Darren Lumbroso

The Other Side of Me: Darren Lumbroso on the fire and skill of The Jam

October 26, 2022 Darren Lumbroso 3

I was born in Bromley. The postal address of my parent’s house stated that we lived in “Bromley, Kent”. Pre-Brexit, rather than queues of lorries, Kent conjured up images of a rural idyll, with oast houses […]

Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy playing "You're No Alone" at the Loft Chicago, 2010

Classic Clips: Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy “You’re Not Alone” – The Loft, Chicago, 2010

October 14, 2022 Darren Lumbroso 0

Mavis Staples is one of American music’s national treasures. She is someone with both the voice and enthusiasm that if she sung the telephone directory, it would still sound wonderfully soulful and be utterly transfixing. Having […]

Artwork for Alela Diane album "Looking Glass"

Alela Diane “Looking Glass”

October 12, 2022 Darren Lumbroso 0

A melancholic, melodic and thoughtful record which looks to the past and the future. Alela Diane’s first album for almost five years was recorded in Portland during the spring and summer of 2021. It’s a record […]

Album art work for Jon Boden, Seth Lakeman, Ben Nicholls, Emily Portman and Jack Rutter's “Sea Song Sessions”

Jon Boden, Seth Lakeman, Ben Nicholls, Emily Portman and Jack Rutter “Sea Song Sessions”

September 23, 2022 Darren Lumbroso 0

Superb collection of maritime songs and sea shanties performed by the cream of Britain’s folk musicians. Britain is a maritime nation. The sea has long defined British identity, in terms of both how Britons view themselves […]

AUK’s Chain Gang: Billy Bragg, Natalie Merchant, Michael Stipe, Cara Tivey “Hello In There”, Glasgow, 1990

September 20, 2022 Darren Lumbroso 1

The last Chain Gang showcased 10,000 Maniacs and David Byrne singing a cover version. This week’s Chain Gang also comprises a cover of a well-known americana favourite featuring one of the protagonists in the previous clip […]

Stamping on the passion: Why AI written PR is a bad thing for music

September 21, 2026 2

If a music writer opens ten press releases this month, they’ll spot something odd. They all sound like the same person wrote them. Not because the artists share a publicist, or because there’s a house style […]

Carla Gover and Friends “Williams Branch is Hard to Find”

September 21, 2026 0

A cycle of Appalachian folk songs from writer and activist Si Kahn, subtitled Songs for Strong Kentucky Women The subtitle for this album is “Si Kahn’s Songs for Strong Kentucky Women”. Si Kahn is one of […]

Ad for American Beauty album 5th December 1970

For the Sake of the Song: Grateful Dead “High Time”

September 21, 2026 0

“You told me goodbye, how was I to know/You didn’t mean goodbye, you meant please don’t let me go?” Well. It’s the age of nostalgia, so it feels just about right to reminisce about an old […]

Behind the Songs

Behind the Songs: Maya de Vitry – “All My Faith”

September 15, 2026 0

Behind the Songs: Maya de Vitry – “All My Faith”If you arrive at All My Faith looking for something that sounds like Gillian Welch, you might find your thirst briefly satiated by No Time to Rush, the final […]

Interviews

Interview: Adam Chaffins on what is great about flea markets, dive bars and trailer trash

August 28, 2026 1

As one of the most resourceful songwriters in americana, Adam Chaffins welcomes you to the latest from his wacky, witty world in Trailer Trash: Doublewide (Spirit Nashville Recordings, 2026), a collection of narratives about schemers, dive […]

Interviews

Video Interview: Richard Olson of the Hanging Stars and Tim Prottey-Johns of the First Time Flyers on the Long Road Festival

August 26, 2026 0

Why musicians love the Long Road Festival. In preparation for Americana UK’s David Jarman‘s preview of the Long Road Festival, he interviewed Richard Olson of the Hanging Stars and Tim Prottey-Jones of the First Time Flyers. […]

Album Reviews

Madelyn Read “Concrete Country”

June 21, 2023 1

Debut album continues great tradition of Canadian singer/songwriters. ‘Concrete Country’ is Canadian Madelyn Read’s debut album. It is a great start. Reed uses the sounds of country and folk to tell vivid stories of urban life. […]

Album Reviews

Treetop Flyers “Old Habits”

December 7, 2021 1

A change in direction from London-based Treetop Flyers. Listening to Treetop Flyers’ latest album ‘Old Habits’ stirred up the old argument about what constitutes Americana. If you consider that an album that mixes sixties soul with […]

Videos

Video Premiere: Aneesha “This Is All We’ve Got”

November 15, 2023 0

Here is the latest release from Indian singer-songwriter Aneesha. Her usual electronic style isn’t what you tend to find on AUK but this stripped-back version of Aneesha’s latest single is captivating. Accompanied by warm acoustic guitar, […]

Articles by Darren Lumbroso