Following on from Peter Churchill’s excellent choice last week I was thinking that what I particularly love about Americana is the quality of the songwriting. With that in mind I’ve decided to post a track from another Peters – Gretchen Peters (no relation), who I think has consistently been one of the best songwriters in this genre since she first came to prominence back in the mid-’90s. This is the title track from her 2012 album ‘Hello Cruel World’ and it epitomises the quality of her songs – great storytelling, great melody, a little wry humour.
Tag: Gretchen Peters
10 songs for lovers of great writing
Mark Underwood continues his irregular feature on music by great songwriters with great lyrics.
Continue reading “10 songs for lovers of great writing”
Gretchen Peters with The Southern Fried String Quartet, Cadogan Hall, London, 20th April 2019
Gretchen Peters has composed hits for Etta James, George Strait, Neil Diamond and Shania Twain to name just a few, she has been nominated for Grammy Awards and was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014. Brandy Clark has said of her, “Gretchen Peters is a songwriter’s writer – the kind of inspiring artist and writer we strive to be like and one we use as a measuring stick for our own work.” She’s also an inspiring performer and all of the above was in evidence tonight with a career spanning collection of songs whose captivating quality could not be denied. Aside from appearing with her band the show also featured a string quartet, a concept originally devised for Peters’ performance at last year’s Southern Fried Festival in Scotland’s Perth, hence the quartet’s name and the banner – “The Strings Attached Tour.” Continue reading “Gretchen Peters with The Southern Fried String Quartet, Cadogan Hall, London, 20th April 2019”
Southern Fried Festival, Perth, Scotland, 26-29th July 2018
Eleven years old this year Southern Fried continues to occupy its position as the best Americana and roots music festival in Scotland and perhaps the best of its kind in the UK (although there are three contenders who might challenge that assumption). The festival doesn’t rest on its laurels however and this year saw its headline shows expanded to include the Thursday night while there was the welcome return of the renovated Perth Theatre to the roster of venues as it hosted ticketed and free events. What doesn’t change however is the mixture of world famous acts, the cream of international and UK roots music and a generous helping of more local musicians all adding up to four days of joyous music concentrated within the centre of one of Scotland’s most beautiful cities. Continue reading “Southern Fried Festival, Perth, Scotland, 26-29th July 2018”