A highlight in the Americana musical calendar is always the annual Maverick Festival in Suffolk. The first Americana festival in the UK, Maverick has been attracting audiences to the barns of Easton Farm Park since 2008. As other festivals struggle to survive in the current musical and economic climate, Maverick continues to draw in international acts and committed fans. Truly, this festival is a community, a family-friendly space for music-lovers to come together and embrace the moments, just for the love of music and the camaraderie. While last year’s event was accompanied by torrential rain (my tent, it turned out, was only made for sunshine), Maverick is usually the glorious height of the summer season – we’re used to scorching temperatures and the shade of wide-brimmed hats. During the day, in good weather, the Sweet Home Alabama stage on The Green is a relaxed open space to soak up the sunshine and the music. Meanwhile, more music can be found on The Peacock Stage and a dedicated stage for buskers, as well as on the main stage in The Barn, a fabulous venue that is open down one side, letting in the light and allowing the sounds to spill out around the festival. One of the best locations for soaking up the mood is The Moonshine Bar, which has a small stage in the middle – this is where I spent the entirety of Friday evening last year. The music and mood were so good that I couldn’t bring myself to move on even though there was so much on offer elsewhere. Some of the best moments come away from the stages, as the artists mix with the fans around the main bar, sometimes putting on impromptu busking sessions into the night after the final acts have left the stage. An array of kiosks supplies a selection of food from around the world and the on-site Willow Cafe is perfect for a proper, sit-down full English breakfast, not something to be found at every festival. The entertainment flows from Friday evening into Sunday, with that final morning session offering a more relaxed vibe and the personal sense of winding down just as the festival is around you.
The festival is so well-established that Maverick has welcomed many critically-acclaimed artists over the years, such as Mary Gauthier, Justin Townes Earle, Jerry Joseph, Diana Jones and Billy Bragg, whilst also championing many up-and-coming acts, including the likes of Yola and Larkin Poe, who you can catch early in their careers and watch them develop. Perhaps more importantly, there is always a collection of artists that may be new discoveries for you but will be absolutely spellbinding and your musical life will be enriched for having made the connection to their art.
The recent announcement that Michele Stodart, UK Americana Awards Artist of the Year for 2024, has joined the line-up is very welcome. The multi award-winning singer song-writer, also known for being a member of The Magic Numbers, produces aching, confessional songs that are simply beautifully formed. She’ll be joined by the outstanding David Ford, who is superb solo but also a wonderful collaborator – his recent work with Annie Dressner is heartfelt and delicate and full of fragile melodies. Other local talent includes Brixton-born Errol Linton and one of the UK’s most renowned female pedal steel players in Holly Carter. The Hackney Hillpickers will get you moving with some contemporary, capital city bluegrass and The Bondurants will bring a rockier sound down from Leeds.
This year there’s a huge selection of international guests, including Todd Day Wait from Missouri, Californian outlaw queen Sara Petite, Canadian Elise LeBlanc and Kelly Mickwee from Memphis. Prinz Grizzley will deliver his Austrian Alpine take on Americana while Swedish sisters Baskery will also bring alt-country with European flavour. One of the most exciting prospects is Portland rising stars Glitterfox, whose nostalgia-drenched, southern-influenced indie-rock anthems are utterly absorbing and made for live performances. Maverick has partnered with friends in Lafayette, Louisiana – the capital of Cajun culture – to bring the spicy flavours on The Cajun Kitchen and spectacular Cajub sounds to the festival. Texan zydeco master Ruben Moreno and Lil Jim on the accordion will get you dancing alongside Paul McCartney’s favourites The Cajun Roosters. Like all the best festivals, there’s almost too much to take in and audiences will be spoiled for choice. One act everyone is sure to see is ‘Artist at Large’ Chris Murphy, an incredibly gifted violinist, who will no doubt work his way around the stages, joining other artists with his inspired embellishments to their songs. At last year’s festival, Murphy appeared with at least fourteen different artists over the weekend, joining them on stage for unrehearsed, entirely improvised collaborations that all sounded like they had worked together for months or years. Now, that’s talent.
We asked festival-founder Paul Spencer what we can expect and what he is looking forward to this year. He told AUK: “As always we try to push the boundaries of Americana and this year have expanded our Cajun and Zydeco programme as well as including the British blues maverick Errol Linton. Our special guests from Portland, Oregon the indie outfit GLITTERFOX will be something exceptional to watch out for. Longtime roots music agent Bob Patterson and the legendary Green Note are both celebrating twenty years in the business and together they’re curating a stage on Friday night so that will be very special. Ticket sales are encouraging so the prospects are good for another cracking event hopefully returning to our customary good weather after last summer’s uncharacteristic deluge!”
For a clearer picture of what to expect, check out my review of last year’s event here, which I concluded by writing: “The Maverick Festival has been running ever since 2008 but it still feels like a group of friends getting together – a sense reinforced by the way artists keep popping up in one-another’s sets, offering support and camaraderie. There’s also the fact that many acts who have played previously have stayed in touch and often return. The venues are intimate spaces and the distance between the musicians and the fans is small, literally, small and artists can often be found in the Company Store or at the bar. The music is always of a high standard, a mix of acts that are well-known to Americana fans and new discoveries and, above all, the atmosphere is genuine and communal. A weekend at Maverick Festival comes highly recommended.” What more do you want? This is what music and weekends were invented for.
In challenging times for the music industry, an age when artists are barely rewarded by streaming services and independent music venues are struggling to stay open, it’s all the more important that music-lovers continue to support grassroots events like the Maverick Festival. A showcase for established artists and an opportunity for newer acts, Maverick feels essential for the health of Americana in this country. So, set aside that weekend in early July to make new friends, discover new artists, enjoy getting up close to some of your favourites, and celebrate all we love about music and the communal live experience. Tickets are available here.
