Martin Johnson

Interview: Dobro legend Jerry Douglas on the wonder of John Hiatt’s songs

May 25, 2021 Martin Johnson 2

The new record is just the start, John Hiatt’s songs will just get even better when we play them live says Jerry Douglas Jerry Douglas is an absolute legend of the dobro and he was one […]

Interview: John Hiatt on working with Jerry Douglas and the ghosts of RCA Studio B

May 20, 2021 Martin Johnson 2

Singing while Jerry Douglas is playing dobro is like singing a conversation according to John Hiatt. The impact of the COVID pandemic is incalculable but one of the small benefits is that it provided a random […]

Interview: Probably the last interview of Danny Hutchens co-founder of Athens, Georgia, legends Bloodkin

May 17, 2021 Martin Johnson 0

This interview was to have been an an exploration of Bloodkin’s legacy and renewed artistic drive but it is now also tragically part obituary for co-founder Danny Hutchens. This is so much more than a normal […]

Reece Sullivan “Middle Sea”

April 28, 2021 Martin Johnson 0

Real bar band music from Arkansas and Louisiana from a seasoned road dog. I had not heard of 46-year-old Reece Sullivan until his self-released record ‘Middle Sea’ came whizzing through the ether and I suspect that, […]

Interview: M G Boulter on why Southend-on-Sea is key to his music

April 27, 2021 Martin Johnson 0

From Southend-on-Sea to the Albert Hall opening for Paul Heaton, touring with Simone Felice and back to Clifftown. Surprisingly, Southend-on-Sea has had a disproportionate influence on British music starting with Procol Harem in the ‘60s and […]

The Jayhawks live at the Electric Ballroom, Camden - 16th September 2026

Live Review: The Jayhawks, Electric Ballroom, Camden – 16th September 2026

September 28, 2026 0

About a decade ago, I formulated a new genre based on a particular guitar sound that would for several years be heard on Radio 2 after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. Bob Harris Country is […]

Bluegrass Briefs: Sociograss, Triple Fiddle, The Runaway Strings, Lindsay Lou

September 28, 2026 0

This time, Bluegrass Briefs features music from around the world and all across the Bluegrass tradition, from the rough and rowdy Scottish ways of Sociograss to the almost classical music of Triple Fiddle from Minnesota and […]

artwork for Jack Browning album "Painted Skies"

Jack Browning “Painted Skies”

September 28, 2026 0

London-born singer-songwriter draws on wide Western canvas to create solid sophomore release. Jack Browning’s debut album, Red Eye Radio (2023), may have flown under the AUK radar, but Keith Hargreaves recently clocked the imminent release of […]

Articles by Martin Johnson

Interview: Dobro legend Jerry Douglas on the wonder of John Hiatt’s songs

Interview: John Hiatt on working with Jerry Douglas and the ghosts of RCA Studio B

Interview: Probably the last interview of Danny Hutchens co-founder of Athens, Georgia, legends Bloodkin

Reece Sullivan “Middle Sea”

Interview: M G Boulter on why Southend-on-Sea is key to his music

Live Review: The Jayhawks, Electric Ballroom, Camden – 16th September 2026

Bluegrass Briefs: Sociograss, Triple Fiddle, The Runaway Strings, Lindsay Lou

Jack Browning “Painted Skies”

Preview: Glasgow Americana Festival 2026, 30th September – 4th October

Richard Thompson “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” – it’s a kind of magic