A continuum of songs, novels, opera and variety shows. There was a time in the ‘80s when Demon Records seemed to be a beacon for good music in the UK with its reissues and new releases helping to sow the seeds for what we now know as americana. In 1988 a young artist with the eye-catching name of John Wesley Harding released his first album on Demon, ‘It Happened One ht’, and he fit right into that melting pot of singer-songwriters who were influenced by classic pop, folk, and roots rock. His first studio album, 1990’s ‘Here Comes The Groom’ included the Attractions’ rhythm section, Tom Robins ..read more

Another superbly crafted album, from one of the finest songwriters of our time. From the first bars of ‘Two Pairs of Hands’ this could only be Mark Knopfler. That signature lead guitar line over a chugging rhythm accompanies his familiar drawl. Produced with his Dire Straits, and Notting Hillbillies bandmate Guy Fletcher this is actually his tenth solo record. When you add in collaborations with Emmylou Harris and Chet Atkins, amongst others, as well as soundtrack work and he has had a busy 20 years or so. Single ‘Ahead of the Game’ continues the lazy mid-tempo groove of the opening song meani ..read more

AUK readers have long been admirers of Richmond Fontaine and The Delines and so it’ll be news to readers’ ears that Freddy Trujillo, who plays bass in both bands has announced the release of his fourth solo album entitled ‘I Never Threw A Shadow At It’, due for release on 24th May 2024. The singer-songwriter, who was born in Simi Valley in California but now calls Portland, Oregon home presents an honest storyteller’s look at his life growing up in Southern California as a Chicano. The record is very personal: the album’s title track details a situation where Trujillo called the Los Angel ..read more

Broodingly, beautiful album pondering life, and the beauty and power of the ocean. About a decade ago atmospheric scientists at the universities of Oxford and Reading, who were lovers of classical music, catalogued and analysed depictions of weather in cultivated music from the seventeenth century to the present day, to help understand how climate affects how writers think. They found that “composers are generally influenced by their own environment in the type of weather they choose to represent”. It’s uncertain as to whether the same research has been carried out for Americana. However, it’s ..read more

Trying to choose a favourite out of the almost faultless catalogue of songs Jason Isbell has put out feels like a daunting, nigh impossible, task, but it dawned on me just recently as I was enjoying to ‘Something More Than Free’ for the umpteenth time that for me, the song I go back to in my mind more often than any other – yes, even ‘Cover Me Up’ – is ‘The Life You Chose’. No question Isbell is a master at painting a picture with words, but for me, there is simply no better example of that than the opening of ‘The Life You Chose’: “Who are you if not the one I met / One July night before the ..read more

Emily Nenni previously announced the release of her latest release ‘Drive & Cry’ which arrives via New West Records on 3rd May, and now she has set up some initial UK headlining dates in support of the album beginning in London’s Camden Assembly on August 27th. Nenni has also released the album’s closing track, her take on Terry Allen’s ‘Amarillo Highway.’ She says, “This is a favourite of mine to play on Sunday nights with the Ice Cold Pickers at Santa’s Pub. It’s extra special because we have two members of the Santa’s band on this — Steve Daly on guitar and Mike Daly on steel. In my opi ..read more

How to stand out from the crowd. If four Grammy Awards, including Best Americana Album in 2020 with ‘World on the Ground‘, weren’t enough to make her stand out from the crowd, this, Texas-born singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz’s seventh full-length album certainly does the job. Fresh, accessible, and universal, ‘Polaroid Lovers‘ represents a departure from Jarosz’s usual writing style in that it is her first co-written album. More confident in her musical identity and, therefore, with the knowledge she could stay true to herself, Jarosz, having relocated to Nashville ..read more

UK  country, Americana and roots music and culture festival, The Long Road, has announced its second wave of line-up additions for the festival which takes place at Stanford Hall, Leicestershire in the heart of the English countryside this year from 23rd to 25th August. Amongst a strong list of americana and roots acts are Katie Pruitt, whose latest album ‘Mantras’ emerged this month.  Pruitt is representing queer country at TLR along with Brooke Eden, a rising country pop artist from Florida.  Pruitt will be playing on two of the festival’s five stages. Brooklyn’s Gangstagrass ..read more

This London appearance of the one-time Green On Red frontman and now solo artist and author Dan Stuart was held in the upstairs room at The Betsey Trotwood which was laid out – most appropriately as it transpired – in the traditional “folk club” style of rows of wooden seats not designed for long periods of use.  An unscreened side room acted as the backstage, and the small bar doubled as the merch stand.  It was certainly a cosy space that quickly filled to capacity. Tom Heyman opened the proceedings with a set which drew heavily from his latest, and very good, release ‘24th Street ..read more

Deeply personal and worldly-wise new record from Canadian artist. ‘A Way Through Time’ is the latest release by Canadian artist JJ Shiplett, a mini-album containing seven songs in a classic Americana mould – a touch of Jason Isbell here, a smidgen of Kathleen Edwards there. It is a real grower of a record, successive listens paying rich dividends as it becomes clear that each song has its own distinctive feel and personality, and there is a warm attention to detail throughout, with some beautiful yet unostentatious instrumentation.  The songwriting is right out of the top drawer. Shiplett ..read more