Browsing Tag

Country singer songwriter

Locked and Loaded: The Country Icon, Chris Erasmus, Fires Off with ‘Shotgun

Posted on 18 September 2024

Chris Erasmus’ latest single, Shotgun, finds its mark with a fusion of deep, resonant vocals and a dynamic full-band sound that finds new country roads to rhythmically explore. Opening with a voice that carries the haunting depth of Nick Cave, Erasmus sets a reflective tone with acoustic strings that soon give way to the invigorating swell of gospel-like backing vocals. The augmented choruses, brimming with vibrant energy, draw listeners into a rhythmic trance, emblematic of the single’s narrative of liberation and emotional revival.

Crafted as a sonic journey through the highs and lows of personal growth, Shotgun artfully captures the essence of moving beyond a toxic dynamic with the instrumentals mirroring the ebb and flow of introspection and realisation. It’s a narrative of empowerment, underscored by the thematic and literal movement the title suggests—moving forward, unburdened and unchained.

With a diverse background that spans continents—from Zimbabwe to London—and a rich litany of musical experiences, from classical training to theatrical performances, Erasmus brings a unique, cultured perspective to his work. This eclectic background shines through in Shotgun, which marries Americana sensibilities with a palpable emotional depth and expert craftsmanship.

Shotgun first blasted onto the airwaves on September 6th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Behind the Music: An Interview with Rising Country Star Samantha Rae

Posted on 24 August 2024

In an exclusive interview with Samantha Rae, a name quickly becoming synonymous with contemporary country supremacy, we discuss her debut LP, The High Road, which has positioned her as an infectiously unreckonable force in the industry.

Samantha discusses her approach to maintaining emotional authenticity within her polished sound; we also gain insight into her collaborative dynamics with co-writer and manager Jay DellIsola, the creative challenges they navigate, and her vision for her burgeoning career.

Samantha Rae, it’s a pleasure to sit down with you after discovering your talent through your debut album, The High Road. The single, Gaslighter, was particularly infectious, how did you hone your superlative command over vocal hooks?

Thank y’all so much for your kind words and interest in The High Road! Gaslighter sits right in my vocal wheelhouse which helped us produce the way we originally envisioned it. We really wanted the chorus hook to pop so we set it up with a little rhythmic anticipation in the prechorus “I’d do anything for you”. This is a good example of how Jay and I construct our rhythmic textures. In the studio, we went through each lead vocal take again and again to find the one we loved the most. We really love this song and I am so happy with how it turned out!

You notably have a profound ability to keep the emotions raw in your polished productions, what’s your secret? 

Many others have probably said it better than me but I truly think if you write your own songs or create something lyrically that you’ve been through, or deeply relate to, then the truthfulness comes out on its own.

Have you found a formula for writing your singles or is each new track a new beast to tame? 

Just keep writing and creating what you love! No formula or secret button, although having a co-write partner like Jay has been critical to staying creative and energized to make your ideas and music come alive! Our songs are usually a product of our combined influences that span classic rock, mainstream radio pop, rhythm & blues and classic country. There’s usually a deeper personal meaning behind a lyric but we love that people relate to the lyrics based on their own life experiences.

What was the most gratifying aspect of creating your debut album?

Honestly, for me, it was when all the songs finally dropped and they were born into the world for people to enjoy! We also really love developing as artists and songwriters. There’s always something we’ve learned that we can apply to our new material.

How did you come to work with your creative partner and manager Jay DellIsola?

Jay and I have been friends and worked together for a long time, we played in bands together up in Boston where he played drums and I was the lead singer. Before this journey together, Jay always had a vision and would get things done with his passionate drive. He has always supported my talent and when we decided to spin up “Samantha Rae” as a solo artist, we knew we could create something special together. When we combine our song parts and creative ideas we end up with something that works well for us.

Undoubtedly, your fans will be desperate to hear when the next release will drop, what else do you have in store for 2024?

We definitely are always working to create for the fans and I’m sure they’ll see some behind-the-scenes and the making of The High Road album in the future 😉

We’re already writing a brand new batch of songs and we also have about a dozen on the shelf we really love that haven’t been released yet.

Will your forthcoming material be a continuation or a departure from your debut album? 

I would say mostly a continuation but as an artist, there’s always room for growth and a little movement. My pop-rock country roots are grounded and we’ve created a ‘sound‘ that we’re proud of. So if the fans love it as much as we do then we feel like we definitely have a winning recipe!

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Stream Samantha Rae’s Highroad LP on Spotify now and keep track of her latest releases via Instagramand TikTok.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Christa Joy and the Honeybees – Omens: Irreverently Witty Alt-Country

Posted on 15 August 2024

Christa Joy and the Honeybee’s superlatively seminal Alt-Country single, Omens, from their eponymous fourth studio album, charts a profound journey mapped by emotive storytelling and artfully affecting sonic processions. If any contemporary country singer-songwriter can instil an infinity for Americana in the new generation of music fans, it’s Christa Joy with her irreverently witty lyricism.

The single initiates with Christa’s hauntingly reflective, pensively tinged vocals, adeptly drawing listeners into a world filled with imagery-evoking melancholy before the salving honkytonk instrumentals accompany and soothe Christa’s poetically outpoured pain as a parable for the sanctifyingly uplifting nature of the soundscape.

The tale of how endless time can feel in the wake of a breakup which leaves your world feeling cold has been told countless times before. Yet, by playing with light and shade, interplaying torment with gratitude and injecting some quintessential country humour through evolving lyricism centred around the dog that was left behind, the single unravels as a tenderly heartwarming revelation of how disorientating it can feel to step into the world, unsure of what paths to take to heal.

With the 4th LP from the Western Massachusetts singer-songwriter in the pipeline and due for release on August 24, there’s never been a better time to tune into the artist’s alchemic approach to conjuring emotion through artfully orchestrated alt-country. The album promises an exhibition of the band’s chemistry and Christa’s maturation as a songwriter, featuring tracks that range from classic honky-tonk to gospel-tinged country ballads

Omens was officially released on August 2nd; stream the single on Bandcamp and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spencer Graham built on his indie alt-country legacy with ‘Timing’

Posted on 12 August 2024

Emotions run deep in the veins of the breakthrough country artist Spencer Graham’s latest single, Timing. If there was a world record for how much emotion can be carried in vocal melodies, the singer-songwriter who is writing the next chapter for roots reverent music deserves to rhetorically hold it.

The bitter-sweet lovelorn serenade cuts deep into the wounds of romantic torment as the accordant indie alt-country instrumentals salve the scars through their caressive melodies which carry you through the vignette of how the latter part of the space-time continuum can lead to heartbreak.

While it is an indisputable fact that all talent needs to be nurtured and honed, there is no getting away from the sense that Spencer Graham is a natural-born singer-songwriter. His ability to wrap you up in his narratives and inject the emotions expressed into your senses is second to none.

After being born in Central Pennsylvania and achieving success with his 2020 debut single, Spencer Graham was torn away from his creativity after being enlisted in the US Navy. His latest release is hopefully the sign of more soul-rendered releases to come.

After debuting on August 3rd, Timing is now available to stream on Spotify along with Spencer Graham’s 3-track release, This Is Me.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Roots reverent soulstress, Samantha Rae, is an infectiously unreckonable force in her seminal single, Gaslighter

Posted on 8 August 2024

Samantha Rae, the roots-reverent soulstress, spellbinds with her latest single, Gaslighter. Taken from her intensely anticipated debut LP The High Road, the creative conjuring combines swampy blues tones with a country twang and an arcane air of enlightenment that even Nicks would struggle to match.

Rae’s poised with conviction and sultry-to-the-senses vocals effortlessly embody empowerment as she solidifies her status as the pinnacle and poster girl of a contemporary country icon. The infectiously kinetic rhythm of Gaslighter is impossible to resist, transfixing the listener in the beating heart of the earworm which sees the lyrical delivery seamlessly integrated with the instrumental backdrop, which culminates in a raw-with-revolution rock riff.

Far from a typical exposition of the phenomenon of psychological manipulation, Rae injects working-class fervour into the track, resonating with those who feel oppressed by the gentrified elite, the lyrical dualism is an undeniable attestation to Rae’s ability to transcend the expected.

Samantha Rae balances her musical career with her role as a horse trainer and riding instructor in southern New Hampshire. As an accomplished songwriter and live performer, Samantha Rae frequently lights up stages across New England. She has shared the spotlight with prominent acts like Sugar Ray, LoCash, and Tyler Farr. Her talent was recognised early on, earning her the New England Country Music “Country Group of the Year” award in her debut year as an original artist.

After being mixed by Grammy-winner Chad Carlson in Nashville, Gaslighter was officially released on July 26; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brandon Bing took his inimitable sound down a dark country-rock road with Burnt Out at Both Ends

Posted on 24 June 2024

With one of his most sombrely affecting singles to date, Burnt Out at Both Ends, the peerlessly roots-reverent troubadour Brandon Bing took his sound down a dark country-rock road to explore a relatable dichotomy of desire.

Bing found a poignantly powerful way to attest to how impossible it is to have it all, especially when chasing dreams at the cost of connection. While never letting the single fall into a ravine of self-pity, Bing bared his burnt-out soul in a way that will sting your own. The underpinning theme of never feeling quite enough while failing to make yourself whole and the ones you love content resounds throughout the flawlessly executed country-rock anthem.

The touches of reverb on the opening guitar lines as they reverberate around the motifs of violin strings instantaneously set a melancholic mood. Yet, Bing ensures the following bolstered with passion high-octane riffs raise the energy beneath his evocatively expressive vocals that expose the raw nerves which inspired this tour de force of a triumph. His intuitive relationship with his guitar is enough to put him up there with Brad Paisley, Chet Atkins, and Vince Gill as one of the country-rock guitar greats. As for his voice, just try keeping a dry eye while being consumed by the Whiskey-soaked timbres.

Burnt Out at Both Ends was officially released on June 21; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Roots and Rock Collide in Ashley Wineland’s Explosive Anthem Crank It Up

Posted on 26 May 2024
Ashley Wineland

Country rock firebrand Ashley Wineland blazed like a red-hot roots-reverent inferno in her latest single, Crank It Up.

The rhythmically compulsive tour de force is enough to strip you of every atom of inhibition from the moment you hit play. It is nothing short of a feat of alchemy that the swampy serpentine bluegrass guitars kept hold of their authenticity within the high-octane anthem which demands to be heard loud – Wineland didn’t even need to ask.

Produced by the award-winning songwriter and producer, Marti Frederiksen, who has become an integral part of the legacies of Carrie Underwood, Ozzy Osbourne, Buck Cherry, Aerosmith, Sheryl Crow, and Eminem for his songwriting and production credits, Crank It Up is an indomitable earworm which will ensure that Wineland’s career is equally revered as the aforementioned artists.

The prodigal daughter of Arizona has Country running through her veins; allowing everything she turns her undeniable talent to become an authentically exhilarant impact on the senses. Her voice deserves to be regarded as an elemental force of nature in its own right. If it wasn’t so pure with soul, it would be unholy.

If you get a chance to see her on tour, don’t even think twice about buying tickets.

Crank It Up was officially released on May 24h; stream the single on Spotify.

Discover more about Amy Wineland via her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sarah McCulloch painted a mountainous vignette with her honkytonk hit, Back In Them Hills

Posted on 25 March 2024
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Sarah McCulloch’s single Back In Them Hills is a vivid portrayal of the landscape her soul calls home, offering listeners a sanctuary in its upbeat honkytonk rhythms. The track goes beyond a mere tribute to country folk’s roots; McCulloch becomes a conduit for the genre’s enduring spirit. Her vocal lines which spill over with soul are as panoramic as the landscapes she paints with her lyrics.

McCulloch, a renowned folk singer-songwriter and country artist from Florida, is known for her exceptional storytelling and poignant lyrics. Her ability to weave captivating stories through her music has earned her a loyal fan base and critical acclaim, with Americana-UK and Lonesome Highway praising her previous works for her modern yet traditional sound.

McCulloch’s upcoming full-length acoustic album, Driving Me Home, produced by Jim Bickerstaff and featuring Florida musicians like Raiford Starke and Jeanie Fitchen, is an inspiring collection of aural stories which reflect themes of triumph over adversity and the courage to embrace vulnerability. Born in Miami and raised near the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, McCulloch’s music, recognised by the State of Florida’s Division of Arts and Culture, draws inspiration from her unique upbringing.

Back in Them Hills was officially released on March 22nd; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm, Tractors and Trucks

Posted on 29 October 2023

Springsteen was born to run, but Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm Tractors and Trucks, which delves beyond the stereotypes and into the intricacies of the identities of people who spend their lives outside of the city smoke.

Tractors and Trucks rips up all the tropes and cliches of country and scatters them like confetti within the anthemically polished production which will lure you in with the bluesy pop grooves and ensure you’re suitably hooked by the slide guitars which follow the solos which exhibit Dave Wilbert’s command of a fretboard.

The Fairview, Tennessee-residing artist was born and raised in rural Indiana, where he practised the hard-working virtues extolled in this infectiously feel-good hit, which will undoubtedly give those living the rural life a potent shot of pride.

Tractors and Trucks was officially released on October 6th; add it to your country-rock playlists by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get your recklessly raucous country rock fix with Tracy Inman’s latest single, I’m Drunk Again

Posted on 27 July 2023

When only boozy & bluesy tongue-in-cheek country rock will hit the spot, dig into the latest single, I’m Drunk Again, from the recklessly raucous singer-songwriter Tracy Inman.

From endearing accounts of encounters with bullfrogs to tales of hedonism that make Charles Bukowski sound like a lightweight to sing-along choruses and foot-stompin’ rhythmics, I’m Drunk Again delivers it all in one tidy, polished, and infectiously feel-good package.

Even though the country genre is proliferated with songs about whiskey, the St. Louis-hailing singer-songwriter still managed to pull something original out of the brown paper bag. I can only imagine how well I’m Drunk Again goes down in a live performance in crowded and bleary rooms.

Stream I’m Drunk Again on Spotify, or check out Tracy Inman via his official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast