British Americana fans – that includes us dear reader – will be flocking to Hackney, East London for 3 days of their annual conference in January as AmericanaFest UK returns for its 4th year. The event consists of two days of conferences and showcases which are then topped off by a third day of events and the coveted UK Americana Awards 2019. Continue reading “AmericanaFest UK is back in January – here are all the details”
The always lovely antipodean americana singer-songwriter Emily Barker whose latest album ‘Sweet Kind of Blue’ received a glowing review from us last year, is touring around the UK this week. The AMA-UK artist of the year for 2018 played Winchester on Saturday if you are Dr Who or have a time machine – and is playing other dates which you can peruse below. She’s also released a new video for the song ‘No. 5 Hurricane’ which you can watch below. Continue reading “Storm alert! Emily Barker’s Hurricane hits the UK this week”
Oh well, this will wreck our Google search result listings – what possessed them to use the terms “americana” and “UK” in the same headline? Billboard has an article today entitled “U.K. Americana Hits America, and Vice Versa, In New Roots Exchange” which is an incredibly interestingyou read about our symbiotic relationship with the genre over in the States, selling snow to the Eskimos as it were. They report: “The idea of U.K. artists playing Americana, not just at home but in the U.S. itself, might once have seemed hopelessly ambitious. But as the genre, and the reception of it, has expanded into an ever-broader church, British acts are not only nudging doors ajar, but the two countries are enjoying something of a cultural Americana exchange — to the benefit of roots musicians on both sides of the Atlantic. Continue reading “Billboard: Americana in the UK is a thing”
Emily Barker is one of those names that has been around the UK Americana scene, since it was both identified as a ‘scene’ and as a distinct musical genre. A pathfinder, a trailblazer, and first with her Red Clay Halo, then as part of Applewood Road a consistent purveyor of great music. She stretches the musical parameters, and possibly herself with a wonderfully soul soaked new record, Sweet Kind of Blue, recorded in Memphis. Continue reading “Interview: Emily Barker”
Australian Emily Barker has been firmly in the spotlight over the past decade with her band The Red Clay Halo (who played at the London Olympics opening ceremony) along with her stints in Vena Portae and Applewood Road. Her songs have been featured on the BBC’s Wallander and The Shadow Line while she also provided the soundtrack for Peter Mullan and Jake Gavin’s film, Hector. Her voice, always warm and direct, and her various recordings have seen her firmly set in the folky side of country pigeonhole but Sweet Kind Of Blue finds her heading into country soul territory, geographically as well as musically as she headed off to Memphis to record the album. Continue reading “Emily Barker “Sweet Kind Of Blue” (Everyone Sang, 2017)”
Aussie singer-songwriter Emily Barker has announced the release of a new album “Sweet Kind of Blue” which lands on May 19th on the Everyone Sang label. Described as “a departure from her folk-based sound” the record reaches more into the Country / Americana space, having been recorded in Memphis with Grammy-award winning producer Matt Ross-Spang (Margo Price, Jason Isbell) alongside various members of Memphis ‘music royalty’ as her backing band, who are always a better backing band than actual royalty. Continue reading “New Emily Barker record due next month”
