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.
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LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Mad’ - The Kings Parade
With an exciting brand new EP released today our next featured band are the excellent London based The King’s Parade. The video is a live version of their title track ‘Mad’ which was filmed at RAK Studios by Clipstone Productions
The guys are heading out on a European tour with their London date at The Borderline on April 24th. Catch them if you can.
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Odyssey’ - The Accidentals
We have been closely following the progress of this wonderful multi-award winning young Michigan based trio for a number of years now. We are thrilled to report that they are crossing the pond for a number of UK gigs. Their London gig is at the Windmill Brixton on May 13th. We rate Katie Larson, Savannah Buist, and Michael Dause very highly, so we would love you to support them. As a taster our LCM featured track today is the title track of their latest album ‘Odyssey’.
Named among Yahoo Music’s “Top 10 Bands to Watch in 2017,” The Accidentals’ adventure began in their hometown of Traverse City, MI, when Larson, a sophomore cellist, and Buist, a junior violinist, were paired for a high school orchestra event. The gifted young musicians became fast friends and before long, band mates. Having both grown up in musical families with professional pianists for fathers and vocalists for mothers, their shared influences bounced between classical, jazz, bluegrass, country, alt-rock, and the obscure.
Dubbing themselves after the musical notes that fall outside of a key signature, The Accidentals recorded and released a pair of independent albums in 2012 and 2013, the latter funded by a hugely successful Kickstarter. Their original songs revealed a band with wide-ranging influences but always true to their orchestral roots. National applause and attention followed, as did acclaimed collaborations with some fellow local artists and independent filmmakers. Other career highlights included scoring arrangements for a 75-piece orchestra to accompany them on their original songs as well as arranging pieces for an opera/dance production with Jennifer and Ryan Lott (Son Lux).
The past five years have seen The Accidentals perform over a thousand live shows, including headline dates, festival sets, and shared stages along such diverse acts as Keller Williams, Martin Sexton, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Bird, The Wailers, Joan Baez, and others. 2015 saw the band embark on their first full-scale national tour. Their SXSW debut saw them hailed by Billboard Magazine for “displaying a genre-hopping range of influences and some smart songwriting skills to go with their abundant musical chops.”
LCM Song of the Day: ‘The Woods and Fields’ - Paper Wings
We head to the West Coast today to meet the up and coming old-time bluegrass and folk duo of Emily Mann and Wilhelmina Frankzerda better known as Paper Wings. Our LCM featured track today is an original song ‘The Wood and Fields’ taken from their forthcoming second album ‘Clementine’ due for release on May 14th.
Paper Wings captivates their listeners with a sound that is delicate, powerful, and refreshingly intimate. The stunning vocal blend of Emily Mann and Wilhelmina Frankzerda soars over a rotating cast of banjo, guitar, and fiddles. These two blossoming songwriters have a distinctive way of weaving traditional Appalachian music in to their thoughtfully crafted songs leaving you feeling nostalgic and exhilarated. They are both exceptionally accomplished multi-instrumentalists, and walk the line between vibrant originality and a deep care for traditional music and its history. They are the 2018 recipients of "A Good Idea" fund from Australian Folk-Pop duo Oh Pep! to sponsor a week dedicated to songwriting. Paper Wings released their self-titled debut album in 2017.
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Easy Rider’ - Eddie Berman
Our LCM featured track today is a great live version of ‘Easy Rider’ by LA based singer-songwriter Eddie Berman. It’s taken from Eddie’s 2017 album ‘Before The Bridge’.
“Easy Rider” is a toe-tapping, steady strum through some of Berman’s most assured vocals to date. Piano rolls trickle throughout and as Berman’s smoky voice is joined by his backing crowd in the “Come on, you easy rider” refrain, it’s easy to imagine the song filling some lamplit cabin in deep woods or floating out of your car stereo as you drive up the coast.
Eddie Berman has been writing songs since he was a California teenager. His bedroom demos have earned substantial play on vanguard public radio station KCRW 89.9 FM, he’s recorded and played throughout North America and Europe, and he performed for several thousand people over dozens of sold-out London residency shows in partnership with the singer Laura Marling. In fact, while recording a live EP with Marling in 2013, he realized that the way to make a record was to strip the process down, to get at the essence of the song.
The title of singer-songwriter Eddie Berman’s new album, ‘Before the Bridge’, refers to the period of time in the LA-based musician’s life between getting married and the birth of his first child. It was that span, spent mulling the decision (and consequences) of creating a life, that also inspired this crowning musical work. The album was written and recorded during that one-year interim, as Berman was coming down from the crest of his lauded 2014 self-released debut album ‘Polyhymnia’. The songs on Before the Bridge draw, more than ever before, from Berman’s own life experiences, resulting in a rich, evocative, and moving collection.
“My wife and I were being confronted with the somewhat unknowable complexities of trying to bring a life into the world—and specifically into the little sphere of our lives, living in Los Angeles in 2016,” Berman says. “My writing falls between being autobiographical, narrative, and a bit obtuse—but each of these songs were certainly informed by my own life.”
Berman grew up in Southern California and taught himself guitar and piano. He fell in love with the troubadour styles of Bob Dylan and Dave Van Ronk as a teenager and learned to fingerpick on his father’s 1950s Martin guitar, first writing his own songs as a college student at Berkeley. He made waves in the acoustic music world half a decade ago when his bedroom demos were given significant airplay on influential LA radio station KCRW. In 2013 his EP ‘Blood & Rust’, featuring duets with British artist Laura Marling, along with his subsequent international tours, connected him to an even bigger audience. All the while, Berman steadily developed his craft while staying true to a familiar formula.
Photo credit: Linda Arrendondo Photography
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Lightning Strikes’ - James Riley
Our featured track today ‘Lightning Strikes’ is by fast rising London based singer-songwriter James Riley. It’s taken from his debut album ’Transatlantica’ released in 2018 and produced by Grammy-winning Matthew Odmark. James will be headlining with his band on May 16th at the intimate and multi-award winning Green Note in Camden. Also watch out for his new single ‘New York Minute’.
Born of a transatlantic partnership, James grew up in South East London listening to the folk and soul sound of 70s America and wrote his first melody at the age of four. His first guitar, acquired at the age of nine, became the tool for surviving the tumult of a nowhere place, and helped James find somewhere he felt he belonged. In his early twenties, he took off, alone once again, hitchhiking and busking through Europe from Amsterdam to Istanbul, writing songs along the way. Back in the UK, these songs became a band, but eventually James had to shed another skin, and disembarked in Nashville, Tennessee. Here he found his producer and they set about making the album which had traveled with him to his maternal homeland, where it could finally get free.
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘The Blue’ - Alice Wallace
Our featured track today is the excellent classic title track from Alice’s latest album ‘Into The Blue’. The multi-award winning Alice is based in Los Angeles and the wonderful video that accompanies the song is filmed across Southern California.
Watch out for news of Alice’s UK tour later in the year.
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘February Seven’ - The Avett Brothers
We are big fans of North Carolina based The Avett Brothers here at LCM HQ. Our featured track today is a gem from their back catalogue, the wonderful ‘February Seven’ taken from their 2012 ‘The Carpenter’ album. We love the very memorable chorus to this one.
If you are also a fan of The Avett Brothers please leave us a comment below
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Hummingbird’ - Amit Dattani
We take a trip to Birmingham today to meet our next featured artist singer-songwriter Amit Dattani. Amit is known for his unique brand of roots-driven guitar and striking lyrical originality. Behind his raconteur spirit lies superb musicianship, nimble finger-picking and a versatility which has garnered a strong reputation on the live circuit, with over ten years performing across the UK and Europe under his belt. Our featured track today is a live version of ‘Hummingbird’ taken from his debut solo album ‘Santiago’ released on the 17th February.. The video was recorded by our good friend Rob Bridge at Redwood Photography.
Amit has played guitar, banjo and lap slide guitar in a number of roots bands across the Midlands, but is now embarked on a solo career. He has shared the stage with the likes of Charlie Parr, John Smith, Blind Boy Paxton, Willy Vlautin, Kathryn Williams and Mark Morris.
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘I Can Do Hard Things’ - Jennifer Nettles
Our LCM featured track today is the empowering and hard hitting new single by Jennifer Nettles. A video full of inspiration, resilience and hope..
Jennifer comments “This song for me is a truth telling, a bloodletting, a real-life heart opening to what it means to be a grown woman. It is my offering to honor the reality that, as I like to say, everything is everything. I hope when you listen to “I Can Do Hard Things,” you feel inspired.
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Trouble’ - Hollie Rogers
Our featured track today is a great live version of a Ray LaMontagne classic from the very fast rising Hollie Rogers. It’s taken from a recent live ‘Under The Apple Tree’ session at the home of legendary broadcaster Bob Harris. She is joined on the track by the very talented Maya McCourt on cello and Thomas Holder on double bass
Producer/sound engineer/editor: Miles Myerscough-Harris
If you are in London you can catch Hollie and her band at an intimate performance at The Camden Chapel on March 28th hosted by our friends at Talentbanq..
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Restless Wind’ - Passenger
Our featured track today is Mike’s wonderful latest single ‘Restless Wind’ taken from his ‘Runaway’ album released in August last year. We love the sentiments in the lyrics, Let us know what you think?
“Well hello there restless wind Its been a long time since you’ve blown through these streets, I really don’t mind If you pick me up off my feet just one last time and take me where you’ve gotta go. See I’ve been tied to a mast. Anchored to a shore. Buried in the earth and rooted to the floor. As long as you’re willing then I’ll be sure to go with you where you’ve gotta go…and I don’t mind where it is we go”
Photo credit: Jarrad Seng
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).
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Love Is The Reason’ - Darrell Scott.
If you haven’t discovered Bob Harris’ ‘Under The Apple Tree’ live sessions then they come very highly recommended by all of us at LCM, Our featured song today is an acoustic live performance by Nashville based mutli award winning singer-songwriter Darrell Scott. The session was produced and edited by Bob’s son Miles Myerscough-Harris.
Scott has collaborated with Steve Earle, Sam Bush, Emmylou Harris, John Cowan, Verlon Thompson, Guy Clark, Tim O'Brien, Kate Rusby, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mary Gauthier, Dan Tyminski, and many others. His music has attracted a growing fanbase, and he tours regularly with his own band. His album, Crooked Road, was released May 25, 2010. In early 2005, Scott's Theatre Of The Unheard won in The 4th Annual Independent Music Awards for Album of the Year.
He won the 2007 Song of the Year award from the Americana Music Association for his song "Hank William's Ghost" which appears on his album The Invisible Man released in 2006.
In 2010, he was announced as part of the Band of Joy, alongside Robert Plant, credited as performing vocals, mandolin, guitar, accordion, pedal, lap steel and banjo.
In 2010, Brad Paisley's cover of the song "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" was the closing song played on the TV drama ‘Justified’ during the final scene of the final episode of the first season. It was used again in the final episode of the second season. In January 2011, his album ‘A Crooked Road’ won the award for the Country Album category from The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards.
For all Dixie Chicks fans Darrell also wrote ‘Long Time Gone’ and ‘Heartbreak Town’.
Photo credit: Rodney Bursiel Photography
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Too Far Gone’ - Matt Owens
Matt Owens is a British singer-songwriter and musician, who came to prominence as one of the founder members of indie-folk band Noah and the Whale, and for fronting Rock’n’Roll band Little Mammoths. Our featured track is taken from his debut solo album ‘Whiskey and Orchids’ released on January 11th
If you would like to see Matt live in London he will be supporting Thea Gilmore at The Union Chapel on the 21st May.
The album was recorded by Nigel Stonier (Thea Gilmore/Joan Baez/ Waterboys). Matt's is joined on the record by Michael Blair (Tom Waits/ Elvis Costello), Thea Gilmore, Carleigh Aikins (Bahamas), Adrian Gautrey, Boss Caine and Robert Vincent.
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Lady Like’ - Ingrid Andress
Now signed to Warner Nashville/Atlantic Records but originally hailing from Denver, Colorado, Ingrid Andress has been working very hard to create music and her signature sound since a young age. She recently starred at C2C and is part of a group of excellent fast rising young singer-songwriters. The very popular ‘Lady Like’ is Ingrid’s first professionally made video release and we think that it should bring her to a wider audience..
As good at sports as she was writing songs, Ingrid was born into a large family and homes schooled in her youth, growing up outside of the traditional definitions that apply to most kids - of what little girls are “supposed” to do, or how she was supposed to interact with the world around her. Rolling Stone has applauded her “honest and heartbreaking” lyrics that she pairs with a vocal delivery described by The New York Times as “steady, calm, alive.”
Having written with heavy hitters in the music community such as Sam Hunt and Alicia Keys, Andress
has co-writer credits on hits like “Steady 1234” and Charli XCX’s “Boys.” She was named to Sounds Like
Nashville’s “19 New Country Artists to Watch in 2019” list and touted as one of CMT’s “Listen Up 2019” artists as well as one of their “Next Women of Country.” It all has led to new music for 2019 that will prove her to be one of the most unique and moving voices in the country space and beyond; one that is thrillingly honest, raw and refreshing in a way rarely seen emanating from Music City.
Purchase your copy from the link below >>>
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Desperado’ - The Cactus Blossoms
We head to Minneapolis today to meet Jack Torrey and Page Burkum better know as The Cactus Blossoms. With Everly Brothers-style harmonies and vintage country influenced rock’n’roll ballads, what’s not to love! Our featured track is a live version of the retro sounding ‘Desperado’ recorded at a Current radio session. It’s taken from their self-produced third studio album ‘Easy Way’ released on March 1st through Walkie Talkie Records.
Buy your copy from the link below >>>
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Fire’ - Sarah Darling
Our next featured artist Sarah Darling is always a big favourite here at LCM. It’s exciting times ahead as Sarah has a fantastic new album called ‘Wonderland’ set for release on June 7th. We were lucky to catch Sarah and her band at Bush Hall in London last night and we can honestly say that you are going to love the new tracks. As a preview our LCM featured track today is the first single ‘Fire’, which really reminds us of Stevie Nicks.
Sarah and the band are currently on a UK and mainland Europe tour (Germany and Austria) and we highly recommend going along to see them. You can pre-save and pre-order the new album below or directly from Sarah’s website. Sarah has been caught up in all the problems with Pledge Music in funding her new album, so any support would be very much appreciated.
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘No Saint’ - Lauren Jenkins
Signed to Big Machine Records and with a wonderful debut album ‘No Saint’ set for release this Friday, our LCM featured artist today is fast-rising Texan singer-songwriter Lauren Jenkins. As a perfect introduction for this new C2C star, the heartfelt and reflective title track ‘No Saint’ highlights Lauren’s future promise.
Music has always been her constant road companion for Lauren. By 15, she was hitting the clubs up and down the East Coast, playing each night for just one new fan. By 17, she was making regular trips to New York City, before making the move official. While there studying acting, music was never an afterthought, but the goal. Burning the late night oil, Lauren would showcase her new music at the legendary New York clubs, The Bitter End, The Living Room and anywhere that gave her a mic to sing. During this time, some of her songs made their way into the hands of Scott Borchetta and his Big Machine Label Group (Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line, Tim McGraw). With a call, a flight and dinner, Big Machine knew they wanted to be to be a rider on her musical voyage and offered her a record deal on Big Machine.
Released in late 2016, Lauren’s debut EP ‘The Nashville Sessions’ is a testament to the ability to further break down those genre barriers in cool, exciting new ways. Penning four of the six tracks, Lauren showcases unfiltered lyrics through alluring vocals, creating a fusion of soulful vibrancy. The glamorous songstress blends her traditional Country roots with Americana influences to seamlessly transition between cheerful melodies one moment and expressions of raw emotion the next.
Pre order your copy from the link below >>>
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Dreamcatcher’ - Lainey Wilson
Another fast-rising star at C2C this year was Louisiana born but now Nashville based singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson. Signed to BBR Music Group’s flagship imprint, ‘Broken Bow Records, Lainey has spent years honing her song craft and developing her own “bell bottom country” sound, which is unapologetic, gritty, free-spirited, and exemplary of both her personality and her preferred fashion aesthetic. We love this live version of ‘Dreamcatcher’ taken from her self titled EP released last April.
We rate Lainey very highly and we are pleased to announce that she is one of LCM ‘One to Watch’ in 2019.
Hailing from the rural farming community of Baskin, Louisiana (pop. 300), where her family has tilled the land for five generations, Lainey cultivated her tenacious work ethic just as her family cultivated corn, wheat, soybeans, oats, and more. She learned that daily chores on the farm were a family affair and every member had to do their part.
Music was also a family affair. Lainey’s father played guitar, her mother loved to dance, and her grandparents often took her to bluegrass festivals. She wrote her first song at age nine, and her dad taught her how to play guitar at age 11. Wilson’s love for writing and performing continued to grow as she booked herself gigs throughout high school, even working for a stint as a Hannah Montana impersonator performing at children’s birthday parties and events – with Lainey Wilson the artist opening for Montana, of course.
It wasn’t long until Lainey moved to Nashville to pursue her dream of making music, with little more to her name than that dream and a Flagstaff bumper-pull travel trailer. She lived in that camper outside of a longtime family friend’s recording studio for three years. It was during this time that Lainey began to make inroads with Nashville’s tight-knit songwriting community, forging invaluable creative relationships with other up-and-coming songwriters in town and steadily developing her own voice as both a writer and an artist.
LCM Song Of The Day: ‘California’ - Fairground Saints
This week we will be showcasing a few of the very impressive fast-rising new stars of the recent C2C festival in London. First up is California born but now Nashville based trio Fairground Saints. Their unique Californian ‘Laurel Canyon’ country sound, layered three-part harmonies and solid musicianship are impressive beyond their years. As a perfect introduction our featured track today is a wonderful ode to their home state, which taken from their very recently released five track ‘Magic’ EP.
With each member sharing songwriting duties, Mason Van Valin and Elijah Edwards impart a starkly literate, sometimes-gritty sense of introspection informed by artists like Bob Dylan and Jim Messina, while their fellow vocalist Megan McAllister lends a soulful vulnerability and gutsy intimacy inspired by everyone from Shania Twain to Stevie Nicks. “We each bring in our own different elements, but what connects us is the level of honesty that we go for in our songs,” comments Megan. And in achieving that honesty, Fairground Saints infuse their music with intense emotional power. “All of us in the band believe in being as real as possible with our music, and not shying away from wherever a song is trying to take us,” Mason adds.
Fairground Saints’ easy chemistry and a shared sensibility feels beamed in from the golden era of singer-songwriters.