Gig Review - The Shires at Birmingham Symphony Hall w/ Kezia Gill and Eric Paslay

 

On Tuesday night The Shires brought their UK tour to Birmingham, and for one night only we built our own Nashville in the grand surroundings of the Symphony Hall.  The audience weren’t quite the Cowboys and Cowgirls that we see when American Artists are in town, it was a more mature crowd, with more reading glasses on heads than Stetsons.

 

We were thrilled to be attending as guests of B:Music who run the Symphony Hall and excited to see the Shires again, having last seen them perform their acoustic set at Buckle and Boots last year – but we were equally looking forward to seeing the opening artist. 

 

Kezia Gill has been on tour with Chrissie and Ben for what seems like months, travelling up and down the UK on the tour bus with her trusty hot water bottle!  Being a Derby girl, Birmingham was almost a home town gig for her  being “just down the road” and when she introduced herself to the audience she was pleased that finally she had a crowd who might understand her! Kezia also mentioned that she had in fact played the Symphony Hall before, albeit to an empty auditorium for a lockdown livestream.  We only had 20 minutes of Kezia but she filled her time superbly with Silverball Country’s favourite songs and stories.  Opening with Country Song from her Mess I Made ep, she followed it up with Local Man’s Star which brought the room to silence, dedicating her performance to her late father with a look heavenwards as she finished.  Moving on to Thirties, Kezia introduced the song with almost a monologue about growing old demonstrating how at ease she is with a crowd, winning them over and entertaining them.  With all her songs written from her real life, Kezia told us after the show that this makes it easy to talk about each track before singing it.  I’m Here, then a great choice of final song in Whiskey Drinking Woman to finish her all too brief set; thrilling the crowd by holding the last note. She left stage to great applause and a lengthy interval queue at her merch stand.

 

Eric Paslay was the second of the support acts.  A very accomplished song writer, Eric has quite a pedigree with songs he has written for other people which he dotted into his set along with a U2 cover and – surprisingly – a country take on Dua Lipa.  Perhaps more of a writer than performer, Eric is also more of a singer than talker, although he did loosen up as time went on.  The audience warmed to him and were more than happy to hold up their phone to recreate the memory of his friends best ever gig back at JFK stadium with 50,00-60,000 lighters back in the day. His best quote was probably about Nashville – where most residents are not Nashville natives but people who have made their way there – “We’re all just crazy dreamers” those born and raised are unicorns. Asking where members of the crowd were from, he spotted a few local unicorns but become unstuck with the pronunciation of Stourbridge. He declared he would like to visit the exotic take on Tower Bridge, but we fear he may be disappointed.

 

After the interval it was time for what everyone had been waiting for – and had been waiting for longer because of the enforced delay to the full tour.  The band walked on to a pounding beat, Chrissy and Ben walked on and the crowd rose to their feet - in fact Ben asked them to rise and directed the standing/sitting throughout the night. The Shires are the anointed representatives of UK Country Music with their brand commercial, pop influenced country music.  They clearly share a passion for the genre, having teamed up ten years ago when Chrissy answered a Facebook ad for a female country singer.  They have gone from strength to strength since those days, as witnessed by a near sold out 2,500 seat hall in Birmingham, and fans who sang along, clapped and danced when instructed to for A Thousand Hallelujahs!  Despite being pregnant – with twins! – Chrissy didn’t falter and didn’t make use of the seat on stage, although she did confess that trainers have now replaced heels with her stage outfit.  Daddy’s Little Girl drew tears, I See Stars had the auditorium lit up with mobile phones and Nashville Grey Skies was sung by pretty much every voice in the crowd.

 

It was great to see a UK Country act performing in a big venue, and also great that one of the support acts was one of our own.  Being in the Midlands if only for a day, Kezia was able to spend some time with husband Lloyd which possibly prompted her final comment to us

“It's a mix of wanting to go home and have a home cooked meal - and never wanting the tour to end”

 

We hope that both Kezia and the Shires enjoy the last 5 dates of the tour – as will anyone who has tickets for the last shows.

 

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Single Review - Wish I Could Give You Up - Katy Hurt

 

At first glance the new single from Katy Hurt - Wish I Could Give you Up - is a love song, the classic story of being in love but wishing you could move on, realising that they aren’t right for you, but knowing that you will never be able to

“I wish I could give you up but you’re in my blood”

In this case though Katy isn’t singing about a guy, she’s singing about the absolute love of her life, the highs and lows of being a musician!  Yes, this time its about music and performing.  Katy herself tells us that she has given her whole life to music, that music has been what she turns to for joy and in her darkest hours but in with the highs there are inevitable lows.  This isn’t the first time that Katy has written about the genuine struggles of a musician, her previous single “Sounds Good In A Bar” was alone the same theme, although this latest singe is more about the deeper personal relationship.

When you reassess a relationship, sometimes the outcome is that you stay, work at it and continue, and that would certainly be the outcome we all selfishly hope for with Katy!

Even with an emotive and personal subject, Katy makes the song light and poppy.  Her voice grabs you from the opening lines, the backing instrumentation carries us along, the drum beat punctuating the story as the melody and song builds with the emotion that is being expressed.

 

Don’t give up Katy!

Wish I Could Give You Up, the new single from Katy Hurt is available to download and stream now

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Single Review - When You Were Mine - The Rising

 

It is fair to say that The Rising aren’t the biggest UK Country act, but it is definitely true that they are one of the hardest working.  Throughout Lockdown, Chantelle and Chris have not stopped, recording and releasing new music almost every six weeks plus a regular livestream show - RisingTV

Whilst illness did interfere with the release schedule, the duo have been looking ahead to an album release funded by a kickstarter campaign, and they are now releasing their first single from that album, and their first of the this year.

The Rising are never shy of a debate about the world of the Independent artist, and they are certainly not afraid to push boundaries – their music release strategy is testament to this, and their livestream showed that they can embrace new ways of working and indeed thinking.

This is also demonstrated in the new single – When You Were Mine.  “Fiercely proud” to be DIY artists (Chris is an experienced sound engineer) the single was recorded, produced and mixed in their own studio but, thanks in part to the new way of working imposed by Covid, the Drums, were tracked by Chris Brush in Nashville, while the track was Mastered by Pete Maher (U2, Rolling Stones, The Killers, Snow Patrol and many more). 

Over the last two years we have seen so many artists unable to record in the traditional way and therefore tracks being worked on remotely – in a positive way that seems to have resulted in collaborations that we might not have previously seen and is likely to be a trend for the future.

The song itself is on the love song spectrum – a one night stand with your best friend.  With a heavy guitar track reminiscent of 90s rock there is a certain looking back feel to this.  Many of us will be transported back to those house parties when you wake up in the morning remembering (or not) what happened!  Chantelle’s vocals reflect the genre, showing that she can adapt to suit the vibe of a specific release.  Fast paced, its is a little more rock than Country, but it has story telling and will sound great blasting from a stage.

You can catch The Rising in person this summer at not one but three major festivals – Buckle and Boots (paddock stage) Tennessee Fields (main stage) and the British Country Music Festival.

 

When You Were Mine, the new single from The Rising is available to download and stream from all major platforms from Friday 20 May.

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EP Review - Senses - Danny McMahon

Danny McMahon is back in the studio and the result is his new 6 track EP Senses. 

With that number of new songs it is almost an album, but we won’t quibble over a name.  If we are being pedantic – he’s not back in the studio, as the EP was recorded at Danny’s own Puzzlemaker studio in Bristol. 

But enough of the English lesson – what about the music?

Many artists hope to recreate the studio quality sound when performing live.  In a way Danny does the opposite – he brings his liver performance energy into to the studio and onto the recording.  In each track you can hear the trademark sound, which I have likened in the past to Chesney Hawkes!  It has the same exciting energy, the same clever use of sounds and effects.

The EP has pulled in a range of musicians and features co-writes, but is of course centred on Danny’s distinctive vocal style.  As you would expect from any Puzzle Maker release, the production is spot on, balancing vocals with backing instruments perfectly – the subtle drum line on Good or Gone, the exquisite steel on Its Too Late.  Parachutes has a rocky, guitar driven edge, but a surprisingly reflective theme to it – very cleverly woven into race car metaphors. Senses has the pop country  style we are familiar with when listening to Danny’s music.  These Hands strips right back musically, which really suits the story being told about your hands experiencing life’s journey with you – an unusual take but done well.  Lights Of Our Hometown was previously released as a single, and musically it acts to draw together all the elements of the EP.

Danny takes song writing very seriously – as seriously as he takes performance, and every song on the EP has its own story – how it came about, why it is on the Ep and its own personal meaning.  This whole work deserves a storytelling session in a writers round style.  Its Too Late is obviously a very personal song, and one that I will be excited to hear sung with the extra emotion that naturally comes with a live performance.

Senses is exactly what I have come to expect from Danny – great writing, superb production, excellent instrumentation and on top of it all, Danny’s trademark “give it everything” performance.

In support of the release, Danny and the band are taking to the road this month with a mini tour taking in Fife, Birmingham and Bristol.

 

Senses, the new EP from Danny McMahon is available to download and stream from Friday 18 February

 

Find and follow Danny on Facebook, Instagram and on Spotify – and at his live dates (details on his website)

 

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Single Review - Better Than That - Jessica Lynn

Unusually for a song from Jessica Lynn the pace and feel of her new song Better Than That are set by the pedal steel (rather than the usual guitar driven tune), which provides the opening to this almost ballad.

I say almost as it isn’t quite a slow song and isn’t quite a love song. Its about a very familiar love triangle – him, her - “the one”, and the third party - our storyteller who knows you Better Than That and is more likely to actually be “the one”.  She’s the one you come to, the one you talk to, the one who knows you and certainly the one who thinks that you’d be better off with her!

She knows this man "Better than that", hoping he will see what is in front in of him, the person who has always been there. 

Is there a touch of the green eyed monster, is she hoping he will see, so she can be that one.  The other girl brings him down, but we don't know anything else about that relationship. 

If you’re hanging in there for the one, this song will relate and hopefully spur you on. 

The feminist within me says, don't open that door at 2am, stop being the fool, maybe, just maybe, that will make him think twice.

Photo - Scott Vincent

The whole band is present on the backing, and the country roots are certainly evident.  It is a great mix of the stripped back songs that Jessica has released recently and that haunting steel sound.

The pace of the song reflects the feelings involved, and shows that Jessica can not only swap between genres but also between heartfelt storytelling and her well known stage rocking style!

It is a catchy little tune that will have you singing along, perhaps even a sway or a little dancing too, especially the opening. 

 

A great piece of song writing, Better Than That is a co-write with Clay Mills who has a distinguished pedigree, having written for artists including Darius Rucker, Trisha Yearwood, and Little Big Town.

 

Jessica and the Band will be in the UK for their long awaited return, starting in London on 9 May, moving on to Southampton, Birmingham, Derby, Swansea and more through the month.  Full details on the website - tour dates

Better Than That, the new single from Jessica Lynn is available to download or stream from Friday 4 October.  Find and follow Jessica on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify

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Single Review - Lights Of Our Hometown - Danny McMahon

We first met Danny McMahon in the camping field at Buckle and Boots in 2018 and since that first encounter we have seen him perform, and introduced him on to festival stages, many times.  As a performer Danny is probably best known for his energetic shows, his big personality on stage - wherever he is and however large the crowd is

With his new single, his first duet, it is a joy to hear the softer side of Danny.  Lights Of Our Hometown is undoubtedly Danny – his voice is instantly recognisable although this time out it seems a little more mature. The instrumentation is his brand of modern country and the pairing with Nashville based Jenny Grace is spot on as their voice complement each other, and the song, perfectly.

The theme is love, old love, the type of love that just never dies, held in place by memories expressed perfectly by the title “Lights of our hometown” – it is great imagery!  The pacing of the song, the guitar at the back, the softness of Jenny’s vocals all come together to make the whole song feel like the memory that it is describing, the up-tempo chorus jolting us back to reality and to the present.

The production is – as always with anything from Danny – spot on.  The song has had its own journey, from Canada where co-writer Ryan James is based, to Nashville to collect Jenny’s sublime vocals to Puzzle Maker studios in Bristol for it all to come together.  A Transatlantic duet can’t be easy, but you would easily believe that these two were sharing a recording studio - and sharing a memory of the Lights of their Hometown!

Well written, well produced and well performed, this will have you swaying along with bursts of foot tapping.  Will live shows feature a guest to duet?  Here’s hoping!

Lights of Our Hometown, the new single from Danny McMahon featuring Jenny Grace is available from Friday 22 October on all usual platforms.

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Single Review - Sounds Good In A Bar - Katy Hurt

 

Katy Hurt’s new song – Sounds Good In A Bar – is so real it just jumps out and grabs you, by the ears and by the heart!

Real, in that the vocal, the instrumentation are exactly what you expect from a Country song (and that steel, oh that steel!)

Real in that the pace and tone absolutely transport you to a bar at night, perhaps close to closing time when the staff are cleaning up and reflecting on the night and on how they got there

Real in that the story of working in a bar, or a diner, or a gas station while pursuing your dream is absolutely spot on.

Katy has based this new track on her own experiences of working odd jobs – and the writing can only have come from genuine experiences.  There is a wistfulness to the words and the performance that not only captures the dreaming and wishing that all performers feel while waiting for their big break but also captures the late-night bar feeling.  Anyone who has worked behind a bar will recognise their own life in this song, anyone who has tried to make it in the industry will recognise the “If I could just”

If I could just get the crowd singing along

With that one line you can sense the longing, just one step to getting out of this bar, just one step to your dreams, just one step to success.

It isn’t a dance along song, it won’t have you out of your seat, but Sounds Good In A Bar will have you singing along from the heart, drinks (served by the dreaming bartender) waved in the air and it might even make you think about your own dreams.

 

Another drink please bartender, another step, another dream.

 

Sounds Good In A Bar, the new single from Katy Hurt is available to download and stream from Friday 8 October

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

You can also see Katy on her current Face to Face tour

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