CLASSIC COUNTRY

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Brad Paisley Announces London Show At The O2

The stetson-lovin’ Grammy winner is returning to British shores this October for his irst dates since 2017

SOUTH-WEST GETS A U.S. FLAVOUR

Americana legends and award-winning bands are coming

BROTHERS GONNA WORK IT OUT

Alt-country cult artists The Felice Brothers are returning with their first new album in three years

PLUCKY DELINES ARE BOUNCING BACK

Amy Boone is back on her feet

MORGANWAY RELEASE ROCKING DEBUT SINGLE

Frozen In Our Time is an intoxicating mix of West Coast rock and radio-friendly country

Pushing the boundaries of Americana

Celebrating its 12th anniversary, Maverick Festival returns to Eastern Farm Park from 5-7 July with a packed line-up

Under The Apple Tree Hits The Road

If you haven’t heard of Wildwood Kin before, you will have soon…

RAMBLIN’ ROOTS IS GOOD TO GO

The full line-up of the Ramblin’ Roots Revue 2019 has been announced

SPECIAL REPORT AmericanaFest UK 2019

If you want to judge the current health of the Americana and country music scene in Britain, there’s probably no better place than AmericanaFest UK to take its temperature, as Helen M Jerome discovered

IN HIS OWN WORDS

JOHN OATES (interviewed by Bob Harris at AmericanaFest

IN HIS OWN WORDS

RAY BENSON OF ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

Black Deer Festival Adds Iconic Acts

Kris Kristofferson among newly-announced names

COMPLETE YOUR COUNTRY MUSIC COLLECTION

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IRISH GRASSROOTS

In this issue’s Grassroots we take a look at our neighbours in Ireland to find out a little bit more about their thriving country music scene

OUT & ABOUT WITH…

Nathan Carter

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

The godfather of country swing hotfoots it from the UK Americana Awards to give the icy north a taste of some Texas cool

Elles Bailey

If you like your Americana on the bluesy side and shot through with some Muscles Shoals soul, look no further than husky-voiced Bristol artist, Elles Bailey

AMERICANAFEST UK 2019 THE LIVE SHOWCASES

Country Music braved the icy climes of North London to check out the Americana acts you’ll be seeing more of in the coming months and years, appearing in five venues over two nights of non-stop showcases …

RENAISSANCE MAN

Tom Russell is often dubbed the “Father of Americana” – even though he’s uncomfortable with the label. He moves around genres and crosses continents, and his songs have been covered by everyone from Johnny Cash and Joe Ely to kd lang…

THE BIRTH OF A NATION’S MUSIC

This month, we celebrate the very best heartland stars of country who found a rich seam of magic within the roots music tradition

Essential COUNTRY ALBUMS

From the roots of country to the neotraditionalists of now, here’s an essential playlist

JOHNNY CASH MAKES HIS MARK

Right from his 1955 debut with Sun Records, Johnny Cash templated a style and sound that still rules over country music. But it could have been very different…

JOHNNY THE CASH MACHINE

With releases on two labels, JC’s early days delivered 18 albums in just seven years

THE SOUND OF MONEY

Anyone who sees Nashville as the home of country music is mistaken. Nashville is the home of country business. And it took over in the 60s…

MY NAME IS MERLE

Merle Haggard was a man of contradictions. A smooth-tongued crooner who sang songs of fighting and an icon of redneck Republicanism who voted for Obama. We pay tribute to the man they nicknamed “the poet of the common man”…

OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE – POLEMIC OR SATIRE?

Merle Haggard was a man unafraid to embrace his own contradictions – and he did so on his most famous song. Here are a few interesting facts about it…

THE GREATEST

“If we all could sound like we wanted to, we’d all sound like George Jones” sang Waylon Jennings. The man known as The Possum was the hero of other country heroes and he didn’t just sing country songs: he lived them…

BY GEORGE

FIVE OF THE POSSUM’S GREATEST SONGS

THE FULL NELSON

At 85, Willie Nelson is still one of country music’s most irreverent and compelling figures. We talk to his one-time Highwaymen colleague Kris Kristofferson about four decades of friendship…

WANTED! THE OUTLAWES

In 1976, Willie Nelson teamed up with fellow bad boys Waylon Jennings and Tompall Glaser for an album that would become a classic of the outlaw country sound

PLAYING IT STRAIT

After the scattershot 70s, country rediscovered its roots in the most unlikely decade. Leading the neo-traditionalists and wearing the biggest hat was the immovable George Strait…

KEEPING TRADITION ALIVE

STRAIT WASN’T ALONE IN PLOUGHING THE SO-CALLED ‘NEO-TRAD’ FIELD BEGINNING IN THE 80S. OTHER BIG HITTERS INCLUDE…

POST-PATSY PIONEERS

It’s been a long time since country was the preserve of men only. Following in the footsteps of Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn have been a cavalcade of trailblazing female country singers. So let’s celebrate the sisters who did it for themselves…

HELLO, I’M DOLLY

Released in February 1967, Dolly Parton’s debut album announced the arrival of a major new talent in country music…

SOUNDS FAMILIAR

HELLO, I’M DOLLY WAS A FINE “HOWDY DO” TO MS PARTON’S PUBLIC, BUT IN FACT THEY WERE ALREADY ACQUAINTED WITH HER SONGS…

CAPTAIN AMERIPOLITAN

Rejecting the ‘country’ label to lead the charge for the music he loves, Dale Watson is ighting for truth, justice, and the Ameripolitan way. Is he the hero ‘proper’ country music not only deserves, but really needs?

AMERIPOLITAN WAY

DALE WATSON PICKS FIVE MUSICAL HEROES AND HEROINES THAT HE SWEARS BY

THE BIG SHOT

As producer, A&R man and CMA Award-winning songwriter, Buddy Cannon has been a pillar of the Nashville establishment since the early 90s and is now in his 22nd year of helming hits by Kenny Chesney…

WHO ON EARTH IS LYLE LOVE TT?

He’s spent over three decades carving out his own unique niche in country music, while also dabbling in acting, motorbikes, photography, and equestrian sport. So who is the real Lyle Lovett? Country Music follows the clues…

REVIEWS

Country Music magazine rates all the albums reviewed

STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES

Steve Earle + Guy Clark’s songs is a match made in

GEORGE STRAIT

HONKY TONK TIME MACHINE

MAREN MORRIS

It’s maybe stretching things to say that the future

JASON RINGENBERG

As leader of Jason & The (Nashville) Scorchers

PATTY GRIFFIN

When an established artist releases a selftitled album

TOM RUSSELL

OCTOBER IN THE RAILROAD EARTH

ROSSI/RICKARD

WE TALK TOO MUCH

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

CAN’T SAY I AIN’T COUNTRY

RYAN BINGHAM

AMERICAN LOVE SONG

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND

Florida roots-rockers in reflective mood for fourth

HAROLD F EGGERS JR WITH L.E. MCCULLOUGH

MY YEARS WITH TOWNES VAN ZANDT: MUSIC, GENIUS AND RAGE

TOWNES VAN ZANDT

Townes Van Zandt, had he lived, would have turned 75