Sunny Sweeney recently released a 10th-anniversary reimagining of her 2014 album ‘Provoked’ via Thirty Tigers. ‘Still Provoked’ features new versions of all thirteen tracks on the original release plus two new songs and is available for the first time on vinyl as a limited edition 2LP set alongside CD and Digital. Sunny will return to the UK in November for a ten-date tour. Please read on for more about Sunny Sweeney, the visualizers for ‘My Own Lane’ and ‘My Bed’ (featuring Will Hoge') plus those tour dates.

The Long Road festival has announced the one and only Don McLean will headline the Saturday night of the 2024 festival. The legendary singer/songwriter is at the forefront of a host of new additions to the festival announced today including a first-ever UK show from Paula Cole alongside Ron Pope, Alan Power & the Take Twos, Brooke Eden, Dylan LeBlanc, Gangstagrass, Katie Pruitt, The National Parks, Scott Matthews, Georgia Van Etten, Toby Sebastian, Jess Williamson, The Deep Blue and more joining an already stacked line-up featuring Russell Dickerson, The Red Clay Strays, Randall King, Drew Holcomb, Morganway, American Aquarium, Chapel Hart and many, many more. The full press release follows with all the info you’ll need for a fantastic weekend of great music.

No stranger to our shores, Toronto-based singer and songwriter Julian Taylor returns to the UK for a run of shows kicking off in Shoreham-By-Sea on August 22nd. The dates are in support of his upcoming album Pathways, which is set for release on 27th September 2024 via his Howling Turtle, Inc. label, and include shows at The Long Road festival and London’s Water Rats. A full list of dates and a little more about Julian Taylor, including a link to the title track featuring Allison Russell follow:

A double dose of good news regarding Mobile, Alabama’s The Red Clay Strays as they announce their first-ever visit to the UK and a physical release for their excellent ‘Moment Of Truth’ album. Already making waves on the other side of the pond, ‘Moment Of Truth’ will see a physical release on May 3rd, with UK fans able to order an exclusive limited edition transparent Root Beer colour vinyl alongside the standard Seagrass vinyl pressing on sale worldwide. The other good, make that great, news is the band will be playing a short run of UK shows in August, culminating in a slot at The Long Road Festival on August 24th. The full press release, full tour details and more follow:

Acclaimed US singer-songwriter Amigo The Devil (aka Danny Kiranos) recently announced a string of UK and Irish dates in support of his third album ‘Yours Until The War Is Over’. The force of nature that is Amigo The Devil is an impressive experience in a live setting so I’d urge you to get along to a show if possible. Full tour details and a little more about Amigo The Devil and the album follows:

Tom Heyman will bring a slice of San Francisco to the UK in March when the US singer-songwriter visits our shores for a run of dates opening for Dan Stuart of Green On Red fame that will crisscross the country and include two London shows. Tom is promoting his recent ‘24th Street Blues’ release, an album rooted in the sounds and the people that inhabit the city he calls home. Following on from his run of shows with Dan Stuart, Tom will squeeze in a special in-the-round songwriters show with Our Man In The Field and Michele Stodart at London’s Green Note on March 24th. Tom Heyman is a seasoned performer, and ‘24th Street Blues’ is his sixth solo album while still being an in-demand guitarist and pedal steel player with many artists, including Hiss Golden Messenger and Chuck Prophet. Tour dates and much more about Tom Heyman follow:

Alex Ellis, aka Our Man In The Field, released his excellent second album ‘Gold On The Horizon’ in November 2023 to universal acclaim. RGM was lucky enough to get along to a launch show at London’s Slaughtered Lamb to coincide with the release and left highly impressed by a superb set of songs delivered beautifully by Alex and his band with unhurried, understated grace. I’m pleased to report that OMITF will be playing selected shows in January, commencing at London’s Green Note on the 14th, before embarking on a longer run of dates in February. Full tour details follow:

The Long Road Festival returns to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire for an event that is now an essential part of the UK summer for fans of all things Country, Roots and Americana. The first set of artists announced for August 25-27th is an impressive mix of big names, rising stars and a wide range of talented newcomers. Jon Pardi making his UK debut is a coup, while Blackberry Smoke are guaranteed to rock late into the Leicestershire night. Scratching the surface of the initial batch of artists, you will find Breland, Margo Price, Tenille Townes and Nickel Creek, highlighting the sheer range and variety of music waiting to be discovered. Tier 4 Tickets are on sale from Friday, March 3rd, so please read on for more about the festival, the artists and ticketing links.

The 2023 edition of the Cambridge Folk Festival features a typically eclectic range of artists. If you’ve a pre-conceived idea of what constitutes “folk”, then Cambridge in late July will surely open your eyes and ears to a wide range of sounds from all parts of the globe. From stalwarts of the festival such as Kate Rusby and Eliza Carthy to progressive rap collective Arrested Development. Not convinced? How about Hollywood actor turned highly impressive singer/songwriter Kiefer Sutherland or the more home-spun silver screen success of Fisherman’s Friends. More info about the festival and the artists follows, including ticketing details:

There are plenty of Americana/roots festivals to choose from, but Maverick Festival, returning for its sixteenth year at Easton Farm Park, Suffolk, can justifiably live up to its claim of “Getting it right since 2008”. This year’s offering is shaping up nicely with Tom Russell, Laura Cantrell, Suzie Ungerleider and The Hoth Brothers among the early announcements, alongside such returning favourites as Rich Hall, Carter Sampson, Amelia White and Jon Langford.

Jake Smith aka The White Buffalo, unveiled the most ambitious project of his career with the release of ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’ late last year to impressive reviews. The Jay Joyce produced work ebbs and flows via a series of striking musical diversions, opening up a world of possibilities for the singer-songwriter. If you think you know The White Buffalo, trust me, you don’t until you’ve heard ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’. One of the best ways to appreciate the record is the excellent film of the album linked below. More about The White Buffalo, the film, tour dates and much more follow:

No stranger to the UK, Chastity Brown makes a welcome return to our shores for a run of shows commencing at The Water Rats in London on May 23rd. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that Chastity is fantastic live, one of those rare artists with a story to tell and the ability to communicate that story to everyone in the room. Chastity released her sixth (by my count) album ‘Sing To The Walls’ in 2022. More about Chastity Brown and those dates follow: 

We recently caught up for a chat with Jerry Leger (Baker's Dozen Interview) as the Canadian singer and songwriter had just released an EP of cover tunes. As it turns out, Jerry was keeping busy, as prior to a UK tour which kicks off in High Wycombe on May 8th, he has another EP, this time of self-penned material set for release on April 28th entitled ‘The Time Flew By’. This EP consists of cuts that he couldn’t squeeze onto previous albums for reasons such as the flow and the overall feel of the record, which is a pretty refreshing approach when many artists seem obsessed with single tracks. You can check out the video for the title track from the EP below, where you will also find the tour schedule.

Gareth Dunlop will continue to promote his excellent 2022 album ‘Animal’ with two upcoming tours and a London headline show. The tours are as the special guest of two very different artists, which reinforces the high regard in which Gareth is held as a songwriter and producer. First up, he’ll be playing shows with English singer-songwriter Lucy Spraggan in May before joining blues/Americana legend Bonnie Raitt for her UK ‘Just Like That’ dates with a solo headlining set at Pizza Express in London’s Holborn squeezed in along the way. Full tour details and a little more about Gareth Dunlop follow:

Gretchen Peters returns to the UK in May for a final run of shows following her announcement that she will retire from full-scale touring this year. The singer-songwriter has been incredibly well-received by UK audiences over the years, building a considerable fan base the old-fashioned way by touring regularly and releasing quality records. Speaking from personal experience, I’ve been lucky enough to see Gretchen a couple of times over the years, so I’d highly recommend popping along to a show. More about Gretchen and the tour follows:

When Rivers Meet formed in 2019, the husband-and-wife duo Grace Bond (vocals, mandolin, violin) and Aaron Bond (vocals, guitar) quickly established themselves on the blues-rock scene, winning multiple awards along the way, including Blues Band Of The Year at the UK Blues Awards 2021 and 2022. The duo have a new album ‘Aces Are High’ set for release later this year. The first taster from the record, ‘Play My Game’, is a definite statement of intent and bodes well for the upcoming album. Please read on for more about When Rivers Meet, the video for the new single, tour dates and plenty more.

Jenny Don’t and the Spurs will bring their brand of rabble-rousing alt/outlaw country to the UK in April 2023. The dates include two London shows, a spot on the bill at the Ramblin’ Roots Revue in High Wycombe and are in support of their recently released ‘Fire On The Ridge’ album. The band might have roots in a string of punk bands, but ‘Fire On The Ridge’ is the perfect mix of rock n’ roll and western twang, and with over 500 shows under their belts, the live dates should be very cool. More about the Oregon act, including ticket links follow:

Country and folk music is all about the story. This is why the songwriters’ circle (a concept that supposedly comes from Canada rather than Nashville) has become such a popular platform for getting to the heart of the music. How did that song come to be, and what inspired it? Four UK based songwriters: Annie Dressner, Lucy Grubb, Dan Wilde and Luke James Williams, will be hitting the road to share their stories in late March at a selection of intimate UK venues. More about the tour and those all-important dates follow:

Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nigel Wearne will kick off his UK tour tomorrow, Friday the 13th, in Aldershot alongside acclaimed singer-songwriter Lauren Housley. The duo first met in Montreal, Canada, in 2019 and bonded over a mutual appreciation for John Prine. This chance meeting would lead to the ‘To The Edge’ single, a wonderful minor-key lament ideal for a David Lynch movie. Alongside the tour, Wearne will slip in a solo showcase at UK Americana Music Week on the 25th. The tour dates, video for ‘To The Edge’ and more about Nigel Wearne follow:

Cowboy Junkies will return to the UK in November for a run of shows in support of their recently released album ‘Songs of the Recollection’ via Proper Records. The tour includes stops in Belfast, Dublin and Edinburgh before it reaches its conclusion at the Royal Festival Hall in London. A full list of dates and more about ‘Songs of the Recollection’ follows:

The Cadillac Three will return to the UK this summer for a run of shows, including a headline slot at The Long Road Festival. Dubbed the Hillbilly Hypnotized tour, these new dates replace the 10th Anniversary shows the band were forced to cancel in late 2021 due to the pandemic, and tickets remain valid from those shows. It’ll be the first time UK fans will be able to hear tracks from the ‘Tabasco and Sweet Tea’ album and its predecessor ‘Country Fuzz’ live. More about The Cadillac Three and the tour dates follow:

The Long Road might have been forced off the calendar in the last couple of years but 2022 will see the festival return to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire intent on making up for lost time with an initial lineup that bodes well for a fantastic weekend of live music. Early names include Sunday headliners The Cadillac Three, Country legend Marty Stuart, ace songwriter Brandy Clark and an exclusive appearance by LOCASH. Also appearing over the Bank Holiday weekend of 26-28th August 2022 are quite a few acts we’ve featured previously at RGM including Morganway, Gretchen Peters, Lindsay Ell and Whitney Rose. More about the festival, the lineup and those all important ticket details follow:

Fresh from the universal acclaim that greeted their 2020 ‘Is It You, Is It Me’ album, Los Angeles-based Dustbowl Revival will visit the UK later this month with two Cambridge Folk Festival performances at the core of a seven-date tour. To coincide, a new single, 'Lying To Myself' is available July 15th as a taster of what to expect from their refreshed lineup. Full tour details and loads more about Dustbowl Revival follows:

No stranger to the UK, Amelia White will return to our shores for an extensive UK tour this Summer. The East Nashville singer and songwriter has a new, Kim Richey produced, album ‘Love I Swore’ set for release later this year so we should be treated to new music alongside old favorites. More about Amelia White and those tour dates follow.

Update: Unfortunately Amelia White has had to postpone her UK tour to later in the year so the current tour dates are now CANCELLED.

Fresh from an appearance at the C2C festival this past weekend Morgan Wade will return to the UK in June 2022 for a run of headline shows. The dates in London, Glasgow and Manchester are in support of the recent reissue of her debut album ‘Reckless’ as a deluxe edition with a host of bonus tracks. ‘Reckless’ is a superb record (RGM review) and Morgan Wade is easily one of the most exciting new artists in country music. More about Morgan and the tour dates follow (UPDATED with additional London date)

You’ve got to admire the folks behind the Black Deer Festival. The independent festival endured two cancellations with the 2020 and 2021 festivals victims of the Covid pandemic. Undaunted Black Deer is back for 2022 with a mix of big names, rising stars and cult artists who could well turn out to be your new favourite because Black Deer is that kind of festival. The RGM team were pleased to cover Black Deer in 2019 as we believe it to be a festival against which others should be judged. I know this sounds like high praise but, we had a great time, the people running things were super friendly and the festival seemed to run like clockwork. The other great news is the free ticket initiative for the NHS and key workers has been rolled over to 2022. The Black Deer Festival is set for June 17-19th, 2022 with Van Morrison, Wilco, The Waterboys and Lucinda Williams leading the way. More details about the acts already booked and the festival follow:

Glasgow based label Vacancy Records recently announced a UK tour for May of 2022 featuring three of their artists; Ashley Campbell, Barrie-James and Paul McDonald. The trio will all perform solo sets and quite possibly pop up at other points in the evening to help each other out. It’s an old-school approach that you don’t see quite so often these days and kudos to the label for putting the tour together. Tour dates and the thoughts of the artists about the tour follow:

California singer and songwriter L.A. Edwards will visit the UK in April 2022 for a string of shows opening for The White Buffalo. Luke Andrew Edwards has gradually expanded his sound over the years embracing influences that include the best of Americana and the 70s singer-songwriter vibe of his home state. A fine example of this is the upcoming single ‘Trouble’ which has a pretty cool Tom Petty/Warren Zevon thing going on. Much more about L.A. Edwards follows, including those tour dates and the aforementioned ‘Trouble’ single.

Canadian trio Elliott Brood return to the UK for a run of dates this month before embarking on a European trek which includes shows with The Dead South. No strangers to Europe, the trio of Mark Sasso, Casey Laforet and Stephen Pitkin will be promoting their most recent album ‘Keeper’ released in 2020. RGM first encountered Elliott Brood in the early days of the site via their 2014 ‘Work and Love’ album. More about Elliott Brood and those tour dates follow:

Counting Crows will return to Europe for a run of shows in early 2022. The dates are their first in Europe in four years as the band support their recent ‘Butter Miracle, Suite One’ EP with seven UK/IRE shows including London and Dublin. Various VIP and presale tickets are available now with tickets on sale to the general public starting Friday, October 8th at 10:00 AM. More about Counting Crows and those all important dates follow: