Sons Of Bill | James Wilson
Sons of Bill is a straight-up down-home band made up of three brothers and a couple of their mates. In the words of leadsinger James Wilson, the band just wants to “write heartfelt songs and play kick ass shows”, and while there’s certainly no lack of bands wanting to do that south of the Mason-Dixon Line, few have proved themselves quite as capable as Sons of Bill. Mixing the Southern grit of the Drive-By Truckers with the hard rock sensibilites of Lucero and the melodies of R.E.M, Sons of Bill might just be the best thing to come out of Virginia since Steve Earle, and in this exclusive interview, we speak to James about their latest album One Town Away, their new ep Life In Shambles and why keyboards are destroying music. And in case you were wondering, yes, their dad’s name is Bill…
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Thursday, October 05, 2000 | | Bellowhead | John Spiers
Bellowhead are a folk phenomenon. Since they were founded by Jon Boden and John Spiers in 2004 they’ve been named Best Live Act at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards an unprecedented four times, performed at the BBC Proms and been Artists in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre, where amongst other things they hosted a legendary New Years Eve party last year. Their third album, Hedonism, is about to be released and Jeremy Searle caught up with John Spiers for a chat. Read more... Updated Tuesday, October 05, 2010 | | Blue Rodeo | Jim Cuddy
Since 1984, Blue Rodeo have been the finest purveyors of Canadian roots and rock music. Like The Jayhawks and Uncle Tupelo, they were among the first to get the alt.country ball rolling, and today, more than 20 years later, Blue Rodeo and its two main songwriters, Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, continue to take their sound to new places. As they prepare for their three UK dates starting September 30 in Leeds, we spoke to Jim Cuddy about their latest double album, The Things We Left Behind, why Greg Keelor hates playing clubs, and why MP3's are obviously destroying music…
Interview by Soren McGuire
Photo by Dustin Rabin Read more... Updated Tuesday, September 26, 2000 | | Marty Stuart
We’ll be the first to admit that Marty Stuart may be a bit too country for some of our readers’ tastes, but look at it this way – Marty Stuart was alt.country before that term was even coined. Having been born a bluegrass whizkid – he began playing mandolin for in bluegrass legend Lester Flatt’s band at the tender age of 14 – the Mississipi native moved on to become one of the most important and visionary musicians of his generation, constantly working hard to keep country as it was meant to be – hard, honest and a helluva long way from what it has become today. In this exclusive interview, Marty tells us all about his the new album Ghost Train – The Studio B Sessions, his continued fight against the Nashville establishment, his years working with Johnny Cash, and why he is on a mission to reclaim country music. And if that ain’t alt.country, we don’t know what the hell is.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Thursday, September 23, 2010 | | Paul Burch
It is an every lasting learning curve for Paul Burch who was first introduced in the UK via Scots drummer, Francis MacDonald (Teenage fan Club) and label boss of Shoeshine records.
Burch, who lives in Nashville and spent a couple of years playing with Americana visionaries Lambchop, has won himself a host of admirers through his work. He has worked with Mark Knopfler, Dr. Ralph Stanley and loads of other of his East Nashville contemporaries – in other words, he is simply one of the coolest alt.country musicians around.
Interview by Maurice Hope Read more... Updated Thursday, September 23, 2010 | | Frazey Ford
Back before Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? brought old time folk music and bluegrass to the masses and made just about every American singer with a banjo and a twang to her voice a superstar, there were The Be Good Tanyas. The Canadian trio, sounding like The Ronettes hanging out with The Carter Family, became a huge succes, and managed to put out three excellent albums of covers and originals before deciding to call it quits a short while back. Now, as angel-voiced leadsinger Frazey Ford prepares for her upcoming tour of the UK in support of her beautiful solo debut, Obadiah, Americana UK spoke to her about her fears, her family and the folk sensation she helped give birth to.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Thursday, September 23, 2010 | | Ann Scott
Over the course of 3 stunning and original albums, Ireland’s Ann Scott has been steadily establishing herself as one of the most courageous singer-songwriters on the scene.
Her new album "Flo" is Scott's bravest sonic venture to date; filled to bursting with mesmerising ambience and enticing, affecting songs. Ann took some time out from playing live and promoting the new album to talk to Ian Fildes about her creative processes, being praised as one of her country's most important artists, and about her dazzling new record
Interview by Ian Fildes Read more... Updated Saturday, September 23, 2000 | | Richard Thompson
Richard Thompson is a UK folk legend and all round guitar God. Starting with Fairport Convention, through a series of classic albums with his then wife Linda and onto more recent work including his 1000 years of popular music show he has consistently impressed. He has just completed his stint as the Artistic Director of the Meltdown Festival at the Southbank complex which took place over eleven nights during June and featured a record 36 events.
Thompson's latest album Dream Attic was recorded in front of a live audience. The players went through minimal preparation before embarking on the mini-tour. "We learned how to play the songs as we went," he says. On several levels, Thompson notes, these 2010 shows felt not terribly different from Fairport's very first tour of the States in 1970, which followed the exit of Sandy Denny. "That particular incarnation of Fairport was a very musical, well rehearsed and tight band".
Morag Rose rang him to find out more Read more... Updated Thursday, August 10, 2000 | | Mark Olson
As the founding father of one of the greatest alt.country bands ever to have walked the earth, Mark Olson really doesn't need much of an introduction. He is Americana royalty, as further proved by his latest solo album, Many Colored Kite, and the future indeeds looks bright for the 48-year old gentle-voiced singer. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have his battles to fight, as he tells Americana UK in this interview, in which he also answers the question on everyone's mind – will there ever be a new Jayhawks album?
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Sunday, July 30, 2000 | | Dawn Landes
With her cowboy boots, Kentuckian background and an album titled Sweet Heart Rodeo, Dawn Landes looks like the rising queen of country music. Except, she isn’t very country at all, and after having lived in both Brooklyn and Paris for longer periods of times, she doesn’t really know what she is. Saddle up as we speak to Dawn Landes about cowboys, horses and, of course, French hair saloons…
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Friday, July 30, 2010 | | Dierks Bentley
He might be based in the capitol of country music and he might have sold a ton of records, but don't let all the Nashville glitz fool you. Dierks Bentley may know his way around Music Row, but like a modern day outlaw, the 34-year old Arizona native has been building bridges between country music and Americana for years. In this exclusive interview, Dierks tells all about his amazing new album, Up On The Ridge, a revolutionary bluegrass record featuring the who's who of pickers and players, how he almost ended up on one of the biggest soundtracks in history and his infatuation with English pubs.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Saturday, July 29, 2000 | | The John Henrys | Rey Sabatin
The Canadians gave us The Band, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. But as you know, that was 40 years ago, so the question is – what's going on on the classic country rock scene in Canada in 2010? Well, meet The John Henrys, a band that takes the best from the Byrds, the Band and other Canyon Cowboys and mix it up with the sharp edged sound of modern day Americana and alternative country. We spoke to lead singer and songwriter Rey Sabatin about the new album, White Linen, why the music industry is screwing over music fans and whether or not there's really any point in making music these days.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Thursday, July 29, 2010 | | Mary Chapin Carpenter
The last time we spoke to Mary Chapin Carpenter, everything was good. Then suddenly the 52-year old singer behind some of the most beautiful records ever made, suffered a so-called pulmonary embolism, forcing her to put not only her music, but also her life on stand-by for two years. However, she fought her way back, and in this exclusive interview, she tells Americana UK all about her struggles, her fears and how the life-affirming new album, Age of Miracles, has put an end to those things.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Tuesday, July 25, 2000 | | Ilse DeLange
Holland. A country known mostly for its funny smelling tobacco, kung fu fighting football players and the Euro Americana Chart. But as Dutch country sensation Ilse DeLange sets to release her latest album, Incredible, in the UK, our neighbour to the south east might just become the other Nashville. In this interview, we have the great fortune of talking to the 33-year old talented singer and songwriter about country vs. Americana, Ilse vs. the country music purists and why Holland is all the rage these days.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Sunday, July 25, 2010 | | Chris Cook
Born and raised in Belmont, North Carolina, Chris Cook is fast showing his worth as a fine crafts man, so excellent are his compositions and prowess on acoustic guitar. Doing it the hard way, Cook has in recent times shown a love for the European audience as he has successfully transported songs influenced by a small town upbringing. From a young age music became a major factor in his life. Thanks in no small part to his mom who bought him an acoustic guitar for a pre-teen birthday instead of a bicycle and from then on with an easy, devil may care youth ahead —it has been a roller-coaster trip for Chris.
Interview by Maurice Hope Read more... Updated Tuesday, July 25, 2000 | | Gretchen Peters
Gretchen Peters has seen such top country acts as Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Pam Tillis and George Strait reap great reward through her songs. A product of the 1970s Colorado singer-songwriter scene, Peters has a natural ability of connecting with an audience. To the degree it is like she is playing for friends in her living at home when she walks on stage solo or as she has as in recent times, fellow Nashville singer-songwriter acts Suzy Bogguss and Matraca Berg join her. In this interview, Americana UK’s Maurice Hope speaks to Gretchen Peters about her career working with some of Americana’s biggest legends.
Interview by Maurice Hope Read more... Updated Sunday, July 16, 2000 | | Johnny Dowd
Maverick’s Alan Taylor bumped literally into Johnny Dowd, smoking a pre gig cigarette right outside the Boardwalk in Sheffield, just as the early fans were drifting in. Dowd cut a slim, dapper figure with his full quiff of silver hair, looking cool in sun shades, he was keen to chat and we pretty much started the interview right there and then. Puffing on his roll up, he laughed first about the cold rainy English evening and then about his recent gigs in France, where despite the language barrier, “They all seemed to laugh in the right places,” he said, blowing his smoke casually into the cold Sheffield air.
Interview by Alan J Taylor Read more... Updated Sunday, July 16, 2000 | | Delta Spirit
California countryblues-rockers Delta Spirit set out to do things the old fashioned way when they released their critically acclaimed debut album, Ode to Sunshine: Win the world over, one gig at a time, no matter how long it takes. But as it turned out, three years of constant touring damn near killed the band, as bandmember Jon Jameson tells Americana UK. But with a new album out, will Delta Spirit be able to keep off the road, or is another couple of years of touring still just a cheap price to pay for living your dream?
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Friday, July 16, 2010 | | Seth Lakeman
Like a one-man Mumford & Sons – only better dressed – Seth Lakeman has managed to bring folk music to a younger, hipper audience, who wouldn’t otherwise know their John Martyns from their Chris Martins. With his fourth album, Hearts & Minds, the Mercury Music Prize nominated Dartmoor native is once again stretching the boundaries of folk music, and in this interview, we speak to Seth about why his mission is to make folk music hip again and why it might piss off all the purists.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Wednesday, July 12, 2000 | | Mary Gauthier
Mary Gauthier is a walking, talking, breathing Americana song. She ran away from home when she was just a teenager, ended up on the wrong side of the law, did the drugs, walked the streets and lived the life so many so-called troubadours can only imagine living. In other words, Mary Gauthier is the real deal, and on her stunning sixth studio album, The Foundling, she deals with the most painful part of her life – being an adoptee, trying to track down her birth parents. Americana UK had the huge honour of talking to Mary about her music, her ongoing battle for the civil rights of adoptees and whether or not she’ll ever really be happy.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Thursday, June 29, 2000 | | Ray Wylie Hubbard
One legend – two interviews
Usually we’re pretty good at coordinating interviews here at Americana UK, but every now and then some wires get crossed and we end up sending two writers out to talk to the same Americana recording star. When it does happen, we normally just post one of the interviews on the site, but what the heck do you do when the exact for this mix up is none other than one of the biggest names in Americana music? You post both of them. So ladies, gentlemen and redneck mothers, it’s up against the wall as we present to you no less than two interviews with the legendary Texas singer, Ray Wylie Hubbard. Read more... Updated Thursday, June 29, 2000 | | Band Of Horses
It only took Benjamin Bridwell and his Band of Horses three albums to go from being the latest bearded rock band on Sub Pop to being the greatest band in America. These days they play stadiums, their latest album Infinite Arms has already sold thousands of copies, and if their leadsinger wasn’t happily married, he’d probably be dating supermodels. But when Americana UK spoke to him after their recent gig at the Roundhouse in London, Benjamin Bridwell turned out to be the nicest guy on the planet. We suspect that's what getting stoned with Willie Nelson does to you.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Monday, June 19, 2000 | | Otis Gibbs
With a talent that is as undisputed as his beard is long, Otis Gibbs sounds like Woody Guthrie after an all-night bender with Tom Waits and Steve Earle. As the American folk singer prepares for yet another tour of his home-away-from-home, we spoke to him about his new and compelling album, Joe Hill’s Ashes, the comfort of recording in your own living room and why he loves it when you offer him a bed, but hates it when you call him a political singer.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Saturday, June 19, 2010 | | Kim Richey
As is the case with artists such as Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Mary Gauthier, Kim Richey writes songs that just sort of transcends all talk of gender, age and whether or not you’re from Nashville. Her new album Wreck Your Wheels features help from Matthew Ryan and Neilson Hubbard along side a team of great players, and as she prepares for her UK tour starting this Monday, we caught up with Kim for a chat about writing hit songs, hanging out with George Martin’s son and never sticking with the Nashville way of doing things.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Tuesday, May 25, 2010 | | Blitzen Trapper
Stuck somewhere between The Byrds, The Beatles and Band of Horses, Portland’s own Blitzen Trapper is constantly on a mission to explore the boundaries of what can be called modern Cosmic American Music. Following the succes of their Furr album, Blitzen Trapper now return with Destroyer of the Void, taking them further into alt.country space. We sent over a bunch of questions to their ever busy singer, songwriter and founder Eric Early, eager to know about his banjo playing youth, why Oregon still rocks and his quest to let his songs go where no song has gone before.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Tuesday, May 25, 2010 | | Mark Bandola
Mark Bandola has an enviable CV. During the ‘80s he lead The Lucy Show to cult success; taking in tours with REM, the patronage of John Peel and also conquering US college Radio. The big time somehow eluded them, but when The Lucy Show called it a day at the beginning of the 90s, Bandola retreated into the studio, unhurried, and returned under his current guise, as the more experimental Typewriter. The third Typewriter album ‘Pictures From The Antique Skip’ is a masterful, and hugely enjoyable, psychedelic pop journey, and is released this month. Mark kindly took some time out to talk to Ian Fildes about his new album, his creative process and what inspires his remarkable sonic travails.
Interview by Ian Fildes Read more... Updated Monday, May 15, 2000 | | Sarah MacDougall
The Swedes make good music. Just think of the Willy Clay Band, The Cardigans and, erm, ABBA. So do the Canadians, who gave us Neil Young, The Band and Joni Mitchell. Throw all that into the mix and you might end up with Sarah MacDougall, a gentle-voiced troubadour currently on tour here in the UK. Her new album Across The Atlantic has already been released to excellent reviews, and in this interview she tells us all about her stagefright, the melancholy and, of course, the weather…
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Friday, May 14, 2010 | | The Avery Set
A few weeks ago this band from Nashville started roaming around the Americana UK discussion forum, spreading the word about their new album, Returning To Steam, inviting us to go to their homepage and listen to it. So we all did, and it pretty much only took a few spins to fall in love with these four young musicians who go by the name of The Avery Set. Sounding like the Uncle Tupelo for a generation raised on MTV and George W Bush, fame and fortune might be right around the corner for Chris, Jake, Brandon and Shawn, so we took the opportunity to talk to them about Nirvana, Nashville and why hanging around at Americana UK was an easy decision.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Wednesday, May 10, 2000 | | Cam Penner
In a world of lonesome, troubled troubadours, Cam Penner should be king. With a heart full of regret, a voice full of despair and songs full of proof that that "the best Americana comes from Canada" as our reviewer said it, Cam Penner is what labels like to refer to as “the real deal”. In this interview, we speak to Cam about his upcoming tour of the UK, his beautiful third album, Trouble & Despair and how his childhood in a Christian Mennonite community has affected his songwriting;
"You take the good and write about the rest"…
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Monday, May 10, 2010 | | Chuck Prophet
If anyone could pull off recording an album in Mexico City in the middle of a swine flu epidemic, with daily power cuts and earthquakes thrown in the mix, and actually have it be his finest solo album to date, it would be Chuck Prophet. Ever since joining the seminal Paisley Underground rockers Green On Red 25 years ago, the 46-year old singer and guitarist has been rigorous in his quest to fuse country with punk and rock in ways not heard before, In this exclusive interview, Chuck Prophet tells Americana UK about last year’s fantastic Let Freedom Ring!, the proper release of his old Waylon Jennings-tribute Dreaming Waylon’s Dreams and how Nashville actually saved his ass a long time ago.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Friday, April 28, 2000 | | John Hiatt
To John Hiatt, playing, performing and touring is like a drug. A never-ending love affair with music has seen him progress from teenage school band days to becoming one of the most respected musicians, songwriters and band leaders in Americana music. Everyone from Suzy Bogguss, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan to Willie Nelson by way of Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Jeff Healey and Bonnie Raitt have all covered his work, and with his acclaimed new album, The Open Road, John Hiatt once again finds himself out on the road, doing what he was meant to do. We caught up with him along the way for a chat.
Interview by Maurice Hope Read more... Updated Wednesday, April 28, 2010 | | Mumford & Sons
Despite the fact that posting an interview with a band only a few weeks after they graced the cover of the NME sort of goes against the Americana UK policy, we’re still extremely proud to present to you the biggest, loudest and most likely best country-folk band in the UK right now. Having sold thousands of copies of their debut album Sigh No More since its release late last year, and being the hottest four guys with banjos in the world right now (there aren’t any banjos on the new Avett Brothers record, Rubin!), Mumford & Sons is a sensation to be reckoned with. Americana UK met up with banjo-picker Marshall “Country” Winston and organ-player Ben Lovett before a sold out gig in Copenhagen for a word about being famous, being misunderstood and being the Jay-Z of British country music… Read more... Updated Tuesday, April 18, 2000 | | RM Hubbert
Although there’s not a dirt road in sight, Scottish guitarist RM Hubbert still caught our attention here at the Americana UK Towers. The former El Hombre Trajeado frontman plays folk music much in the same way as other great UK players such as James Blackshaw and the late great Jack Rose, and with his new Latin-influenced solo album, First & Last, marking an end to a year long break, things are looking bright for the Glaswegian. We spoke to him about doing things the Radiohead way, flamenco dancing in the streets and his Will Play For Food Programme.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Sunday, April 18, 2010 | | Old Californio
“We plug in, play and hope for the best,” says Justin Smith, drummer with Old Californio. And that’s basically all it took for the five Californians to make one of last year’s most entertaining rock records. By adding an old love for bands such as The Grateful Dead, Moby Grape and The Byrds to a contemporary country rock sound, Westering Again was the top-tapping hit no one saw coming. We sent over a bunch of questions to the San Gabriel Mountains and found out that it really is all about plugging in, playing and hoping for the best.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Sunday, April 18, 2010 | | I See Hawks In L.A
The fact that they don’t really have any hits didn’t stop L.A’s famous countryrockers I See Hawks In L.A from putting out the album Shoulda Been Gold 2001 – 2009. And why the hell should it? Even though these guys may not be regulars on any charts, they still play hard rockin’ and fun lovin’ country music like it should be played if you have the privilege of being from the same city as country rock itself. In this interview, Americana UK speaks to Paul Lacques from the band about the hits, 9/11 and of course, Lady GaGa.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Sunday, April 18, 2010 | | Paul Curreri
After suffering some serious vocal chord injuries a couple of years ago, things suddenly looked bad for Paul Curreri. But despite these injuries leaving the extremely talented songwriter without the use of his singing voice, it also helped him make his best record so far, last year’s stunning home-recorded California. In this interview, Paul Curreri tells Americana UK all about his year off from touring, taking steroids to heal his voice and how a Johnny Cash song and a drunken night in a Virginia bar changed his life forever.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Thursday, April 08, 2010 | | Joe Cassady and The West End Sound
Singer-songwriter Joe Cassady’s band, The West End Sound, was formed in Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 2005, and have been pushing back the boundaries ever since. Rock, pop, blues and country merge when Cassady, who owes as much to Kerouac as to rock’n’roll, stirs the pot in an innovative, inimitable and exciting fashion. 2007 saw the album What’s your Sign? voted one of their favourite albums of the year by the editors of USA Today and Soundstage, while ‘The 47th Problem’ made the Top Ten of the Euro-Americana Charts. In this exclusive interview, Maurice Hope speaks to Joe about the songs, the Stones and the American Spirit.
Interview by Maurice Hope Read more... Updated Thursday, April 08, 2010 | | Allison Moorer
She set out for the blinding lights of Nashville, but somehow ended up on the Americana cirquit, putting out records of fine, solid and deeply personal songwriting, and with this year’s new album, Crows, Allison Moorer once again shows that she’s up there with the best female songwriters of her generation, be it Lucinda Williams, Kathleen Edwards or her very own sister, Shelby Lynne. In this interview, we asked Allison Moorer about living life in the moment, chasing big cheques and what the hell it’s like being married to this bloke named Steve Earle.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Thursday, April 08, 2010 | | Jason & The Scorchers - Jason Ringenberg & Warner E. Hodges
Every time we get the opportunity to interview one of the great, big bands here at Americana UK, we always write how they were alternative country before that term even existed and how much we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them. But this time, ladies and gentlemen, we can truly say that THESE GUYS are the ones who got the ball rolling in the first place. Back from a 16 year hiatus, Jason & The Scorchers are once again setting the woods on fire with their almost historic mix of rambunctious rock n’roll and classic honky tonk. They have a new album out titled Halcyon Times, and they sound better than ever. In this interview, Americana UK talks to founding members Jason Ringenberg and Warner E. Hodges about being back, being happy and being louder than ever.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Thursday, March 30, 2000 | | Last Harbour
They named their fourth album after a children’s ouija board, they sound like a staring contest between Willard Grant Conspiracy and American Music Club, and they’re based in Manchester. Yes, the very talented members of Britain’s finest country noir rockers Last Harbour may have miserablism and bleakness written all over them, but as they prepare for their tour of the UK, starting 1st April, singer, songwriter and founder Kevin Craig tells Americana UK that it’s not all just doom and gloom.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Sunday, March 28, 2010 | | Divided By A Common Language
Featuring great British artists such as The Redlands Palomino Company, Alan Tyler, Mat Gibson & The Falling Hearts and Roseville Grand, Divided By A Common Language – A Collection of UK Americana looks set to do for British Americana what C86 did for indiepop. In the following, Americana UK speaks to Danny Tipping from Clubhouse Records, the new label behind this highly welcomed compilation, about the songs, the sound and what the hell this Americana thing is anyway…
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Tuesday, March 28, 2000 | | Anna Kashfi
They named themselves after Marlon Brando’s ex-wife and their songs deal with the same sense of sorrow and tragedy that has been bestowed upon Mrs Brando all through her life. Yes, Sian Webley and James Youngjohns could easily be The Handsome Family of the Northwest, but that doesn’t mean they’re “a pair of goths who like country music.” In this interview, we speak to Americana UK’s favourites from Manchester about their truly exceptional new album, Survival, hanging out with that voice from Willard Grant Conspiracy and whether or not “a few hundred people vaguely knowing who we are” can be confused with fame.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Saturday, March 20, 2010 | | Doug Paisley
One of our reviewers said it fittingly a few weeks ago: Some of the best Americana really does come from Canada, and even though this was said about another Canadian artist, it altso sits rather well with Doug Paisley. A soft voiced and gentle natured troubadour, caught somewhere between Will Oldham and James Taylor, Doug Paisley has made a self-titled album that should satisfy fans of both new and old Americana.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Saturday, March 20, 2010 | | Sid Griffin - The Coal Porters
Few men have defined the rise of alternative country to such an indisputable degree as Sid Griffin. From forming the seminal Long Ryders to creating what he himself calls alt.bluegrass with The Coal Porters, the native Kentuckian certainly requires a few chapters of his own when the book on music history is written. After having released an album with Western Electric and two acclaimed solo records, he is now back fronting the Coal Porters on their new album, Durango, which was recently deemed a “career best” in an Americana UK review. In this exclusive interview, Sid Griffin tells us all about alternative bluegrass, the ups and downs of having English players in the band, his upcoming book on Dylan and the never ending story of Gram Parsons vs. Chris Hillman.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Tuesday, March 02, 2010 | | Tony Dekker - Great Lake Swimmers
Having released one of 2009’s most beautiful and unique records with Lost Channels – a reader and staff favourite at the year end polls –the Great Lake Swimmers is probably the best Canadian band around at the moment. Big words, yes, but you need big words to match the grandeur of their forth album, recorded in the Thousand Island region in Canada. In this interview, we speak to the angel voiced singer and songwriter Tony Dekker about turning Great Lake Swimmers into a band, the recording of Lost Channels and why he’ll probably never set his foot in a studio again.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Tuesday, March 02, 2010 | | Rita Hosking
L.A has its cocaine cowboys, Bakersfield has it’s Buck Owens and Merle Haggards and San Francisco has its hippies. But the buck doesn’t stop there in the state of California. Thanks to artists like Rita Hosking, the sunshine state is also making itself heard on the folk scene, and with a nomination for best country album for her new, beautiful record, Come Sunrise, at the recent Independent Music Awards, Rita is fast on her way to becoming the next big American songstress.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Monday, February 21, 2000 | | Jace Everett
How does a five year old country rock song end up becoming the biggest - well, only – country rock hit of the decade? Simple answer – an HBO show about vampires. Sexy, half naked vampires to be precise. But the success of the tv-series True Blood and the subsequent success of its title song, Bad Things, has also made Jace Everett a rising star, both in and outside of Nashville. With his fantastic, hard rocking new album Red Revelations – co-written with Chuck Prophet - and a determination to do things the old fashioned outlaw way, they should be shitting bricks on Music Row right now. Americana UK caught up with Jace about Bad Things, bad country and bad, naked, sexy vampires.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Sunday, February 21, 2010 | | Eric Taylor
Though born and raised in Atlanta, Eric Taylor is one of the finest singer-songwriters ever to be associated with the Lone Star State of Texas. Throughout the past forty years, he has had the likes of Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett cover his songs, and as a good friend and drinking partner of the late Townes Van Zandt, Eric has seen the bottom of more than one whisky glass. In this exclusive interview, Eric tells Americana UK about his music, his life and being at the very heart of Texan music.
Interview by Maurice Hope Read more... Updated Sunday, February 21, 2010 | | John Timmins
Amchitka 1970
John Timmins talks to Soren McGuire
When it comes to protest concerts, few have had such a profound impact on history as the one that took place in Vancouver on an October night in 1970. Although often overshadowed by both Woodstock and Altamont, the Amchitka concert - featuring an impressive cast that included Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Phil Ochs – was actually responsible for launching the Greenpeace organisation. After 40 years, the concert has finally been made available via Greenpeace, and in this exclusive interview, we speak to the producer, fundraiser for Greenpeace Canada and sometime-member of the legendary Cowboy Junkies, John Timmins, about why a concert that took place nearly half a century ago still seems so immensely important. Read more... Updated Monday, February 21, 2000 | | Caitlin Rose
In a town filled with glitter, glitz and guys and girls in big, stupid hats, there’s this new singer named Caitlin Rose. She’s 22, grew up in Nashville and once saw Brenda Lee in a supermarket, yet still she has managed to keep herself at a safe distance from “the meatmarket on Music Row.” In this interview, Caitlin Rose tells Americana UK about her debut ep, Dead Flowers, Minnie Pearl, John Prine and the curse of 3rd grade politics. Read more... Updated Tuesday, February 09, 2010 | | Chris Wood
Strolling up to the Centre For Early Music inside St Margaret’s Church in York I found 2009 Folk Singer of the year Chris Wood and his band mid sound check. Quite delightful it was too, the notes seeming to echo off the stone and slate, high into rafters. Strolling up to the Centre For Early Music inside St Margaret’s Church in York I found 2009 Folk Singer of the year Chris Wood and his band mid sound check. Quite delightful it was too, the notes seeming to echo off the stone and slate, high into rafters. After a few tweaks Chris satisfied himself that all would be well and the band took off for a little pre-gig nourishment. Then in true no nonsense, combative style, Wood kicked off the interview with a couple of questions of his own!
Interview by Alan J Taylor Read more... Updated Tuesday, February 09, 2010 | | Cracker
They were alternative country before anyone knew what the hell alternative country was. They’re just about the nicest rock stars on the planet. Uncle Tupelo and the Counting Crows used to open for them, and with classic songs such as Low, Eurotrash Girl and Teen Angst, well, you just don’t really find them bigger and better than Cracker. In this exclusive interview, Americana UK caught up with legendary founders David Lowery and Johnny Hickman for a word or two about last years fantastic album, Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey, doing things the Tin Pan Alley way and teaching the Drive-By Truckers how to be country.
Interview by Soren McGuire Read more... Updated Saturday, January 29, 2000 |
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