a music blog
After two albums where she strayed somewhat from her country music roots, Margo Price is back in the genre she started in with the release of this new album ‘Hard Headed Woman’. This week she played the Opry, wearing clothes loaned from Loretta Lynn’s archive, suggesting Margo has come home, all guns blazing, ready to take back the genre once again.
Continue reading “Album Review: Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman”
In celebration of her new album ‘Tennessee Lightning’ the gorgeous Ashley Monroe returned to play Glasgow, sharing the billing with her friend Fancy Hagood for the evening. With Scotland basking in the late summer sun the talented pairing brought a little Southern charm and positive healing light to the St Luke’s stage.
Continue reading “Live Review: Ashley Monroe & Fancy Hagood @ St Luke’s, Glasgow 25/08/25”
Recently I stumbled across this album ‘Just a Stranger’ released earlier this year by Henri Cash from Starcrawler and Sophia Skye de Reeder, daughter of Pierre from Rilo Kiley (who also co-produced the record with Henri). The picture on the cover makes them look like the children of Jack White and Jenny Lewis and their sound isn’t far from that ideal mix either. The duo are fresh from supporting Rilo Kiley on some of their comeback shows.
Continue reading “Album Review: Cash & Skye – Just a Stranger”
This week I was lucky enough to see a preview of the new stage musical version of ‘Wild Rose’ at the Lyceum theatre in Edinburgh. Originally a heartfelt film starring Jessie Buckley (which I reviewed a few years back) the story has been lovingly adapted for the stage by its Scottish writer Nicole Taylor.
Continue reading “Women & Country Music Take Centre Stage in ‘Wild Rose’ “
Caylee Hammack first came to my attention when she sang with Miranda Lambert and friends on a fun cover of ‘Fooled Around and Fell in Love’. She then was part of Ashley McBryde’s underrated Lindeville album, bringing a touch of glamour to the songs about small town life. With her red hair and fiery voice Caylee has set herself apart from the other mainstream country music singers and this new album ‘Bed of Roses’ showcases her talents beautifully.
Continue reading “Album Review: Caylee Hammack – Bed of Roses”
Released fifty years ago this week, ‘Pieces of the Sky’ is the album that launched Emmylou Harris’s career. She has often referred to it as her ‘debut’, attempting to gloss over her first failed release ‘Gliding Bird’.
Continue reading “Emmylou Harris’s Discography – Pieces of the Sky (1975)”
After a disappointing week for women in country music, what fans need is some new, young fresh blood, someone who has a bit of spark, personality and who can restore some faith in the future of the genre. Enter Willow Avalon with her new album Southern Belle, Raisin’ Hell.
Continue reading “Album Review: Willow Avalon – Southern Belle, Raisin’ Hell”
I know it sounds insane but Miranda Lambert begins her 10th album ‘Postcards from Texas’ by hitching a ride with a gun-toting armadillo, and that surreal song sums up where she is in her career: off the beaten track, free from expectations, back in her home state of mind, no longer caring too much about the Nashville establishment, ready to have a good time, driving off to whatever adventure seems interesting with her guitar and her buddies along for the journey.
Continue reading “Album Review: Miranda Lambert – Postcards from Texas “
By choosing to start her new album with the killer line: ‘country music made do it and I’ll do it til I die’ followed by the sound of a fiddle, Carly Pearce is making it clear to country fans: she’s in this genre for the long haul.
Her last album, 29 was her most country sounding record and also her most vulnerable lyrically – this combination worked wonders for her career, winning her both commercial and critical acclaim (and a Grammy). Carly continues on that strong streak on ‘hummingbird’, sounding ever more comfortable and confident in her musical choices and songwriting – even producing the album herself.
Continue reading “Album Review: Carly Pearce – hummingbird”
Highway Queens 