Jonathan Smith

The First Time: Jonathan Smith – The Pogues, Cornwall Coliseum, St Austell, 1990

May 4, 2023 Jonathan Smith 0

My love for music kicked in around 1978, and yet it was another 12 years before my first ‘big’ gig experience. This was mainly due to a combination of growing up in West Cornwall, and having […]

Dan Whitaker “I Won’t Play By Your Rules”

April 24, 2023 Jonathan Smith 0

Vintage Americana sounds by seasoned songwriter. With 13 albums already under his belt, the arrival of Dan Whitaker’s 14th also marks the transition from his long-time home of Chicago to Austin, Texas, a place he describes […]

Jake Ybarra “Something In The Water”

April 14, 2023 Jonathan Smith 0

Debut album full of polished songwriting gems. Jake Ybarra (pronounced e-Bar-a) is a singer-songwriter hailing originally from Greenville, South Carolina. His 4 track EP ‘Basement Songs’ came out in 2020, and saw him quickly gathering a following, […]

Essentials: The Top 10 Lyle Lovett Albums

March 30, 2023 Jonathan Smith 1

Lyle Lovett emerged onto the country scene in the mid 80’s, around the same time as several other major talents – Nanci Griffith, Steve Earle, Mary Chapin Carpenter and his close friend Robert Earl Keen jnr, […]

Classic Clip: First Aid Kit “Emmylou” – Live at the Polar Music Awards, 2015

March 17, 2023 Jonathan Smith 0

Emmylou Harris was in Stockholm in 2015, as the latest recipient for the Polar Music Prize, instigated by Stig Anderson, manager and collaborator with ABBA. That alone was a high achievement, placing her in a pantheon […]

For The Sake Of The Song: Dean Owens “Sally’s Song (I Dreamed Of Michael Marra)”

July 27, 2026 0

Dean Owens is, of course, no stranger to these pages. With twelve albums and numerous AUK awards behind him, a search on this site will provide pages of reviews, interviews and videos. Typing the name Michael […]

Mick Flannery “The House Must Win”

July 27, 2026 0

A labour of love, twenty years in the making from renowned Irish singer-songwriter. It is more than twenty years since Mick Flannery released his debut album Evening Train, but the tale it told of (as he puts […]

Robert Plant to receive Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award

July 27, 2026 0

The Americana Music Association has announced that singer, songwriter and musical trailblazer Robert Plant will receive the Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the 25th Annual Americana Honours & Awards, taking place on 16th September 2026, at […]

Articles by Jonathan Smith

The First Time: Jonathan Smith – The Pogues, Cornwall Coliseum, St Austell, 1990

Dan Whitaker “I Won’t Play By Your Rules”

Jake Ybarra “Something In The Water”

Essentials: The Top 10 Lyle Lovett Albums

Classic Clip: First Aid Kit “Emmylou” – Live at the Polar Music Awards, 2015

For The Sake Of The Song: Dean Owens “Sally’s Song (I Dreamed Of Michael Marra)”

Mick Flannery “The House Must Win”

Robert Plant to receive Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Tucker Zimmerman “Dream Me A Dream”

Sounds from beyond the Shed 241 “Back in the swim”