Friday 4th April
Ward Thomas
https://www.wardthomasmusic.co.uk
Ward Thomas follow on from their fifth studio album Music In The Madness with a new, intricate and explorative EP - "From Our Back Pocket". The contents of which document new life and new lives for the history-making UK country duo. With previously never heard music, like wedding songs that the twins wrote and performed for each other, the EP touches on the coming-of-age part of life that Ward Thomas find themselves in. From the back pocket, but never the back seat, the new music still unveils Ward Thomas' trademark of critically acclaimed harmonies infused with brilliant musical craftsmanship. However the songs display an ever deeper emotive side to the country duo that they have always been in touch with, but perhaps never released on quite such a personal level.
Starting 2025 with new music, family and energy in tow, the twins are on tour and taking an amazing acoustic country night across the UK that has seen many sold out shows announced.
Sorrel Nation
https://www.sorrelnationmusic.com
Travelling troubadour Sorrel Nation brings a soulful mix of folk-rock to country and engages audiences with emotive lyrics, 70s inspired style and a voice full of soul that can truly open the heart.
2024 saw multiple new releases from Sorrel including a single featuring Steve Balsamo in May, the delicate and beautiful live EP ‘Thirty Summers’ in July and the critically acclaimed debut studio album ‘Lost En Route’ in October. Sorrel performed at Black Deer, Isle of Wight and Cambridge Folk Festivals amongst others and continues to tour the festival circuit over summer with The Magic Teapot music venue in her beloved campervan, Dory.
Sorrel accomplished two successful UK wide tours in 2024, including her first ever solo tour in April and first full band tour in October to accompany the release of ‘Lost En Route’, an album Sorrel is immensely proud of. 2025 will be no different as Sorrel embarks on three tours and exciting festival appearances to promote her debut album and its release on vinyl in March.
And yes…Sorrel Nation is her real name.
Savannah Gardner & The Recovering Good Girls
Savannah Gardner and her band of Recovering Good Girls bend the Country Music genre to their mighty will, blending soul, blues, and honky tonk into a sound that is both unique and deeply rooted in tradition. Savannah’s freewheeling, sometimes gritty, sometimes hauntingly beautiful songs speak to a generation determined to stand up and be their authentic selves. Her special connection with her audience has earned her the UK AMA’s Live Act of the Year Nomination for 2025. From the stages of Glastonbury to sold out residencies in London, SG & The Recovering Good Girls continue to spread joy, love and “bad-assery” across the UK.
TBA
Americana Music Association UK
Members slot
The Marriage
Brought together by a shared passion for song writing and a constantly overlapping and intertwined musical career, Americana duo, THE MARRIAGE embodies the beauty that can be achieved through the collaboration of two brilliant musical minds.
Kirsten and Dave have been surrounded by music their entire lives, with Dave first picking up a guitar at the age of 7 and being signed by a major label at 15 and Kirsten spending her Summers in Nashville with her father Stuart Adamson, founder of Skids and Big Country. Both have been playing in touring bands since their teens.
The name, ‘The Marriage’, For both Kirsten and Dave, whilst having many connotations, is more symbolic of their respective relationships with music. For each, music has come close to obsession as they have soldiered on despite the disappointment rife within the industry. Music represents their lives’ true loves and this is clearly evident in the compilations and deliveries of their songs.
Their intimate and eloquent lyrics weave stories of love, loss and life’s complexity and their powerful and flawless vocals compliment each other in beautifully intertwined harmonies that mesmerise the listener.
As in love, most of us trudge our way through a series of not- quite right relationships, all of which help us grow and adapt until we (hopefully), meet our perfect match. The Marriage is the perfect union of two incredible musical souls at the end of this journey.
Saturday 5th April
Danny & The Champions of the World
https://www.dannyandthechamps.com
‘You Are Not A Stranger Here,’ the long-awaited new album by Danny & The Champions of the World, will be released through Loose on 18th October. Their seventh studio release and first since 2017’s ‘Brilliant Light,’ ‘You Are Not A Stranger Here’ is the sound of a band exploring new and surprising musical terrain. Produced by Champs keyboard player Thomas Collison and featuring frontman Danny George Wilson’s most compelling songs to date.
The old contradiction that in creating something intensely personal, you can share something inspiringly universal, is at the heart of a remarkable new album by Danny & the Champions of the World, whose formidable body of work dates back to 2007. It's full of brilliantly cohesive performances that come together to reach a new creative peak, founded on the most reflective and deep-seated lyrics to date by frontman Danny George Wilson. It's an intricate and beguiling tapestry of highly-crafted sounds by a band at the top of their game and a songwriter on an honest and unpretentious quest for some truth. If that sounds potentially dark and doom-laden, the results are anything but, on a record that's deeply relatable, infectious and moving.
The Dreaming Spires
http://www.thedreamingspires.co.uk
The Dreaming Spires are brothers Robin and Joe Bennett, Jamie Dawson, Tom Collison and Nick Fowler.
Robin and Joe formed early 2000s Oxfordshire indie band Goldrush, who signed to Virgin Records. Over the last decade they have toured the world as part of Saint Etienne’s live band, and of course the award-winning Bennett Wilson Poole. Jamie is in constant demand on drums for touring US artists such as Annie Keating, while Tom plays keys in Danny & the Champions of the World. Nick joined Goldrush for their 3rd and final album before they split in 2008, and is band member of choice for the likes of Gaz Coombes and Peter Buck.
The Dreaming Spires released debut single Everything All The Time in 2012, following up with an album, Brothers in Brooklyn, in 2013, both on Clubhouse Records. The debut album was compared to “Big Star by way of Gram Parsons and Teenage Fanclub” in The Independent, and detailed experiences on the road in the US during Goldrush’s many tours there, when the real story is in the people and relationships found along the way, and “the real show” is back at someone’s house in the desert hours after the gig finished.
Next year marks a decade since the release of second album “Searching for the Supertruth”, which was another acclaimed release on Clubhouse in 2015.
Americana UK writer Graham Bollands recently put “Searching for the Supertruth” in his Top 10 British Americana albums of the 21st century, noting the band’s “distinctive harmonies in the tradition of The Byrds or The Everly Brothers, and at times the sound has the anthemic qualities of Big Star or Gram Parsons.”
Peter Bruntnell
Rolling Stone once declared Peter Bruntnell to be, “one of England's best kept musical secrets”. England has successfully managed to keep Peter Bruntnell a secret for all this time, even from itself. “Maybe this will be the album to finally give him the worldwide superstar recognition he deserves!”, enthused every other Peter Bruntnell album review from the last 20+ years, with an admirably unwavering optimism. “If we lived in a just world, Peter Bruntnell would by now be in the middle of his third or fourth global arena tour, his biggest worry working out how to courier his latest armful of Grammy awards back to the UK so his butler could have them installed in the west wing of mansion by the time he got home,” said a feature in The Guardian in 2016, intent on letting the cat out of the bag, but failing miserably. Needless to say, we don’t live in a just world and Peter Bruntnell is still having to get by without a butler. Although perhaps the curriculum is to blame for this failure to ignite mass awareness, with not one teacher in the past two decades known to have heeded the call from NME to teach Peter’s songs in schools.
Houdini And The Sucker Punch marks a return to more familiar musical territory for Peter, with less solo and synth than his previous album, more Johnny Marr style guitar, Stephen Malkmus fuzz, Neil Young grunge, Richard Thompson and a bit of The Byrds. It features Peter’s long-term bandmates alongside pedal steel virtuoso Eric Heywood, Jay Farrar (Son Volt / Uncle Tupelo), Mark Spencer (Son Volt), James Walbourne (The Pretenders / His Lordship) & cellist Laura Anstee.
R&R
(Ren Harvieu & Romeo Stodart)
https://www.facebook.com/renandromeo
Salford singing sensation Ren Harvieu teams up Romeo Stodart of London's much loved brother/sister harmony rock n roll combo The Magic Numbers.
The Annie Keating Band
https://www.anniekeating.com
The Annie Keating Band features Keating on acoustic guitar and vocals, rising star Joe Coombs on electric/slide guitars
Scott Warman on bass and Jamie Dawson on drums. This band believes that live show clips capture the magic better than words can; for a taste of what the band delivers live, visit the YouTube Channel
Talent spotted by BBC Radio‘s Bob Harris with the release of her breakthrough album, “Belmont” in 2008, Keating has been growing in stature and reputation, having released 11 critically acclaimed studio albums drawing formidable comparisons to artists including Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt and John Prine along the way. A staple of the contemporary Americana scene, Annie Keating writes and sings like a woman who knows deep down that heartache is the price of hope, and she can make us believe — in that way that only the best artists can — that all of it is worth the cost.
The Rosellys
Based in Herefordshire (UK), The Rosellys are a five piece band whose music can be best described as: “Capturing the essence of country, with folk ingredients baked into a transatlantic roots fusion” (R2 Magazine).
Influenced by artists such as Chris Stapleton, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Gram Parsons & James Taylor to name a few, it is clear The Rosellys have an absolute love for alternative
country music. This family band is led by life partners Dr Rebecca Rosellys (guitar, vocals, banjo) and Simon Rosellys (guitar, fiddle, vocals), along with Simon’s Dad Allan Kelly (pedal steel/accordion) and father/son Matt Kirby (bass) and George Kirby (drums). They signed to Clubhouse Records in 2015. “The Rosellys displayed boundless energy, especially on closing song ‘You Ain’t Gotta Go Home’ with fast fiddle and a catchy melody sweeping the crowd along”. (Americana UK live review -2023)
“The Rosellys blend English accents with lyrical references to both the UK and US alongside well pitched bass, feisty drum beats and stunning pedal steel and fiddle to create a sound that walks the fine line between Celtic folk and Americana” (Nashville Over Here)
Hannah Scott
The best stories elicit profound personal reactions and in the 15 years she has been writing and performing, Hannah Scott has become a consummate storyteller. Her music is shaped by human stories, with family, in all its chaos and glory, sitting at the heart of her work. Her lyrics are powerful and poignant, and her voice feels strangely familiar, though you can’t quite put your finger on why. Her writing may be deeply personal but her music has a universal appeal that extends beyond the melodies you catch yourself humming days after listening to her songs.
Born in Suffolk and raised by an artist mother and an eccentric entertainer father, with music going back three generations to her songwriting great-grandmother, creativity was always destined to be an integral part of Hannah’s life. At the age of four, her father bought a second-hand piano for £70 from a friend in the pub and she didn’t look back, falling in love with both playing and listening to classical music. Picking up a guitar in her early teens as the influence of her peers and more contemporary music took hold, Hannah taught herself some simple chords that would lay the foundation for her earliest attempts at songwriting.
Career highlights include having her song No Gravity featured on the hit international TV series Grey’s Anatomy, recording a live session on BBC Radio 2 with Dermot O’Leary and opening for Madeleine Peyroux, performing to an audience of two thousand.
Sarah Jane Scouten
Sarah Jane Scouten is a Canadian folk and Americana songwriter. Her songs pay their respects to 60s and 70s country songwriters Willie Nelson, John Prine, Bobby Gentry and weave in British folk revival elements with a continuous thread leading back to her roots in bluegrass and old time music. After a transformative four years, training as a herbalist in southwest Scotland, Sarah Jane has released her fifth album Turned to Gold (Light Organ Records). Sarah Jane offers a new depth and solidity as a songwriter. With producer Johnny Payne's (The Shilohs) gift for modern vintage arrangement, this is destined to be your next favourite road trip album.
Sarah Jane Scouten has been nominated for 4 Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Western Canadian Music Award and an International Folk Music Award. She has performed at Vancouver Folk Music Festival, MerleFest, Calgary Folk Music Festival, Salmon Arm Roots and Blues, Dranouter Festival, Maverick Americana Music Festival and more. She has opened for Corb Lund, William Prince, Ron Sexsmith, The Sadies and shared the stage with Martha Wainwright, The Strumbellas, Allison Russell, Martin Carthy, Mandolin Orange (Watchhouse) and more. According to CBC q’s Tom Power, "Stan Rogers was able to do it, Ron Hynes was able to do it, Kate McGarrigle was able to do it – and Sarah Jane Scouten is able to do it."
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The Breeze
https://thebreezeband3.bandcamp.com
The Breeze were formed in March 2023 with long-time collaborators Chris Coll (Lost In The Fog), Decky McManus (The Basement) and Stevie Scullion (Malojian) combining their individual sounds to create something new.
Their debut album Thin Ground was released on Style Records in March 2024 to much critical acclaim and was nominated for the coveted Northern Ireland Music Prize.
Recruiting their friend Lee Martin (Blue Stragglers) on bass duties to help present the record live, The Breeze finally felt complete and officially became a 4 piece before embarking on an extensive and well-received tour of the UK and Ireland.
“The sound of The Beach Boys & Tom Waits heading off on holiday together…truly delightful & mesmerising” The Ulster Herald
“Love it…wonderful sounds” Cerys Matthews, BBC 6 Music
“Excellent debut - a catchy, countrified rock and roll delight” The Irish News
“Something of the T-rex about that, I think it’s really great” Roddy Hart, BBC Radio Scotland
“A really special band, just wonderful songs & sounds” Ralph McLean, BBC Radio Ulster
The Southern Fold
Formed by Kilkenny native Emlyn Holden in 2014, The Southern Fold have a self released EP and full length album behind them and an impressive history of gigging that has taken their Alt. Folk / Gothic Country Blues sound all over Ireland and across the pond to the UK.
Their debut EP, ‘A True Ascension from the Wayward Path’, was released in April 2016, with cello, piano and electric guitar added to the mix. This was followed by full length LP ‘Bible Fear’ released in October 2019 with full band, after which the group found themselves on a forced hiatus during the Covid pandemic.
Taking a temporary break from the live circuit, Emlyn has been hard at work behind the scenes and a new batch of songs has been written with recording currently under way. A new single, ‘Nothing to Fear’ was released in March 2024 to positive reviews. Another new song, 'Before the Fall' was released on 13th September with an album set to follow.
“‘Nothing to Fear’ stands as a testament to The Southern Fold’s artistry and musical prowess. With its enchanting melodies and beautiful lyrics, the single offers a glimpse into their captivating world, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating their forthcoming album. As they continue to push boundaries and captivate audiences, The Southern Fold solidifies their position as one of Ireland’s most intriguing musical acts.”
Saoirse Murphy – Pure M Zine
Elaine Palmer
Elaine Palmer hails from an isolated village up on the North Yorkshire Moors in England but spent most of her life travelling back and forward to her family in Phoenix, Arizona. Growing up in an old Watermill in the wilds of Yorkshire Elaine surrounded herself by music, writing songs influenced by her surroundings and music both in the UK and USA. Elaine finely honed her distinctive voice and built a reputation for her emotive mesmerizing stage presence. Elaine has released a handful of records and toured the UK extensively, playing with the likes of KT Tunstall, Patty Griffin, Courtney Marie Andrews and Paolo Nutini.
Elaine signed an exclusive Publishing Deal with the prestigious music Publishers, Wipe Out Music in UK and then signed to the record label Osmosys. She became a PRS member and guest lectured at a number of UK Universities for Songwriting, while completing her own BA Hons Degree in Contemporary Arts.
Elaine’s success continues….receiving more national UK radio airplay with BBC legends Bob Harris, Iain Anderson and Eve Blair, all declaring themselves fans of her work on air with fantastic reviews from the biggest UK music press MOJO, UNCUT, MAVERICK, RnR Magazine, Americana UK.
Jol Rose
Jol Rose is a Swindon-based singer-songwriter. With roots in London, Jol has performed his raw mix of Americana acoustic folk on moving trains, stationary flat-bed trucks and remote Pacific islands. Some songs poetic, some political, all with passion and some jolly nice tunes too.
TBA Americana Music Association UK Members slot
The Clubhouse All-Stars
Clubhouse Records, including friends and performers from the weekends acts, gather for the annual late night tribute.
to...
Bob Dylan
Sunday 6th April
The Hanging Stars
https://www.michelestodart.com
Michele Stodart is a multi-award-winning solo artist, singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in London. Best known as bassist, vocalist and co-songwriter of Mercury-nominated, double-platinum selling band, The Magic Numbers, who have released five critically acclaimed studio albums with top ten singles, and supported the likes of Neil Young, Radiohead, Brian Wilson, U2, Flaming Lips and Bright Eyes. She continues to play with the band and tour world-wide with them.
Alongside this, Michele has always pursued her own writing, nurturing a love for Folk, Country and Americana music, and has released three solo albums of her own songs. Her most recent release, ‘Invitation’(September 2023) - a confessional, melodic album with an orchestral, cinematic feel - received outstanding critical acclaim. The album went on to win ‘UK Album of the Year’ at the UK Americana Awards 2024, where Michele also scooped the coveted award for ‘UK Artist of the Year’.
Orphan Colours
Orphan Colours was born out of the ashes of folk outfits Ahab and Noah & The Whale, bringing together the band’s collective influences of Rock, Americana and folk. They began with their debut EP High Hopes with singles ‘Won’t Let You Down’ and ‘High Hopes’, produced by Rupert Christie.
After producing a stop-gap acoustic EP to keep fans happy, they went into their own studio and began recording their debut album ‘All On Red’. Singer Steven Llewellyn and guitarist Fred Abbott took on the duties of recording engineer and producer and delivered an album that was nominated for the 2019 Americana UK Awards ‘Album of the Year’.
After touring extensively in the UK and some shows in Denmark the band took a break until 2023 when Steven and Fred went back into the studio to put together the various recordings and demos for their second album King of Alchemy. The album fuses together their influences of R&B, Soul, Folk and Rock.
Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou
https://www.facebook.com/TMANDHL
Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou met while students at London’s Goldsmiths College and immediately forged a songwriting duo which has since gone on to release six studio albums. The first, in their guise as leaders of the pioneering new-bluegrass band Indigo Moss, was released in 2007, before continuing to perform as a duo. They have been signed to seminal labels, Big Life, Loose, Heavenly and Ethan Johns’ Three Crows Records, Johns having produced their 4thstudio album, Expatriot. They have enjoyed critical acclaim across the board, from NME to The Guardian, and been heard all over the radio dial. They have toured extensively in the UK, Europe and USA, and alongside the likes of Ron Sexsmith, Toi Amos, Louden Wainwright, Beth Orton, Jools Holland and many more, and performed on main stages at Glastonbury (Acoustic Stage), Secret Garden Party, Green Man and Truck. Residents now of Bexhill-on-Sea, they continue to write and perform.
Simeon Hammond Dallas
https://linktr.ee/kevinmontgomery
Simeon Hammond Dallas was born and raised in the rich musical and cultural melting pot of Camden Town. Growing up listening to her parent’s eclectic record collection that spanned artists from The Cranberries to Ella Fitzgerald, her own music traverses genres and is described by Holler Country as “a no-f***’s-given distinctly millennial take on Americana and blues, that sounds like Bonnie Raitt would have if her songs had been written by Alanis Morissette”.Through a catalogue filled with intersectional storytelling, hypnotic melodies and poetic lyricism, Simeon Hammond Dallas gives voice to a generation wrangling with the complexities of modern life.
Her second studio EP, Make It Romantic, was held to high acclaim by the likes of Americana UK, Earmilk, Folk Radio, and more. Simeon’s “star in the making” (Lonesome Highway) only continues to rise with a new project brewing for the upcoming year, armed with “a match for the best voices on the UK scene” (Country Way Of Life), and a blazing lead guitar, Simeon Hammond Dallas continues to prove “she is the whole package” (Neil McCormick, The Telegraph).
The Autumn Saints
https://www.theautumnsaints.com
A band to be seen live, Americana indie group, The Autumn Saints, have been described as “Woody Guthrie for the 21st century”: Jonathan Aird-Americana UK.
They were discovered by Nick Stewart (who signed U2, The Long Ryders and Killing Joke and ran Island records for many years). With three successful releases to date, they will record a new album later this year. The 'Saints have had a great few years playing more than a dozen festival performances including Isle of Wight, Glastonbury and two UK tours. Lead-singer Britt Strickland brings soulful-southern-storytelling from his North Carolina home to the UK. The tradition made famous by the likes of Dylan and Cash is alive in their music: tales of hurricanes sweeping through the Appalachian Mountains and late-night encounters at lonely crossroads.
The British influence is also unmistakable. Jim Maving’s melodic/ethereal guitar floats and weaves through songs with atmospheric depth that British-indie-groups do so well. Martin Gallagher (drums) brings vibrant-shuffling-rhythms, like the Stone Roses. Nick Bennett (Hammond Organ/lapsteel/guitar/harmonies) brings bright-roots-flavour to the mix.
Jerry Leger
Jerry Leger has stayed busy since the October 2023 release of his latest album Donlands. The Mark Howard (Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Willie Nelson) produced record came out on Cowboy Junkies label, Latent Recordings, and was greeted with rave reviews from UK's Uncut Magazine and Rolling Stone Europe. Leger toured those parts of the world in support of Donlands as well as select Canadian dates, which included his debut on the historic Massey Hall stage in Toronto and a headlining show in its new room, TD Music Hall.
Recent shows saw Leger opening for legendary artist Steve Earle. One of the most respected singer-songwriters around, Ron Sexsmith says “Leger has that spark in him that all the great songwriters have. He's the real deal.” For Jerry, the search for the elusive creative spark remains never-ending, but there are always new routes to explore in getting to it. With
Donlands, he has made an album that stands as one of the peak moments in an already towering body of work.
http://www.rachellavenmusic.com
New Folk Award winning songwriter, Rachel Laven performs a blend of Texas Folk and Americana music. A positive force of nature on stage, Laven not only captivates with her smiling lyricism, but with her electric vocals and accomplished guitar work. Laven tours nationally and internationally at festivals, house concerts, and live music venues.
"[Laven has] always been a reverse influence." -Susan Gibson
"[Laven] will load in the PA. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty"
-Terri Hendrix
"Love & Luccheses is stellar" - Tom Tranchilla KPFT Houston
"Electric vocals and provocative songwriting"
-Tyler Phillips Conifer Loves Music Series
Roseanne Reid
Roseanne Reid's world has changed in some dramatic ways since she released her hugely acclaimed first album Trails, and not just because of what she calls the “weird dream” of the lockdown years. But those changes have only helped to inform its delightful follow-up, as the widely admired Scottish singer-songwriter invites us to Lawside.
In 2022 Roseanne became the proud parent of a baby boy, who has, of course, reshaped her life in the most joyful (and exhausting) ways. Much of the new record was written before he came along, but the maturity and confidence in her song craft and delivery is there for all to hear, from the infectious, horn-laden opening single “Call It Love” to beautiful and tender pieces such as “All I Need,” Shine On” and “Made Just For
You.”
“This album just sounds much more self-assured throughout,” she says. “I've been a bit bolder with the vocals. With Trails, they were blended a bit more, and this time they're front
and centre. I'd say Trails was perfect for where I was at the time, but with this record, I feel that bit more confident with my voice. It's gotten stronger over time, and I thought 'Let's
push that right up front.'”
KATIE WHITTAKER
https://katiewhittakermusic.com
Katie Whittaker is a rising star in the Americana and country scene, known for her soulful vocals, vulnerable storytelling, and a sound that bridges classic country and modern folk. Nominated for Best Female at the Radio Wigwam Awards 2025, she has graced stages across the UK, Glastonbury’s Left Field and The British Country Music Festival, Katie has captivated audiences with her powerful performances. With a voice that soars and a stage presence that draws you in, she’s one to watch.
TBA Americana Music Association UK Members slot