is one break from the tempo when the song has a guitar break and a slight lift to describe the return to Nashville for a gig – a device which shows the difference between the town and the peaceful mountain view

The songwriting on this occasion appears to be not just heavily influenced by Blake Shelton, but also by American Country Music in general, using American phrasing (and it is of course born from am American road trip).  Could one of the leading voices in UK Country have written the same song from a UK perspective?  Maybe Matt’s next songwriting retreat could be to a stone-built cottage in the Yorkshire Dales, escaping the bright lights of Leeds or Sheffield?  Just as Matt has his own voice, we’d love to think that UK Country can have its own style and own voice.  The UK has many points of reference, and there have been UK songs written with a very UK feel.

Could Matt Hodges lead the charge of the new breed of UK Cowboys?  Perhaps sitting round the barbecue rather than the campfire, looking over the Brecon Beacons rather than the Blue Ridge Mountains?

 

We can’t wait to see where he goes next – both musically and physically!

Blue Ridge Road, the new single from Matt Hodges is available to download and stream from Friday 16 August

You can find Matt on the road and on Facebook and Instagram - and you can follow him on Spotify

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Festival Round Up - Pure Country Music and Dance Festival - Squires Cafe Yorkshire

 

“Its not my first rodeo” is an expression often used by people, but for the Pure Country MDF it sort of was.  Only “sort of” because although the team behind it are very experienced, this was their first time coming together to organise and run a weekend festival.  The team consisted of Kriss and Steve of Country 2 Western and Nashville Sessions, who are not only regular faces at many festivals, but also radio presenters and local promoters, and Alex Wise, a Leeds based line dance teacher and DJ.  We at Silverball Country were thrilled to be asked to join them – and the rest of the “ranch hands” (as the team were known) to bring our own events experience and to host the main stage across the weekend.

 

There are different styles within Country Music – traditional country, old Country, 90s/Bro country and modern country, to name but a few – and even in the UK scene there are some differences with the line dancers, the traditionalists and the modern.  Pure Country aimed to bring all of these together in one place – and they did so very well!  With a variety of acts across the four days there really was something for everyone.

Live music was punctuated by line dance teaching, the dance floors were full most of the time, and outside there was even a chance to try out horseshoe tossing and quick draw.

 

As well as the music there were traders in the Ranch Village, and each day saw a raffle to raise money for two very worthwhile charities – BrainKind and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

 

Kicking off on Thursday night with a nod to American Independence Day, Sam Marshall took the stage interspersed with Country Karaoke – or “Countryoke” as we renamed it.  With the room decked out with flags, props and the Dutton men plus Rip and Forrie from TV’s Yellowstone and the attendees decked out in Red White and Blue, it showed what was to come for the rest of the festival.

Friday morning saw the main part of the festival begin, with one of our finds of the festival – The Arkut Brothers.  New to the Country Scene they sang and played as though they had been country forever, with voices to match!  They play together and harmonise perfectly – perhaps it’s a brother thing!  Ellen Roy, Georgia Barker and Martin Boyd played through the afternoon, with Georgia and Martin also appearing on the acoustic stage outside, before the break to set up for the evening.  A familiar face around the Yorkshire circuit and a festival organiser herself Zenne played two sets before headliners Badlands took to the stage.  A band formed around a dad and his two daughters (one on lead guitar, one on sound) Badlands absolutely rocked out with a mix of songs taken from across the decades.  An encore was inevitable, it started with a Mona Conga – and the first conga we’ve seen with a guitarist taking part while still playing!

 

Saturday started early – for those already up and about there was line dancing in the main room before the live acts for the day.  Favourites from the club circuit Tanya Turner and Darren Knight kept everyone dancing while new band Po Po and the Fogies split their time between the main stage and the acoustic.  Also on the acoustic stage was our second find of the festival – Wirral based singer Tom Hodge who made the most of the sunshine, impressing everyone who heard him – definitely a name to remember and deep, southern vocals to remember too!

The Dolby Gang were the last act before the afternoon break allowed some to take in a football match while the stage was re-set for the evening.  After sound checking our headliner, Chris Raddings warmed everybody up with a very well received split set.  A short break for the raffle – which was generously supported all weekend – and a prize draw for tickets to next year’s festival and it was time for Stevie O’Connor and his band.  An absolute force of nature, Stevie suggested that nobody would need seats for his set – and he was right.  Absolutely exploding with energy, the Silverball Country Entertainer of the Year winner had the dancefloor full for the whole time he played.

Two full days, two big headline shows – and it still wasn’t over!

Sunday morning saw the whole festival move outside to the acoustic stage, this time with rows of seating!  Sam Marshall once again started us off with Alex Wise keeping us going until the arrival of Luke Flear, who only had a short drive from a neighbouring village!  Appearing at festivals all summer, Luke played a perfectly pitched set for a Sunday morning, showing his range of skills – guitar, keyboards, crowd interaction and winning personality.  The set really was the ideal way to round off this inaugural festival.

There is a need for the big festivals – but big festivals start from small ones, and we love to see them grow.  Even a mostly local event (for artists as well as “ranchers”) can attract people and acts from all over the scene and show that country music is for everyone – whether you’re a line dancer or not!  The Pure Country Music and Dance festival is pure in its approach – inclusivity and country music values

 

It may have been the first Pure Country Festival but we know it will not be the last – next year’s is already being planned.

 

With the strong start and excellent support, why not join us next year?  The dates are 3 – 6 July, and you can book via the Facebook page or by emailing purecountry.mdf@gmail.com.  

More details on the website

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Single Review - I Never Said It's Be Easy - Jessica Lynn

 

If you’ve ever met Jessica, or if you follow her on social media you’ll know that she is a bundle of positive energy, but behind the smiles there is a singer who has always worked hard and takes nothing for granted.  Go a little deeper behind and you’ll see the struggles that she has had, including a recent sinus problem resulting in an operation and a difficult recovery.  She powers through this, just as she powered through the medical issues that she and husband/guitarist Steve had with their rescue dog Audrey.  Jessica’s new song I Never Said It’d Be Easy is about this kind of journey, the journey of making the most of everything to create your own happy ending.

Whilst the track starts with a powerful guitar solo, the vocal is quite calm, quite measured, setting the scene for us – “soak it in, it’s a good day to be alive”, with lyrics alluding to a song coming up that will help us feel better... then the chorus absolutely kicks!  Jessica takes it up several notches

“I never said it’d be easy”

The contrast between the gentle verse building up to the rocking chorus cleverly adds to the feel of the struggle for that happy life, the struggle that many of us keep hidden.

Be in doubt, this song is not a lament or a plea for sympathy.  This is a story of self-empowerment and personal fight.  Its clearly personal, its clearly heartfelt – and its clearly in the mould of Jessica’s previous hits such as Roadhouse and Crazy Idea – and in fact this was co-written with the collaborators of Crazy Idea!

 

Shaking off those struggles as she always does, Jessica is carving out the happy life, along with her family and band as she embarks on another extended tour of the US and Europe.

 

The final words about I Never Said It’d Be Easy are from Jessica

A song about positivity and hope for a wonderful future is something I feel very proud to sing while I embark on one of my busiest years yet.

 

I Never Said It’d Be Easy, the new song from Jessica Lynn, is available to download and stream from Friday 28 June

 

You can find Jessica on Facebook, on Instagram and on the road.  Follow her on Spotify too.

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Single Review - Jump - First Time Flyers

Ahead of their UK headline tour, First Time Flyers are releasing their new single Jump.  Inspired by a band member’s real life love story, the title refers to the way that you have to sometimes make the choice to jump into a relationship - as Poppy Fardell puts it

It’s about fearlessly jumping into love heart first

Gaining a reputation not just for their on-stage energy and off-stage chemistry, First Time Flyers also embrace different takes on the country genre with this new song giving a nod to the modern country sound and also – dare we say it – the Beyonce style of country music, but with their own twist to it.

Musically this track can be described as “bouncy” with the tempo and delivery matching the title.  The vocals are smooth, the instrumentation drives the song without being overpowering and the production is spot on.  Without question a well put together song, with a summer feel but that slight edge to the lyrics –

They say don’t jump cos we’re only going to fall

I’m going to jump, I’m going to fall

We are encouraged to ignore the doubters with their advice, and to take that jump – even if we fall.  It’s an empowering message while still being an anthem to love!

You’ll be able to hear Jump, and the rest of the band’s catalogue when they take to the road later this year with Jump On Tour Part One.

Happening in September 2024 the band are playing three shows in Birmingham, London and Manchester

 

Jump, the new single from First Time Flyers is available to download and stream from Friday 28 March.

Find the band on Facebook, Instagram and follow them on Spotify

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