Every festival I’ve been to for the last 5 years has ended up as kind of tsunami of varying proportions, and if you believe it’s all evidence of the Gods’ passing judgement on the headliners, then somebody up there must think quite a lot of new americana festival Black Deer which took place for the first time this year in the idyllic surroundings of Eridge Park in Kent. Every stage but one was geared up for whatever the weather held in store but as it happened it could have taken place without a single tent and canopy and it would still have been fine. Continue reading “Black Deer Festival – Eridge Park, 22nd-24th June 2018”
Jason Isbell hits the UK next week for an appearance at the Black Deer Festival down in Kent and if you can’t make it there in person, the next best thing is listening from the comfort of your own armchair/kitchen stool/car. RS Country report: “For Americana fans, one of the live music highlights of 2017 was Jason Isbell’s historic six-night, sold out run at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Now, Isbell has two exciting new Ryman-related announcements. 
News in from the AMA overnight (the US version) of their list of nominees for their honours and awards for 2018, and there’s good news for Mr Isbell, Margo Price and Brandi Carlile among others – in fact the lists are dominated by the 3 artists, although they are also joined by Mary Gauthier for her excellent “Rifles & Rosary Beads” record, nominated for album of the Year), John Prine (nominated for Artist of the Year), and Lee Ann Womack (nominated for Song of the Year). 
Rolling Stone are reporting a nice little interview this morning with Jason Isbell who talks to Sam Jones in the latest episode of the online Off Camera interview series about various things including bad music which he describes as “a means to, or more precisely a hindrance to, understanding other peoples’ experiences of the world.” They go on to report: “Jones brings up the idea of empathetic songwriting and its importance in the context of the pop format, which leads Isbell to argue for the moral significance of “good” music. 
RS has published a nice piece on Jason Isbell which includes some snippets from an interview they recently had with him. They report: “At this year’s Grammys, where he was up for several awards, Jason Isbell didn’t exactly tear the place up. “We weren’t on the televised part of the show, so we didn’t get the good seats,” he says with a good-natured laugh. “We wound up eating chicken fingers from the concession stand.” 
After the first line-up announcement for the UK’s newest Americana & Country shindig, Black Deer Festival which takes place in Kent at the end of June, more acts have been added to the bill. Joining Iron & Wine, Passenger, Ward Thomas and AMA UK award winner Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit in a UK festival exclusive, Kiefer Sutherland, Ashley Campbell, Sam Palladio, The Webb Sisters and Bob Harris’ Emerging Artist winners Wandering Hearts have now been added to the line-up. Here in the further reaches of Scouseville we’re wondering “why is Kent so far from Liverpool?” but then we’re still making plans. Fickle essentially. Head to the 
News this morning from our sticky friends over at Paste who hosted Tommy Emmanuel in their midtown Manhattan studio last week. They report: “Emmanuel performed three songs and discussed his new duets album, Accomplice One. The album features collaborations with artists such as Ricky Scaggs, Amanda Shires, Mark Knopfler and Jason Isbell, among many others. During his Paste session interview, Emmanuel specifically opened up about what it was like to work with Isbell. 
Lovely news overnight from the Grammys with some so well deserved wins for Jason Isbell and Aimee Mann amongst others. RS reports: “Jason Isbell, Alabama Shakes and Reba McEntire were early winners at the 60th annual Grammy Awards when the Americana and roots music categories were announced during the pre-telecast Premiere Ceremony, streamed live online. Isbell triumphed in both the Best Americana Roots Song and Best Americana Album categories, for “If We Were Vampires” and The Nashville Sound, respectively. Emerging from the back of the Theater at Madison Square Garden, Isbell ambled to the podium.