Nils Lofgren, one of the world’s great guitarists, is a musician’s musician. He has shared a stage or a recording studio with the likes of Neil Young, Crazy Horse, Lou Gramm and Ringo Starr and for over 30 years he has been a key member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Lofgren’s latest solo record is a fascinating project, built around a set of songs co-written with the fabulous Lou Reed. Continue reading “Interview: Nils Lofgren”
Category: Interviews
Interview: Daniel Meade – “I’m kind of touching base, going back to stuff I used to play in pubs.”
Glasgow musician and songwriter, Daniel Meade, first came to attention with The Ronelles, who had 15 minutes of fame in 2015, touring the States and Japan. Next up were The Meatmen who played a much rootsier blend of country blues before Meade kicked off his solo career. With and without his latest band, The Flying Mules, Meade has since released several albums to critical acclaim with 2014’s ‘Keep Right Away‘, recorded in Nashville with members of Old Crow Medicine Show along with Joshua Hedley and Diana Jones, perhaps the best regarded. Continue reading “Interview: Daniel Meade – “I’m kind of touching base, going back to stuff I used to play in pubs.””
Studio Life – Yunger
Felix Junger is a talented multi-instrumentalist. He plays in a number of bands across a range of genres but his latest project is a solo indie-folk record, ‘Of Journeys and Other Longings’, released under the name Yunger. It’s a wistful album, with a sense of wonder and a yearning for travel, for new experiences, for something more. Junger’s folk-guitar underpins his modern, uplifting sound and the end result is a confident, cohesive album full of summer melodies. The singer-songwriter from Austria recorded most of the instruments and mixed the album himself, showcasing his skills on the mandolin, banjo and accordion and allowing him to create rich soundscapes to soundtrack his travels. Continue reading “Studio Life – Yunger”
Studio Life – Worry Dolls
With the imminent release of a new EP and a seven-week tour coming up, Zoe Nicol and Rosie Jones of Worry Dolls will be keeping busy this autumn. The pair met in Liverpool while studying music and soon discovered that their voices, multi-instrumental talents and song writing skills were well-matched. They have been writing and performing together ever since. Worry Dolls are a lesson in following your dreams: Nicol and Jones made the difficult decision to leave their old lives behind and move to Nashville, where they recorded their well-received debut album, ‘Go Get Gone’. Their song, ‘Endless Road’, was nominated for Song of the Year at the Americana Music Association UK Awards and they have been championed by the likes of Bob Harris. So, anticipation is high for their new EP, ‘The River’. After the new song was showcased brilliantly at The Black Deer Festival, Americana-UK caught up with Worry Dolls just before the single’s release to find out more about the inspiration and song writing process. Continue reading “Studio Life – Worry Dolls”
Interview: Pete Gow – “Up close and very personal…”
Pete Gow, front man for the late Case Hardin, one of the UK’s foremost hard rocking Americana styled bands, surprised a lot of folk when he released his first solo album, ‘Here There’s No Sirens’ back in April. Gone was the rollicking and hard rocking thrust of Case Hardin, replaced by intimate stripped back songs, mainly acoustic and awash with bold brass and string arrangements. And while the sound of the album may have surprised many folk, it was praised across the board, with AUK’s review saying it was, “a deeply personal and intimate set of songs with some great lyrics and astute musicianship, all recorded wonderfully and delivered with heart.” Already, in some quarters, it’s been mentioned as likely to be in the short list for UK album of the year at the next AMAUK awards ceremony. Continue reading “Interview: Pete Gow – “Up close and very personal…””
Interview – Amy Boone
When Delines singer Amy Boone was hit by a car in a devastating freak accident in April 2016, it looked like her singing and touring career might well be over. Indeed, Willy Vlautin the band’s engine and song-writer really did fear the worst. When asked after a UK show, about Amy’s progress, he hung his head sadly as he confided that The Delines might end up being a just recording band, and that their touring days may well be over. It seems that Willy had perhaps not taken into account the gritty determination of ex Damnation lead singer, and all round tough cookie … Amy Boone. Americana-UK’s Alan Taylor spoke to her about her recovery and her musical journey, at Rough Trade Nottingham on their last visit to the UK. Continue reading “Interview – Amy Boone”
Studio Life – Danny Schmidt
For many years, Danny Schmidt has been releasing critically-acclaimed albums, full of consistently exceptional songcraft and intelligent lyricism. The Texan singer-songwriter is known for his delicate, folk guitar, warm voice and poetic approach to his subjects. A genuine troubadour, Schmidt’s songs of wit and wisdom have a timeless quality. Although Schmidt usually performs solo, he’s also released music with his wife, Carrie Elkin, who is another acclaimed singer-songwriter. Schmidt’s considered approach to lyrical content and musical arrangements mean that he can tackle powerful subjects in subtle ways. His recent record, ‘Standard Deviation’, is his tenth recording and all his experience as a writer and performer has worked its way into this well-received album. In the middle of his American tour to promote the album, Americana-UK caught up with Schmidt to find out a little more about the title track. Continue reading “Studio Life – Danny Schmidt”
Interview: Daniel Antopolsky
Daniel Antopolsky is a storyteller. He weaves narratives in and out of his songs and, when you watch him perform, the stories and songs merge. Antopolsky was a contemporary of the likes of Guy Clarke and Townes Van Zandt, one of the original outlaws, often referred to as the ‘missing outlaw’ thanks to the famous photograph taken on the porch at Guy Clark’s house. Legend has it that the character of ‘Lefty’ in Van Zandt’s much loved ‘Pancho and Lefty’ is based on Antopolsky; indeed, Antopolsky was present when the classic song was written and was the first person ever to hear it. Continue reading “Interview: Daniel Antopolsky”
Studio Life – Peter Donegan
Peter Donegan grew up with music. Surrounded by songs and the legacy of his father, Lonnie Donegan, music was always part of his life and it’s no surprise that he grew up playing guitar and piano and with a natural flair for singing. Lonnie Donegan transformed the British music industry when he led the skiffle revival in the 1950s, inspiring countless musicians who followed. Continue reading “Studio Life – Peter Donegan”
Studio Life – Frank Turner
Frank Turner needs little introduction, having released a string of successful solo albums and performed thousands of headlining gigs around the world. His appearance at the Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2012 exposed his songs to an even wider audience. Continue reading “Studio Life – Frank Turner”