Category: News

Cambridge Folk Festival 2020 cancelled

The organisers of this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival have announced that this year’s festival is cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. The organisers have released a statement on their website which goes on to say: “Although this is a great disappointment, the safety and welfare of festival-goers, artists, staff, contractors and crew who collectively make this very special event possible is the top priority. Those that have already booked tickets will be offered the choice of a refund or the chance to hold onto the tickets for the 2021 edition. The organisers would like to take this opportunity to thank customers for their support and loyalty and look forward to welcoming festival-goers once again in 2021.” Continue reading “Cambridge Folk Festival 2020 cancelled”

Something for the weekend: Josh Ritter records the Silo Sessions – Watch

Well it’s been a funny old week of course and there may be many more funny old weeks to come but we do intend to keep our content overflowing with things for you to read, watch or listen to. We leave you this week with an hour-long recording by Josh Ritter – as one of many artists self-isolating, he’s recorded one of those increasingly common “gig in my house” things, and creatively called it the Silo Sessions which we wish we’d thought of first. You can tip him for the performance here – all proceeds go to Win NYC to help support and shelter women and children in need. Here’s the full Instagram post on the session: Continue reading “Something for the weekend: Josh Ritter records the Silo Sessions – Watch”

Jackson Browne tests positive for Corona, releases new song – Listen

Jackson Browne told Rolling Stone a couple of days ago that he’d tested positive for coronavirus: “As soon as I had a small cough and a temperature, I tested [for COVID-19]. My symptoms are really pretty mild, so I don’t require any kind of medication and certainly not hospitalization or anything like that.” Continue reading “Jackson Browne tests positive for Corona, releases new song – Listen”

Jason Isbell covers DBT’s “Heathens” – Watch

Jason Isbell has posted a homemade recording of ‘Heathens’ the fan favourite from his former band Drive-By Truckers’ 2003 album ‘Decoration Day.’ The song has always been a favourite of Isbell’s, describing it as a “monster of a song” in his Instagram post and naming it as one of his all-time favourite DBT’s tracks earlier this year. Here it is.

Become an AUK supporter and help UK musicians during the current crisis

Hello dear readers. We are in unprecedented times which are worrying for everyone, but particularly for those who make a living from their music who are facing specific challenges at the moment. With essentially the whole world in lockdown for the foreseeable future, musicians who often survive on the basis of their live earnings face a  perilously uncertain time ahead, both in terms of finances and more broadly their health and wellbeing. Continue reading “Become an AUK supporter and help UK musicians during the current crisis”

Chuck Prophet in pretentiousness accusation

Now normally we’d be the first leaping to Chuck Prophet’s defence from this terrible accusation that he is in some way pretentious.  Trouble is we’re in a quandary since the accusation comes from well known Chuck Prophet expert Chuck Prophet.  Yes – this is a  self accusation.  What days we live in. Continue reading “Chuck Prophet in pretentiousness accusation”

Pharis & Jason Romero announce new album, due June

Pharis and Jason Romero have announced the release of a new album ‘Bet On Love’ which is described as “a modern folk ode – to sentimental anchorings and to relationships between place, people and time”. Recorded in Pharis & Jason’s banjo shop outside Horsefly, British Columbia, with the help of producer Marc Jenkins (the duo’s 2018 Juno-winning ‘Sweet Old Religion’ producer) and sound engineer John Raham, the album is quite literally homegrown. Continue reading “Pharis & Jason Romero announce new album, due June”

Various americana tours and festivals cancelled or postponed

Well this will come as surprising news to precisely no-one but the tour and festival cancellations are coming in thick and fast in the light of restrictions around travel and public gatherings now in place across the UK and the rest of the world. Jeffrey Foucault & Ry Cavanaugh have announced the “cancellation / indefinite postponement” of all April dates in the UK, as has Eileen Rose & The Holy Wreck who had dates planned for April/May, and Frank Turner for his remaining dates this week. Continue reading “Various americana tours and festivals cancelled or postponed”

Another one bites the dust – C2C 2020 postponed

We are and remain an americana site but realise that for many of our readers big hat/bro/mo country music is also a thing so it’ll be a disappointment to many that the UK’s biggest country music festival C2C is being postponed due to concerns around coronavirus. Continue reading “Another one bites the dust – C2C 2020 postponed”

Dean Owens & The Southerners hit the road

Dean Owens is set to tour the UK throughout March, after which he’ll follow up with festival appearances, including the Orkney Folk Festival in May and the Maverick Festival in July. He’ll be performing songs from his latest compilation album, ‘The Man From Leith (The Best of Dean Owens)’ a collection of songs from his 7 official solo albums. A natural storyteller, Dean draws inspiration from his life, his family and travels. Some are from his personal history including the title track, about his father’s life from the shipyards in Leith to working the roads across Scotland and ‘Dora’ – about his circus born grandmother and his lion tamer ancestor (Ambrose Salvona) – who originally came from northern Italy and ended up in a graveyard in Inverness, with a Salvation Army band salute at his funeral. Continue reading “Dean Owens & The Southerners hit the road”