Yola - Yellow Brick Road

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Yellow Brick Road’ - Yola

Our LCM featured track today is a beautiful new cover version of the Elton John classic ‘Yellow Brick Road’ by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Yola Carter. Yola has just released an extended deluxe version of her debut album ‘Walk Through Fire’ and this new song is included along with a new song 'I Don't Wanna Lie'.

This new cover was produced by Dan Auerbach at his Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville, TN. Yola is one of Elton's favourite rising stars

Yola Carter is an English musician and singer-songwriter from Bristol, England. She became the lead singer of the band Phantom Limb, who released their first album in 2010. She has sung backing vocals for numerous artists including Massive Attack, The Chemical Brothers and Iggy Azalea. Yola received four nominations at the 62nd Grammy Awards, including the all-genre Best New Artist category. la released her first solo EP, Orphan Offering, in 2016. In February 2019, she released her debut album ‘Walk Through Fire’ on Dan Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound label, to much acclaim. The album title references both a fire which damaged Yola's home and an abusive relationship from which she escaped.

https://www.iamyola.com/

Lisa Wright - 500 Miles

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘500 Miles’ - Lisa Wright

We love a great cover here at LCM HQ and our next LCM featured track is a wonderfully heartfelt and stripped version of the famous #1 hit ‘500 Miles’, orginally written and performed by The Proclaimers. Lisa is one of our favourite UK Country singer-songwriters and we think this version is very special. Enjoy!

At first glance; Lisa Wright is a 5ft, blonde, Essex girl who seemingly charms her way into the audiences’ affection by cracking jokes and telling stories but then she begins to play... and the room goes silent.

Described as ‘Cam meets Patty Griffin meets John Mayer’, it's clear from your first listen that, to Lisa, lyrics mean everything. Inside Nashville called Lisa's songwriting: "intelligent, elegant and beyond her years".

With great support from BBC Introducing, Lisa was announced as one of their emerging ‘Sound of 2017s’ and subsequently was handpicked by BBC 6 to represent the BBC at Latitude Festival. 2017 saw Lisa reach over 60,000 Spotify downloads; playlists on radio including; Chris Country & Amazing Radio, and supporting artists such as; Cam, Eric Paslay Ward Thomas and Phil Vassar on their UK tours.

But, it doesn't stop there...

After she impressed the transatlantic audience with her songwriting, Lisa was championed by the Nashville Songwriters Association who announced her as their ‘One to Watch’.

With all this in mind it's understandable why Lisa has often been described as “the UKs best kept secret”, but not for long.

https://www.lisawrightmusic.co.uk/

Xander and The Peace Pirates - Soul Shine

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘‘Soul Shine’ - Xander & The Peace Pirates

Our LCM featured track today is a great cover of the Allman Brothers ‘Soul Shine’ by the excellent Liverpool based Xander & The Peace Pirates. The band are one of our LCM ‘Ones to watch’ in 2019. Catch them live if you can.

Xander and the Peace Pirates are a testament to musical integrity and personal strength. Combining soul, blues and rock, their pervasive blend of inspired song writing and memorable performances has already seen them enrapture audiences from around the world.

Brothers Keith and Stu were discovered on YouTube by Gibson Brands CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz, and during their subsequent performances for the company at numerous international events, the band caught the attention of not just an ever-growing collective of fans but also industry legends such as Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, the Stones), who was so smitten by their music he offered to produce the band’s first album.

2015 has seen the band’s revered and exalted status as a live-performance juggernaut evolve even further after concluding their 5-year tenure as the resident band at Liverpool’s iconic Cavern Club; supporting guitar royalty Joe Bonamassa and Joe Satriani at ‘Classic Rocknacht’ in Loreley, playing sold out shows supporting 60's legend Manfred Mann and guitar blues legend Robben Ford across Germany; and finally culminating in being personally invited to support ex-Whitesnake and Blues-guitar Hero Bernie Marsden on his UK tour.

With haunting riffs, genius melodies, and an irrepressibly infectious charisma, Xander and the Peace Pirates continue to share their musical passion to standing ovations, while spreading a universal message of peace, love and harmony.

The Highwomen - The Chain

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘The Chain’ - The Highwomen

We love this Fleetwood Mac cover by newly formed collaborative super-group The Highwomen. This new version is part of the soundtrack of the movie ‘The Kitchen’ The band’s self titled debut album is out soon. Enjoy!

Sheryl Crow ft Jason Isbell - Everything is Broken

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Everything Is Broken’ - Sheryl Crow ft Jason Isbell

We love a great cover here at LCM and today’s featured track is the brand new song from Sheryl’s forthcoming album ‘Threads’ released at the end of August.. It’s a Bob Dylan cover featuring the always fantastic Jason Isbell.

Sheryl comments: “One of my treasured possessions is a worn and tattered paperback edition of Bob Dylan lyrics that I look at before I start writing my records. Bob has a cadence and a viewpoint that’s essential in inspiring me to get into lyric writing mode.

In the early years of touring, I opened up for a lot of great bands and artists, but none greater than Bob Dylan. As far as I’m concerned, he is the Holy Grail of artists, musicians, poets, and characters all combined into one person. He has invited me up on numerous occasions through the years to sit in on accordion or to sing. He is a character but above all, he is uniquely Bob, and I adore him.

I say with deep gratitude that Bob Dylan has been a good friend through the years. I have even called him to ask him how to get out of writer’s block. He generously sent me a song called “Mississippi” for an album I was making that I seemed to not be able to finish. In the eleventh hour, we recorded his song and it breathed new life into the album, which would eventually come out as The Globe Sessions.

For “Threads”, I decided to record a Dylan song, "Everything Is Broken", as a tribute to Bob, and I asked Jason Isbell to help me do that. Jason is wildly talented and has a unique perspective that I am inspired by. He’s a very special artist and he just kills on this song.”

https://www.sherylcrow.com

Grace Carter - Wicked Game

LCM Song Of The Day - ‘Wicked Game’ - Grace Carter

Our featured song today is a great atmospheric cover of Chris Isaak’s 1991 hit ‘Wicked Game’ by fast rising London based UK singer-songwriter Grace Carter.

Grace grew up in Brighton listening to the likes of Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone, which is evident in her powerful songwriting, which shows emotional and musical maturity. She began songwriting during her school days, and at the age of fourteen was already performing her own material in public. One year later, Grace had converted her bedroom into a makeshift recording studio and when she reached Music College she taught herself the piano by watching YouTube videos.

Grace rose to prominence after supporting Dua Lipa on tour during The Self-Titled Tour in October 2017, and has additionally been a supporting act for other performers including Rag'n'Bone Man. In 2018-19, she headlined two tours of the UK and Europe. Gracer placed third in BBC Music's "Sound of 2019" poll of industry experts and artists. She is the step-daughter of singer-songwriter and former Music Week journalist Paul Phillips.

Endless Summer - Have You Ever Seen The Rain

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’ - Endless Summer

We head to the incredible Grand Canyon today to meet our next featured artists Canadian brother duo Clint and Bob Moffatt aka Endless Summer. We love this live acoustic version of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic.

Endless Summer is a Canadian brother duo comprised of Bob and Clint Moffatt. Professionally performing from the early age of 4 with over 5,000 live performances, Clint and Bob certainly fall within the category of seasoned entertainers. Clint and Bob are based in the beautiful city of Victoria in British Colombia.

Along with their brothers, Scott and Dave, The Moffatts were signed to Polydor Records in Nashville and became the youngest band to ever sign a major label record deal. Over the course of their career they sold in excess of six million records, recorded 7 albums, have Gold and Platinum records in 32 countries, performed at one of the first ever paid concerts in China, performed the first ever outdoor stadium concert in Vietnam and, to this day, hold album sales records for an international act in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore!

In 2006, Clint and Bob moved back to Nashville where they reestablished their careers as songwriters. They signed at Wrensong/Reynsong Publishing in 2010 and have successfully written there for the past 8 years. It is there where they became known as the band, Endless Summer. They have released 2 incredible EPs – In 2015, they released a single Goodbye Baby on The Highway Sirius XM that charted in the top 20. In October of 2016, Endless Summer released their first EP, and the first single Amen for Women, which in a matter of weeks eclipsed well over 2 million views. Their most recent EP, Happy ‘N High, is written, sung by and produced by Bob and Clint in their very own studio. Their first single, “One More Minute” is currently out on all streaming platforms and catching rapid momentum.

While writing for their own project, they also write for other artists and projects. They have had three songs on Canadian artist Jimmy Rankin’s past album. Additionally, they’ve had two of their songs entitled “Done Runnin’” and “I’ve Got You (And You’ve Got Me)” performed on the ABC primetime show, Nashville.

In 2018, Endless Summer released a series of traveling studio videos which they titled ‘Music, Travel, Love’ and it is their most recent and exciting project. Combining their love for music, travel and their families, Bob and Clint pack up their studio in a few small backpacks, head across the world to find the most beautiful destinations they can reach and film videos of both covers and their own originals. These videos are then shared across all of their rapidly growing social media platforms and YouTube – as well, every song is available on all streaming services. To date, the three videos that they have released “Body Like A Back Road”, “Stand By Me” and “Tequila” have totaled over 74,000 views on YouTube and over 270,000 views on Facebook with an above average share rate. This project is one they plan to grow throughout the year and be able to share with their fans all over the world!

https://www.endlesssummermusic.com

Morgan Wallen - Cover Me Up

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Cover Me Up’ - Morgan Wallen

We head back to Nashville today to meet our next featured singer-songwriter Morgan Wallen. Originally from Knoxville, Morgan is another fast-rising star of US Country. We love this live acoustic cover of Jason Isbell’s ‘Cover Me Up’ taken from a ‘The Taste of Country #RISER session.

You can’t step up as one of country’s most exciting new stars without knowing exactly what you’re about. Lucky for Big Loud Records breakout artist Morgan Wallen, that quality runs in his blood. With his debut album, ‘IF I KNOW ME’, the hit maker behind “Up Down” (ft. Florida Georgia Line) and “The Way I Talk” lays his cards out on the table: Work hard. Love hard. Party down. Respect the past and make your own future. Know yourself.

“I’ve never been the type of person who’s good at getting my feelings out, so for me music is a way to do that,” Morgan explains. “I just hope people get to know me and see my true colours.”

Still only 24 years old, those colours have already started to show. Working with a vocal blend which marks the spot where interstate blacktop changes over to gravelly, Smoky Mountain backroads, Morgan’s a rock and hip-hop loving country boy with a sound straight out of the modern South.

He mixes boondock bangers, amped-up anthems and sensitive, shade-tree poetry like a one-man playlist. He’s a fireball onstage, thrilling stadium crowds with superstars like Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan and headlining his own 2018 Up Down Tour. He’s a chart-topping songwriter with his name on tracks like Jason Aldean’s “You Make It Easy,” a Grand Ole Opry performer and an artist on the fast track with over 100 million Spotify streams, earning the respect of legends like Bill Anderson and country’s new generation at the same time.

Born and raised in the tiny, two-stoplight town of Sneedville, Tennessee, Morgan began singing in his father’s church at 3 years old and was writing songs by 18, melding a variety of influences right from the start. Sneedville is the home of bluegrass icon Jimmy Martin and Morgan went to the same high school as Kenny Chesney. But while his mother loved Christian music and he was into rap, his dad was a hard rocker all the way – laying the foundation for his son’s own fearless creative identity.

“It’s not something you would expect – a Southern Baptist preacher who loves Bad Company – but I think that’s part of what makes him genuine,” Morgan explains. “He wasn’t the kind of preacher who was throwing judgment toward anybody. He just found a way that helped him and he wanted to help other people, and if he liked a little rock-and-roll, then so be it. I looked up to it all.”

http://morganwallen.com

Mile Twelve - Rocket Man

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Rocket Man’ - Mile Twelve

After playing their first London date at the much loved Green Note last night, our next LCM featured artists are the excellent Boston based multi award winning Bluegrass band Mile Twelve. Their wonderful encore song was the iconic Elton classic ‘Rocket Man’. Mile Twelve’s highly anticipated latest album ‘City On A Hill’ is set for release on the 29th March and we have added a link below for you to pre-order..

If you missed them yesterday in London, they have promised to return soon. They also still have four further dates on their UK tour if you would like to catch them in Lowestoft, Spalding, Selby and Saltaire.

Although their sound is rooted in traditional bluegrass, Mile Twelve surveys a broader landscape on their newest album, ‘City on a Hill’. All five band members bring their own influences and observations into the music, resulting in a project that feels contemporary, thoughtfully crafted, and relevant. Produced by Bryan Sutton and engineered by Ben Surratt, ‘City on a Hill’ follows significant recognition from the bluegrass community, including three IBMA Momentum Awards. With members based in Boston and Nashville, the lineup includes David Benedict (mandolin), Catherine “BB” Bowness (banjo), Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle), Evan Murphy (acoustic guitar, lead vocals), and Nate Sabat (bass, lead vocals).

https://www.miletwelvebluegrass.com

Jimmie Allen and Abby Anderson - Shallow

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Shallow’ - Jimmie Allen and Abby Anderson

We love this new cover of ‘Shallow’ by two very fast rising US Country music stars Jimmie Allen and Abby Anderson released yesterday. The song was written by Lady Gaga with Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomondo and Andrew Wyatt. Both Jimmie and Abby will be at C2C in London in March….catch them if you can.

Big thanks to Luke Roberts at Lime Tree PR for sending us the song and video.

On the heels of the release of his second single “Make Me Want To,” now in its fourth week at Country radio, and a first-time nomination this week for New Male Artist of the Year at the upcoming ACM Awards, country music breakout Jimmie Allen and fellow country newcomer Abby Anderson have released their own cover of the hit song “Shallow.” The GRAMMY and Golden Globe winning smash performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in the critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated film “A Star is Born” is up for “Best Original Song” at the 91st Academy Awards ceremony airing this Sunday, February 24.

The accompanying video shows a split screen of Allen and Anderson going about their daily lives before uniting in the studio to deliver the passionately soulful chorus together in perfect harmony. Watch the video here.

“‘A Star is Born’ was one of my favorites from last year, and the performance of this song in the film really moved me as an artist,” shares Allen. “I had chills! Getting to cover ‘Shallow’ with my good friend Abby was such a cool experience. She’s an incredible vocalist, and I’m excited for fans to hear our take on the song.”

“I think I speak for everyone when I say that I bawled like a baby during ‘A Star Is Born.’ The song ‘Shallow’ immediately stood out to me,” says Anderson. “When Jimmie called and asked if I would sing on this song with him, I was honored. I mean I’m no Lady Gaga, but working on this with Jimmie, who pours his whole heart into a song vocally, was an absolute joy.”

Allen burst onto the country music scene with his breakout three-week No. 1 debut single, “Best Shot,” described by Rolling Stone as a “rare honest love song, with a catchy, melodic chorus that flirts with pop-rock power balladry,” and enabled the Delaware native to etch his name in history as the first black artist to launch their career with a No. 1 at Country radio.

The pop-infused follow up single, “Make Me Want To,” is the second from Allen’s Stoney Creek Records / BBR Music Group debut album Mercury Lane, which The New York Times asserts is one of 2018’s strongest and describes it as “a conventional country album, filled with songs about the small details.” Allen is currently supporting Kane Brown on his Live Forever Tour where he continues to break new ground for African-American country artists. He will also be hitting the road this summer as support on Chris Young’s Raised on Country Tour and Rascal Flatts’ Summer Playlist Tour.

Named one of The Bobby Bones Show’s “Class of 2019,” Abby Anderson is also one of MusicRow’s “Next Big Thing for 2019,” and is included in Sounds Like Nashville’s “19 New Country Artists to Watch in 2019,” NYCountry Swag’s “2019 Artists to Watch” and Country Music Tattle Tale’s “Artists to Watch in 2019.” Armed with that support, Anderson is set to take the stage at several music festivals this year including Stagecoach, Tortuga Music Festival, Country Thunder, and Off the Rails Country Music Fest. Making her first international appearance, Anderson is due to perform at C2C in London, UK on March 8. Finishing up in the recording studio now, Anderson is set to release new music on Black River Entertainment this spring.

Photo credit: Austin Peckham

Canen - I Don't Know Enough About You

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘I Don’t Know Enough About You’ - Canen

Our LCM featured track today is a wonderful live cover of a Peggy Lee classic by one of our favourite young US singer-songwriters. If you haven’t checked out Canen’s music yet, it is well worth exploring further. We think she is a superstar of the future and has a fantastic pure vocal. Canen recorded her first music at 12 years old and has been impressing audiences ever since.

LCM ‘One to watch’ in 2019

https://www.canensings.com

Thunder and Rain - Sweet Child O' Mine

LCM Song of the Day: ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ - Thunder and Rain

We head to Golden, Colorado today to meet the multi ward winning Bluegrass, Country and Roots band Thunder and Rain. We really like this live Bluegrass cover of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ originally released by Guns ‘N Roses.

Thunder & Rain are a Colorado based band specializing in Mountain Made Colorado Country.

If you would like to see the band live they will be on a UK tour in early March with their London date at the Green Note, Camden on the 10th March.

Erinn Lukes was raised on the sunny shores of Southern California, where she started playing open mics at 16. She then attended to her lingual talents, receiving a BA in Italian. As a powerful and expressive vocalist, she has performed her original songs at venues from Rome to New York City to Seattle. When she isn't showcasing her talent, she is busy fostering the growth of pre-school children.

Ian Haegele hails from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, where he began playing upright bass in high school, studying both orchestral and jazz music. He moved out to Boulder, CO in 2010 to get his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance on the bass at the CU College of Music, graduating in 2014. After moving, Ian fell in love with the Front Range acoustic music scene and the beauty of the Colorado mountains. He joined Thunder & Rain in the spring of 2014.

Chris Herbst grew up in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. His love of music started at a young age, when he became interested in 80's rock n roll. He then went on to get a BA in Jazz Guitar. He discovered bluegrass a little later in life and picked up the dobro. He then went on the perform with many Canadian bluegrass bands before a chance meeting with the folks of Thunder and Rain at the Coombs bluegrass festival in the summer od 2016 changed his course. He now resides in Golden, CO and loves to ski the high country and attend gypsy jazz jams.

Erinn and Pete met in Seattle as street performers at Pike Place Market. A chance meeting at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in September 2013 brought the full band together for the first time. They played their first show as Thunder & Rain at the Mountain Toad Brewery in Golden, CO.

In their brief tenure together as Thunder & Rain, the band has captured a sound that accentuates their talents and is accessible to fans both young and old. Thunder & Rain's depth and unforgettable melodies are putting meaning back into modern country music.

Photo credit: Kyle Ussery (Flat Nine)

https://thunderandrainmusic.com