Laurel Canyon Music

24 Blackbush Avenue Chadwell Heath, Romford, England, RM6 5TU United Kingdom

For fans and musicians of Folk, Americana, Country, Blues, Singer-Songwriter, Rock, Roots & Acoustic and music from the Laurel Canyon late 60’s/early 70’s era.

LCM is a new co-operative music community, promoter, event organiser and on-line magazine to promote & support the music that we love. All the latest news, reviews and interviews

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We aim to help music fans connect and discover great new music and help indie musicians promote their music and help them build relationships with supporters and industry professionals.

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Filtering by Category: Folk

Gone West - Canyons (12/06/20)

May 16, 2020  /  Gary Smith

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Gone West is a new Nashville-based group featuring 2-time Grammy award winner Colbie Caillat, multi-platinum singer/songwriter Jason Reeves, 4-time Hawaii music award winner Justin Kawika Young and ACM and CMT nominated artist Nelly Joy.

We love their excellent debut album full of wonderful songs and songwriting with a classic Laurel Canyon Californian West Coast sound. The group's intricate four-part vocal harmonies create a warm feel and refreshing fresh vibe.

Please order your copy below >>>

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categories / Folk Rock, Folk, Pop
tags / Gone West, Canyons, LCM Reviews 2020, June 2020

Kyshona - Listen (28/02/20)

February 05, 2020  /  Gary Smith

Kyshona - Listen.jpg

  • Artist: Kyshona

  • Release Date: 28th February 2020

  • Genre: Americana, Folk, Soul

  • Record Label: Fish Records / Tone Tree Records

  • Tracks: 10

  • Website:

For a singer-songwriter, there's no more basic function than getting onstage and getting something personal off your chest. The therapeutic qualities of the experience have seduced countless confessional composers, some of whom make known that they hold unfiltered expression as their highest artistic aim. Kyshona Armstrong started out enabling others to enjoy the healing properties of songwriting, and keeping her thoughts to herself. When you're a music therapist to incarcerated and institutionalized adults and school children with emotional behavior disorders, artistic considerations aren't even on the table. "I definitely had to accept the fact that when I'm writing with a patient, whatever they want to do is what they want to do," Armstrong tells the Scene as she nurses a latte in East Nashville. "It's their song: 'Even if it might not fit in a form, if that's what you want to say, say it. We're not writing a big hit. This is for you.' " When Armstrong worked first in the state mental hospital, then the public school system in Georgia, she found that her co-writers often clung to chant-like, circular song ideas. "They would find this melody they liked and they would stick to it," she explains. "It was theirs to keep. It wasn't hard to hold onto." Armstrong had focused on oboe at the University of Georgia — that and steel drums, which she played in the college's Hawaiian-shirt-sporting ensemble, Tropical Breeze. But since neither instrument was all that well suited to coaxing patients into musical self-expression, she got into singing, playing acoustic guitar and songwriting. When describing the positions she held during her decade or so in the mental health field, she punctuates each chapter with the same phrase: "That got kinda heavy." The weight of it was what eventually moved her to begin penning her own tunes. "A lot of my first songs were dealing with what I saw my patients struggling with," she recalls. "A lot of my songs were about the stories that I would hear from them. Because I can only take on so much of people dumping. So I had to get rid of it and shed it somehow. I think telling their stories was one way for me to go out in the world and be like, 'There's so much more happening out there.' For me, that was therapeutic. I don't like to talk about myself, but I'll talk about everybody else if you want me to share a story." At a certain point, her emotional investment in her patients' pain became too much to purge at coffeehouse open mics. "You've gotta know when to tap out," she says. "I was like, 'I'm not of any use to these kids if I can't give myself as fully as I used to.' " So Armstrong got on the college singer-songwriter circuit, blending skills of empathizing and entertaining. Her set lists might put a strummy version of Britney Spears' "Toxic" next to "Confined," a song she'd written with a couple of 20-somethings in the mental hospital. They were the hip-hop heads in the patients' band — otherwise made up of Elvis-obsessed middle-aged men — and they'd wanted a song in the group repertoire that spoke to their own experience. Besides teaching institutionalized adults and emotionally troubled school kids how to have healthy interactions with instruments in hand, Armstrong served a similar mission on the board of the Southern Girls Rock Camp in Athens, Ga. And that made her a shoo-in to volunteer at last summer's Tennessee Teens Rock Camp, where she met a bunch of the women with whom she'll perform at the girl group tribute She's a Rebel a few days after playing her own show at 12th & Porter. Armstrong moved to Nashville in January 2014, spending the first couple months commuting back to Athens to record her album Go, but easily made friends and landed bookings in local folk singer-songwriter, pop and soul scenes once she was around more. Smack-dab in the middle ofGo is a song that distills the insights of her therapeutic work and the artistic aspirations she's developed since. Called "Cornelius Dupree," it's the turbulent channeling of a black man's real-life experience serving 30 years in Texas for rape and robbery before being exonerated. Rather than narrate the external details of Dupree's story, Armstrong gives voice to the searing physical and emotional strain he must've felt having to defend his innocence for so long. "That one took me a long time," she says of the song, "because I wanted to do it right. I tried it from the outside looking in. But in the end I was like, 'I have to put myself in those shoes.' " She adds, "The injustice that Cornelius suffered, on a much smaller level I have experienced that myself, just being a black woman living in the South. I've been held by the police before for nothing, and it's frustrating. I've never been imprisoned, but I've been held aside. I remember the injustice I felt and the anger I felt. But I've always been taught I have to be extra kind, extra polite to compensate. ...With his story, I think I just got fed up." At college shows, Armstrong urges students to look up Dupree's story on their phones — and hopefully expand their awareness of human suffering — even as she's singing her song. "Cornelius Dupree" had a similarly awakening effect when she performed it at a house concert 20 minutes outside of Ferguson, Mo. She'd driven up strictly to join the protests after Michael Brown's shooting, but accepted a friend's invitation to a combination concert and cookout in the suburbs one evening. Folks there seemed downright oblivious to the neighboring turmoil. At the end of the night, the host thanked her for getting their attention. Armstrong has reached the point where she embraces repetitive internal rhythms that emerge in some of her songwriting - likening them to both gospel spirituals and the viscerally simplistic utterances of her former patients - and she's delivering her roots-soul originals with articulate warmth and newly claimed authority. "I feel like I'm only just now stepping into this activist role," she says, "or not activist, but someone who speaks out or brings up a subject that's uncomfortable. In the past, I haven't been the one to [say], 'I'm gonna throw some mess on the table, and we're gonna talk about it.' But I want to be."

Please order your copy below >>>

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categories / Americana, Folk, Singer-Songwriter
tags / Kyshona, Listen, LCM Reviews 2020, Feb 2020

Seth Lakeman - A Pilgrim's Tale (07/02/20)

February 05, 2020  /  Gary Smith

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  • Artist: Seth Lakeman

  • Release Date: 7th February, 2020

  • Genre: Folk

  • Record Label: Absolute

  • Tracks: 12

  • Website:

"If you’d never heard anything about the Mayflower and the birth of the modern USA these words and music could be your primer.” - Seth Lakeman Multi award-winning folk singer Seth Lakeman releases his new album ‘A Pilgrim’s Tale’ on February 7th 2020, in a year that marks four centuries since The Mayflower ship departed the UK. The album will be released amidst a selection of UK concerts where Seth will visit locations significant to The Mayflower tale, including dates in London, Plymouth, Immingham and Harwich (full details below). This stirring and beautiful record is narrated by the actor Paul McGann (Dr Who/Withnail and I/Hornblower/Luther), and features a host of guest performers including Cara Dillon, Benji Kirkpatrick, Ben Nicholls and Seth’s father Geoff Lakeman. 2020 marks the 400th anniversary of The Mayflower ship setting off to the Americas. The ship carried British and Dutch passengers with hopes of fresh settlement, and who were famously met by the Wampanoag first nation tribe upon their arrival. Bottling the spirit of the 17th century pilgrimage, Seth has written and performed a selection songs that shape a fictional narrative of the journey, informed by extensive research from text such as the journals of William Bradford, conversations with modern day ancestors of the Wampanoag people at the Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts, and information sourced at the national heritage sites that still exists in the UK. Chronicling the voyage and early settlement in these songs, Seth has created a drama that celebrates the history, but doesn’t lose sight of the journey’s tribulations. It stays sensitive to important facets of the story; the religious liberation that passengers were trying to achieve, the nefarious deeds enacted upon the Wampanoag, and the deaths that followed on both sides. It’s a story Seth feels he is intrinsically linked to, “I didn’t have far to go for inspiration. The Mayflower Steps, on Plymouth’s cobbled Barbican streets are 20 minutes away from me. I fished from this quay as a boy, sang songs on tall ships tied up here and played music in just about every old sailors’ pub in this Elizabethan quarter.” Furthermore, as one of the most celebrated members of British folk music, Seth is wholly qualified to replicate the trappings of traditional 17th century musical styles; whether it be through his vocals, stringed instrument arrangements, fiddle playing, or percussion. The stories in the songs are told from a variety of perspectives, from personal accounts such as the opening number ‘Watch Out’ detailing deadly premonitions of a Wampanoag girl, to tales of the collective travellers in songs such as ‘Pilgrim Brother’ and ‘Sailing Time’, which march at a hopeful cadence reflecting their early optimism. Close your eyes, and with each track you feel possessed by one of those 17th century characters; a crewman wrestling to control the ship, a pilgrim celebrating in rapturous faith, or the solemn Wampanoag tribesmen forlornly surrendering to the new way of life thrust upon them. Seth has married mood to pulsing rhythms in an immersive tale of struggle that, 400 years later, still holds an emotional impact. Inspiration for the project came when Seth was on tour with Robert Plant, and paid a visit to the Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts to talk to the Wampanoag that still reside in the area. It didn’t take long for the songs to form upon his return to England, “After I travelled home from the “New World” to Plymouth, Devon everything happened in a quite mystical way. The songs came together so speedily and with exactly the vibe I wanted, and we recorded in a very short time in my studio at home on Dartmoor.” To supplement the recordings, a between-song narration was written by associate director of Plymouth’s Theatre Royal, Nick Stimson, and read by Paul McGann. Seth was elated to have the prestigious actor on board, “As we finished the album another quite magical thing happened, when Paul agreed to voice the narration between the tracks on the record. He pitched it perfectly.” On top of Seth’s own vocal and instrumental performances (Violin, Viola, E tenor Guitar, Bouzouki, Drums, Harmonium) on the record, additional instrumentation is provided by some of the UK’s finest talents, including Irish vocalist (and sister in law to Seth) Cara Dillon (additional vocals & co-lead on ‘Saints And Strangers’), English multi-instrumentalist Benji Kirkpatrick (Vocals, Bouzouki, Guitar, Side Drum), long-time collaborator Ben Nicholls (upright Bass, Jew’s Harp), and Seth’s father Geoff Lakeman (additional vocals). The album was recorded at Seth’s Crossways Studio in Devon, and mixed by Richard Evans (New Order, Peter Gabriel, The Pogues). To coincide with the album’s release, Seth will play live dates specially routed in a trail of villages, towns and cities that for various reasons hold significance to the Mayflower journey. Locations such as Immingham - where Separatists made a dangerous escape from England to Holland in their search for religious freedom - and Dartmouth - where the ship was anchored for repairs - will be visited in this expansive tour.

Please order your copy below >>>


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categories / Folk
tags / Seth Lakeman, A Pilgrims Tale, LCM Reviews 2020, Feb 2020

Good Harvest - Dream Of June (07/02/20)

January 21, 2020  /  Gary Smith

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  • Artist: Good Harvest

  • Release Date: 7th February, 2020

  • Genre: Folk, Rock, Folk-Rock, Americana

  • Record Label: Playground Music

  • Tracks: 11

  • Website: https://www.goodharvestmusic.com/

An excellent second studio album from Swedish duo Hanna Enlöf and Ylva Eriksson The album is full of beautifully crafted songs, delivered with stunning arrangements, flawlessly interwoven harmonies and exceptional guitar playing. There are some super arrangements and orchestration throughout, painting rich soundscapes which linger long in the memory.

Hanna and Ylva have been called musical twins and with their musical journey beginning fourteen years ago. This year they both turn twenty-eight and celebrated a “half life” anniversary of playing together.

In February 2020 they released their second full-length album ”Dream of June”. Immediately prior to that, they performed on one of Swedish television’s most popular programs, ”På Spåret” together with Mando Diao.

Good Harvest is known as one of Sweden’s best live acts and has been performing on many of Sweden’s largest stages, among others, Dalhalla, Gröna Lund and Stora Teatern.

The new album is full of wonderful contemporary and fresh folk-rock tracks. Instantly catchy and high quality with their excellent trademark twin guitars and pure harmonies coupled with some lovely string arrangements.

‘Dream of June’ is a great second album. Just close your eyes, put on your head phones and drift off with the music to a better place. Perfect escapism.

Pre-order your copy below >>>

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categories / Folk, Americana
tags / Good Harvest, Dream Of June, LCM Reviews 2020, Feb 2020

Sierra Hull - 25 Trips (28/02/20)

January 18, 2020  /  Gary Smith

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  • Artist: Sierra Hill

  • Release Date: 28th February, 2020

  • Genre: Country, Americana, Folk

  • Record Label: Rounder

  • Tracks: 13

  • Website:

Singer-songwriter, mandolinist, and guitarist Sierra Hull's '25 Trips' further establishes her as a powerhouse instrumentalist, vocalist, and esteemed song-writer.

It's a genre-transcending album emerging from the world of folk-pop, bluegrass, and acoustic music. Produced by Shani Ghandi (Parker Millsap) and featuring guest appearances by the estimable talents of Katie Pruitt, Mindy Smith, Angel Snow and Molly Tuttle, '25 Trips' is offering up some of Hull's best collaborations to date.

This 13 song album is a testament to Hull's virtuosic prowess, and showcases her as the singular talent that she is.

Please pre-order your copy below >>>

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categories / Country, Americana, Folk
tags / Sierra Hull, 25 Trips, LCM Reviews 2020, Feb 2020

Robert Vincent - In This Town Youre Owned (14/02/20)

December 03, 2019  /  Gary Smith

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The excellent Crosby-born singer-songwriter Robert Vincent has been carving out his own path in Americana in the past few years. He released his debut album ‘Life in Easy Steps’ in 2013 and in 2016 he won the inaugural Emerging Artist Award from Bob Harris. In 2017 he released second album ‘I’ll Make The Most of My Sins’ and Rob has been touring extensively since then. Three years on Rob is back with his wonderful new album ‘In This Town You’re Owned’.

This 10-track album sees Rob creating his most socially and politically poignant album to date, produced by Brit Award winning Ethan Johns (who has won acclaim for his production work with, amongst others, Paul McCartney, Ray La Montagne and Laura Marling). It has a central theme about the pressures life places upon us as society gets more and more socially conscious. More than before, Rob deals in hard truths and easy melodies, furthering the tradition of classically crafted songwriting, asking the difficult questions about everyday emotions. “I’m just really interested in the human condition and how people react to things.” adds Rob.

The album opens with ‘This Town’, a mid-tempo track that gently eases you into the record but poses important questions that you’ll think about for the rest of the album. Rob contemplates on how life can get the better of you and you can choose to embrace the hurdles it throws at you or be taken down by them. It’s an important message and one that we’re all guilty of losing sight of at times.

The tempo changes for the bouncy rock’n’roll influenced ‘My Neighbour’s Ghost’. It’s a nice change of pace and continues the theme established in ‘This Town’.

One of the first highlights on the record comes on ‘The Kids Don’t Dig God Anymore’. It explores Rob’s more soulful side and it’s a gently rousing track that looks at the changing times and beliefs that we’re seeing in society.

Elsewhere on the album the thought provoking ‘Conundrum’, one of my favourite tracks on the album, adds elements of rock and a heavier beat, ‘I Was Hurt Today But I’m Alright Now’ mixes a gentle beat with strong harmonies, and ‘If You Were You’ has a strong retro 70s country feel.

The album closes with ‘Cuckoo’, which sees Robert adding a little gospel into his soul. It reminds me of the recent Marcus King album ‘El Dorado’ and it’s a perfect way to bring the album to an end.

‘In This Town You’re Owned’ is another excellent addition to Rob’s music. It is both thought provoking and has a strong social conscience. It’s full of high quality songwriting and arrangements, with Rob’s vocals and musicianship front and centre. This new album confirms Rob’s place as one of the finest Americana artists in the UK.

Please order your personal copy below >>>



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categories / Americana, Country, Folk
tags / Robert Vincent, LCM Reviews 2020, Feb 2020, In This Town You're Owned

Blanco White - On The Other Side (05/06/20)

December 03, 2019  /  Gary Smith

LCM ALBUM OF THE MONTH - JUNE 2020

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  • Artist: Blanco White

  • Release Date: 5th June 2020

  • Genre: Folk, Singer-Songwriter

  • Record Label: Yucatan Records

  • Tracks: 11

  • Website: http://www.blancowhite.info/

"In his lyrics he melds romance and striking imagery of the elements, singing gorgeous narratives." - The Independent.

"A dexterous, poignant, and softly addictive return, one that underlines the real strengths to his musicality." - Clash.

"On The Other Side" is the long-awaited debut album from Blanco White, London based artist Josh Edwards' project.

With three EPs released so far, 'The Wind Rose' (2016), 'Colder Heavens' (2016) which was produced by Ian Grimble (Bear's Den, Matt Corby, Daughter) and 2018's 'Nocturne' EP, Blanco White has achieved significant success, enabling him to tour the globe for months on end and gaining huge streaming numbers.

Having studied guitar in Cádiz (Spain), and later the Andean instrument the charango in Sucre (Bolivia), Josh's aim was to begin bringing together elements of Andalusian and Latin American music alongside influences closer to home.

The new album has been recorded mostly in London and is self-produced by Josh, engineered by Dani Spragg and mixed by Air Studios' Jake Jackson.

Please order your copy below >>>

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categories / Folk, Singer-Songwriter
tags / Blanco White, On The Other Side, LCM Reviews 2020, June 2020

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