a music blog about women in Americana & beyond
Ashley Monroe surprised everyone last week by dropping this new album ‘Dear Nashville’, less than a year after her last record Tennessee Lightning. With the title and the cowboy hat on the album cover it seemed to indicate this was going to be a return to the country sound of her earlier albums after a few years of experimenting with indie, folk and ethereal pop.
Continue reading “Album Review: Ashley Monroe – Dear Nashville “
Brit Taylor was inspired by listening to the great women of country music for this new album, specifically Patty Loveless and Lee Ann Womack. What she also noticed was how both artists had enlisted their husbands as producers, and so she continued that trend by working with her husband Adam Chaffins. Her last album ‘Kentucky Blue’ was produced by Sturgill Simpson, so he had big boots to fill. The result of their collaboration ‘Land of the Forgotten’ is a hugely enjoyable album of terrific, toe-tapping country tunes.
Continue reading “Album Review: Brit Taylor – Land of the Forgotten “
Emmylou Harris last played Glasgow at Country to Country festival in 2018, and since she’s turning 79 in April some thought that was the last time she would play this side of the Atlantic.
Luckily for us she decided to grace us with her divine presence one more time, beginning her European farewell tour with this career- spanning celebratory evening at Celtic Connections festival.
As many fans have pointed out, this isn’t the end. She still intends to tour America and play dates near her home in Nashville. When she stepped on the stage last night she looked sprightly on her feet and her voice sounded great, suggesting she can run for a long time yet.
Continue reading “Live Review: Emmylou Harris @ Celtic Connections, Glasgow 16/01/26”
I love this time of year when the release schedule begins to fill up and you start to feel excited for what treasures might be in store for this year. I’ve rounded up the confirmed releases, likely releases and hopes for 2026 below!
Continue reading “Music to Look Forward to in 2026 “
We’ve made it to the end of blogmas and I’ve saved the best of the year until last. It’s been great writing a post every day in December and I want to thank everyone for reading the blog this year!
So now for my favourite albums of the year by women artists. The list reflects my own personal listening and is not intended to be any kind of ‘best of’.
Please share yours in the comments! Click below to read my reviews of each album.
Continue reading “Albums of the Year 2025”
This year I made a rolling playlist of my favourite songs on Apple Music which has been hugely helpful in keeping track of what I’ve enjoyed listening to. I’ve always kept a list of songs from albums I review on Spotify but that doesn’t catch every single.
Another useful app for me is Last FM which I’ve been using since 2006 to count what I listen to. Sometimes the numbers are skewed because I have to listen to something more to review it, or just because a song came out at the beginning of the year but it still helps me to see what music I’ve gone back to.
So using those metrics alongside my own gut instinct here are my top 20 favourite songs of the year sung by women. Apologies to the artists who I just haven’t had a chance to listen to this year. Share yours in the comments and let me know what I missed!
Continue reading “Songs of the Year 2025”
I’m always searching for new Christmas music and was delighted to discover that Morgan Wade had released a short EP of festive tunes this year. She has recorded three personal favourite covers and one original for this EP ‘Christmas in My Dreams’.
Continue reading “EP Review: Morgan Wade – Christmas in My Dreams”
When the Grammys recently introduced a ‘Traditonal Country Album’ one of the artists who came straight to my mind was Brennen Leigh. She has regularly played at Robert’s Western World in Nashville, has a brilliant trio with Melissa Carper and Kelly Willis called Wonder Women of Country and just seems to perfectly encapsulate the vintage style of country music which gets unfairly overlooked by the mainstream.
Continue reading “Album Review: Brennen Leigh – Don’t You Ever Give Up On Love”
One of the most heartening stories of the year is the rise to success of Kaitlin Butts. After going viral with her song You Ain’t Gotta Die (to be Dead to Me) she got the support slot on Lainey Wilson’s tour and subsequently signed a major record label deal.
Continue reading “E.P. Review: Kaitlin Butts – Yeehaw Sessions “
Highway Queens 