Alasdair Fotheringham

AmericanA to Z: Jason Isbell

June 30, 2020 Alasdair Fotheringham 3

In Nik Cohn’s history of pop and rock Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom, his chapter on The Beatles opens “Next come the Fab Four, the Moptop Mersey Marvels, and this is the bit I’ve been dreading. I mean what […]

John Jenkins “Growing Old” (Independent, 2020)

June 29, 2020 Alasdair Fotheringham 0

“I’m growing old” is the first, uncompromising, line of the first song on Liverpool-based John Jenkins’ latest album, and “I’m singing this song before I die” is – in theory – the last line of the […]

How I Write a Song: James McMurtry

June 24, 2020 Alasdair Fotheringham 1

In this new series for Americana UK, artists from across the genre discuss their approach to song-writing. It’s been more than 30 years now since a youthful, up-and-coming James McMurtry first crossed paths with another, already […]

Ray Remington “Texas Rose” (Independent, 2020)

May 15, 2020 Alasdair Fotheringham 0

In an era when so many Americana musicians seem hellbent on blurring genres and styles come what may, you can’t help wondering sometimes how much (or little) headway an up-and-coming Americana artist would make these days […]

Van Darien “Levee” (Independent, 2020)

May 4, 2020 Alasdair Fotheringham 0

In the (highly recommended) film ‘Still Crazy’, as plans forged by the 1970s British psychedelic rock group Strange Fruit for a comeback tour run headfirst into a morass of cliched band problems like XXXL egos, deep-rooted […]