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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Single Review - River - Emilia Quinn

 

If you are as old as me, you’ll remember Guy Fawkes night with a box of Standard fireworks, lighting the blue touch paper and standing back.  Sometimes that fuse seemed to burn very slowly…not yet…not yet…not yet…and then the powder ignites and WHOOSH, it’s the best one of the night.

Sometimes a musical career can seem that way.  Emilia Quinn has lit the blue touch paper, and we can see the flame edging ever closer, ever closer.  If you’ve seen Emilia live then you know that WOOSH is coming, and it may well be coming soon.  Being part of the ZimaginedD and W21Records stables means that the flame is well and truly lit.

Running stages for festivals means that we get to see the upcoming artists live and almost raw – and we’ve had that privilege twice with Emilia on the paddock stage at Buckle and Boots.  We’ve seen her go from nervous to outstanding, as she blew the roof off the tent last year!  Emilia has incredible energy in her live shows and in her recordings, with a real outlaw edge to her music, but that’s not all that she’s got!

Having studied music to masters degree level, it is clear that even away from the “academic” side Emilia really understands what makes a great song and a great show, and with her new single River she clearly demonstrates this. 

Opening with just her pure voice singing a Southern Spiritual introduction the backing instrumentation sits perfectly under the vocal, supporting and highlighting the quality of the performance and the emotion in the lyrics.  Backed by just electric guitar/bass/drums and the perfect backing vocals of John W Doyle, River is perhaps more bluesy than we are used to, but it is so silky smooth with a slight whiskey hewn edge that it will reach deep inside and grab you.

Of the song itself Emilia says

I want to remind you not to lose your authentic self in other people’s expectations, let go of life’s pressures and embrace who you are.

 In the song, she says

Cry my sweet heart out

Over things I can’t control

Build me a kingdom

So I can live forever inside my soul

 

With her obvious song writing ability and memorable performance style, it is surely almost the moment that Emilia Quinn’s music career goes WHOOSH!

River, the new single from Emilia Quinn is released this Friday on W21 Records

Find and follow Emilia on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify

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EP Review - Medicate - Emilia Quinn

 

It hard to believe that anyone who follows the UK country scene is unaware that Emilia Quinn is releasing her new EP this week – an almost unprecedented promotional campaign started back in July and has featured guest comments on the tracks, photo shoots and lots of social media posts.

Billed as “The most personal EP to date”, Medicate is Emilia’s 3^rd EP release.  Her first – “Wrote Off” - followed her stunning debut at Buckle and Boots CMF  in  2019 and showcased Emilia’s vocals, her second – “Firecracker” - seemed to show her gritty, raw true self.  Sam Coe loved it, and described the music as “new outlaw country” and commented on the gruffness of Emilia’s voice and the traditional elements to her sound.

 

So how does EP 3 measure up?  Has Emilia found her sound?  Well, yes – and no.

Yes, in that her voice is still fantastic, and the traditional country sound is certainly there, especially with the fabulous pedal steel provided by Steven Hicken Jr.

No, because she has changed the style again, away from the gritty delivery of Firecracker.

With the new EP, Emilia has gone deep inside herself, writing about the pains and struggles of coping in the pandemic hit world of the past eighteen months, with reference to vices and coping strategies, leading to the EP title Medicate and the various track names – Worse than Whisky, High, Pretty Pink Pills and Head Rush, backed up by the imagery that has accompanied the press for this release.  Covid-19 has provided a rich seam for songwriters.

 

The first track Worse Than Whiskey is opened with a slow drum beat, and the tempo continues throughout the song.  The drum is almost jarring although the pedal steel cuts through to give the song a Country authenticity.  The vocal is also slow, almost despairing. The vice here is a relationship, with a nod to alcohol dependency.  High is almost light by comparison, acoustic guitar setting the tone, with a much lighter vocal.  The sound and the style have shades of Kacey Musgraves, the lyrics are a little Brandy Clark – in fact you can almost work your way through the current roster of contemporary female singer songwriters while listening to this track.  Pretty Pink Pills is huskier, with the vocal very much leading over a softer instrumentation while Head Rush possibly owes a little to Girl Crush.

 

Overall, this project feels a little like Kacey Musgraves’ 2018 album Golden Hour.  A change of style, an introspective album and not quite in the confines of previous releases or the genre.

 

Medicate isn’t a release that will be belted out to rock a festival stage as Firecracker was, but it is an EP that demonstrates Emilia’s versatility and willingness to try different styles and write from the heart. 

Open and honest, we’ll leave the final words to Emilia

 

Medicate, the new EP from Emilia Quinn is available to stream and download from Friday 8 October

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

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Single Review - Give Me A Song - Lars Pluto and The Reavers

There is often a discussion about “What is Country” or whether a song actually is “Country”.  When Lars Pluto sings, it is 100% Country – with that voice of his, it can’t be anything else!  Passionate about his music, passionate about the genre Lars Pluto is certainly a character on the scene, and his performances – whether on stage, in a stage show or in a recording studio are also always 100%

 

Lars has released his new single Give Me A Song which is following the well-known theme of Heartache – but he has recorded it in an up tempo 90s Country style, because of course he has!  Lars has also chosen to release the track on a Tuesday, because of course he has.

While the song musically has all the hallmarks of a bouncy 90s country track it is very well written, treating Heartache as though it is a person, and Lars is talking directly to her/him/it.

If you’re gonna hang around too long, Heartache give me a song

A broken heart is a blessing in disguise to a songwriter – let’s face it, it’s the backbone of Country song writing, and Lars takes that idea and makes the theme into the theme of the song.  I guess this is the musical equivalent of putting a brave face on things.  It is no great surprise for this bad boy of UK Country to put his own twist on things, and to also show off his abilities and the talents of his band The Reavers – Tom Wright on Electric guitar and backing vocals (as well as producing the track) Phil Bloomberg on bass and Mikey Cinacio on drums.  It’s a sad tale but a fun song, which no doubt will get people dancing, smiling and thinking about heartache all at the same time!

As Lars describes it

The boys all played the hell out of this tune.  I hope y’all like it as much as we do

Reckon we will Lars, reckon we will.

 

Give Me a Song, the new single from Lars Pluto and the Reavers is available to download and stream now

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EP Review - Dusk - Mitchell Kersley

 

Mitchell Kersley has burst into our consciousness recently with his debut release Howlin’ at the Moon and the follow up I Only Cry When I’m Drinking.  We were mesmerised by the imagery in the songs and even the artwork, and Mitchell’s Outlaw Country style and we were keen to hear the finished EP Dusk

The title track of the EP opens with quite an unusual guitar sound followed by a slow measured vocal.  With a feel of a Celtic folk song, made more Country with the pedal steel demonstrating how Mitchell will embrace and combine styles to give his own sound.  The melancholy feel of this tale of love turned sour perhaps sets the tone for this EP – a collection of ballads rather than a party album!  In the true Country style though, it appears that Whiskey is helping him come to terms with the love he took for granted.

Seventeen is just Mitchell and his acoustic guitar. It is a song of wistful reminiscence, thinking back to better times, but transported there by the love that you still have.  The relationship that he sings about may not be perfect, but he acknowledges in his heart that it is all part of the whole, going back to those younger days at 17 when the love was fresh – first beer, first time hearing Elvis, first car.  It is one man singing of one man’s memories, although the subtle layered vocals toward the end of the track add an extra depth, and you can almost hear the emotion in the way he is playing his six string

Just the title of The Ballad of Joseph Murphy gives you a clue as to how the song will go – and of that wasn’t enough of a hint the menacing opening, clank of spurs in the footsteps, cawing of crows and a gunshot before the heavy drumbeat and strident electric guitar sure set the scene! In comes the half sung, half spoken gruff vocals.  It’s a frontier town, a spit and sawdust saloon and a story wanting to be told.  Living a life one step ahead of the law and one step ahead of a noose Joseph Murphy is perhaps the personification of Mitchell’s Outlaw Country roots.

The whole EP has a certain tone, and is a showcase of the writing and performance talents of Mitchell – for sure a storyteller, for sure an outlaw looking to make his mark on the scene. 

We’ll be keeping a close eye on you Mitchell!

Dusk - the new EP from Mitchell Kersley -  is available now to download and stream on all major platforms

Find and follow Mitchell on Facebook, Instagram, his website and on Spotify

Single Review - This World + M.I.L.A - Emilia Quinn

 

Despite the cover artwork, Emilia Quin assures us she is not in fact having a baby, but she has smashed out a two-track release in only 4 weeks, documenting every step of the process on social media.  Not only has Emilia given us a throwback to the days of single with an A and B side, she has also demonstrated the range of her song writing and singing ability.

We are used to Emilia releasing and performing music very much on the Outlaw side of Country, with a real edge to it, but with This World + M.I.L.A we are shown the more gentle side of Emilia, and the different tones of her voice – both singing and written.

The two songs are messages, brought to us in the way that Emilia knows best. 

This World opens with acoustic guitar, soft vocals and then beautifully layered voices.  This song that came to Emilia while she was driving and reflecting on the world as it is right now, and how we can influence the world now and for the future; ourselves and others. Using our change to make it better.  The unborn child image, appropriate for her band members is to reflect the innocence amidst the darkness. Care for one another, think beyond yourself and share good karma – perhaps this song.  It’s a sermon, but it doesn’t preach – hopefully it makes you listen and think…

M.I.L.A is equally a gentle song, this time accompanied by piano which matches the voice beautifully.  The song is about lost love – which is why the full title is Missing Intensely from My Loving Arms.  It reflects the inability to give up on another person, that no matter where they are your love for them remains, they are still in your thoughts and heart.  Emilia leaves the loss open to interpretation, did they died, move away or is it a breakup – all scenarios leaving you missing them and trying to process the grief.

 

If this is what Emilia Quinn can produce in only 4 weeks, whilst documenting it, then her future is certainly bright, and maybe she can help us to change our world, or at least our feelings

This World + M.I.L.A, the new single from Emilia Quinn is available to stream and download from Friday 4 December

You can find and follow Emilia on Facebook, her website, Instagram and on Spotify

Single Review - I Only Cry When I'm Drinking - Mitchell Kersley

The eagerly awaited (certainly by us here at Silverball Country) 2^nd single from Mitchell Kersley opens with a guitar picking; giving nothing away about what the track might offer. There’s a pause and then Kersley’s deep voice almost speaks the words that describe the man that suppressing his feeling.

The chorus “I Only Cry When I’m Drinking” brings in the singing full of emotion.  The song tells us that as he drinks, he thinks about all the things that get him down and then his emotions hit him.  Many of us have that one drink that gives that extra push and releases our emotions, it appears for Kersley’s its whiskey that releases his tears! 

The metaphor of the damaged vessel sinking just highlights the slippery slope that we are on.

A strong drumbeat, adds a Celtic twist to our outlaw country in the 2^nd verse, providing a positive upbeat as the lyrics aim to tell our singer he has to step up, he’s a man not a boy he can cope, he just had one to many and the whiskey is talking. Tomorrow will be a better day.

It ends on a simple guitar stroke.

A very simple track, describing a common event but very impactful!

This is a charity single raising money for Mind, the mental health charity. The pandemic is having a huge impact on our mental help and many of us have lost our musical outlet.  Listen to a great track and support a good cause, for that will we forgive Kersley’s artwork and the excessive use of ice in the whiskey glass – it’s enough to make any whiskey lover cry.

I Only Cry When I'm Drinking, the new single from Mitchell Kersley is released on Friday 30 October on all major platforms

Find and follow Mitchell on Facebook  his website  and Spotify

Mind for better mental health

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single Review - Howlin' At The Moon - Mitchell Kersley

 

Where to start ….

I am mesmerised by the artwork for this single; Howlin’ at the moon looks like any other bar traditionally featured on the television to represent danger and you just know something is about to kick off.  Centre stage, sat hunched over, but facing you is a wolf, but in a swanky velvet suit.  What catches your eye is the wolf isn’t trying to blend in, the face could easily be used on a wildlife documentary and that’s what has me hooked!  Hasn’t it been said that we are basically all animals, and wouldn’t we like to know what the other person is thinking and their underlying motives,  if you could go to a bar that magically revealed those intentions by representing the person as an animal, wouldn’t you?

The song kicks off with a dark chunky repeated guitar line and then an almost spoken vocal, its gritty. Talking about kicking butt and the dust creates the image of a dry desert and then as you hear about the dusty boots and broken hearts, Kersley wants you to be transported to a time of saloons, outlaws and gunslingers. I can picture an old-fashioned gunslinger who has been roaming for some time depicted by the trail of broken hearts.

Kersley scores extra points from me as he has managed so effortlessly to include religion in the song – “go to church or you’ll be saved”! The song tells us it’s the dark side of the country, where the people have sold their souls.

The style changes, the voice rises to a human equivalent of howling at the moon.  The layered harmonised vocals conjure up shadows in the darkness.  That wolf, man or beast is waiting to pounce.

The song fades out with an instrumental section that never loses its intensity with that irresistible beat that almost crosses into a different genre. Toe tapping definitely, can you resist clapping along too?

This is outlaw country at its best.  It works on so many levels, it isn’t trying to be American, it could be anywhere. It’s relaxing and upbeat at the same time.

Who would guess that Kersley is from the UK and in reality a young artist?  Inspired by some of the best: Brad Paisley, George Strait, Chris Stapleton and Garth Brooks.

Howlin’ at the Moon is the first release from the EP Dusk, I cannot wait to hear the rest.

Howlin' at the Moon, the new single from Mitchell Kersley is available to stream and download now

Find and follow Mitchell on Facebook, his website and on Spotify

 

Francesca, for Silverball Country 19 September 2020