Interview: CATHERINE MCGRATH, Under The Bridge, London

A few months after first seeing her perform at the Under The Apple Tree Roots Festival, I was lucky enough to catch up with rising star Catherine McGrath ahead of her set supporting Kelsea Ballerini on Kelsea's first trip to the UK (you can read my review of both acts here). Read on to find out Catherine's thoughts on touring, convincing people to listen to country, career aspirations, and of course, Taylor Swift!

Ciara’s Country (CC): It’s Ciara here and I’m joined today by perhaps the most exciting new addition to UK country music – it’s Catherine McGrath! Thank you so much for joining me today.

Catherine McGrath (CM): Thanks for having me!

CC: So to kick off the interview and get people to know you a little bit better, can you tell me one fun fact about yourself that people might not know?

CM: Umm, I don’t like hot chocolate. It’s weird, I don’t like coffee, I don’t like milkshakes.

CC: What do you have when you go to a coffee shop then?

CM: Just water or tea. I’m so basic.

CC: I feel like tea is quite an Irish drink though, so it suits you, and is probably something people didn’t know about you before! So I first saw you perform a fantastic set at the Under The Apple Tree Roots Festival last September – what have you been up to since then?

CM: That was like one of the first big shows I played, and since then I’ve been on tour with Canaan Smith, The Shires, and have just been doing as much live stuff as possible. I’ve been releasing songs about every three weeks and am just about to put out an acoustic version of my song Just In Case, and we’re just doing lots of festivals over the summer and keeping releasing music. It’s been so fun.

CC: Very exciting! It seems to me that you’ve been the opening act for just about anyone who’s toured the UK recently, what’s that been like?

CM: It’s been so fun! It’s so crazy, even just Kelsea Ballerini, as soon as I saw she was coming to the UK I was texting everyone – my manager, my agent – and I was like please, please, please can I get on this show. I just love country music and I want to play to the people who love it too and meet them, and want them to like my music too and get out there as much as I can too.

CC: So has it been you proactively seeking out these opportunities then?

CM: Yeah, definitely. It’s all music that I love and for the festivals, I’ve never played at festivals so that’s going to be fun. That’ll be different to what I’m used to because so far it’s been artists that I know and love.

CC: And I guess C2C was one of your first festival experiences.

CM: Yeah, that was one of the best weekends of my life. Even just being there in general and watching everyone playing was just the dream.

CC: So you’ll be back next year?

CM: If I’m not playing, I’ll definitely be there anyway!

CC: Great! Have you had any crazy experiences on tour so far?

CM: I don’t think so. It’s weird because I had a picture of being in a bus and driving around everywhere with everyone, but for us it’s kind of like been getting trains to the venue and then having to leave and get back home by midnight, and so it wasn’t what I thought but it’s been really fun. Nothing crazy yet, but we’ll see…

CC: So touring is a bit different to what you’d expected.

CM: It can be quite stressful.

CC: Hopefully tonight won’t be!

CM: Tonight’s going to be fun I think.

CC: Have you had a career highlight so far?

CM: Playing C2C definitely is the biggest thing I’ve done. And tonight is probably going to be a highlight, playing with Kelsea because I love her music so much and she’s one of the people who if someone asked who inspired me and who I love, Kelsea Ballerini is always in there.

CC: Who are some of the others?

CM: Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts – they’re all the people I started listening to first. It’s kind of a mix of everything but they’re the main people I love.

CC: I couldn’t agree more with those choices. So so far you’ve released your EP One and most recently a couple of singles – how do you choose which songs are the ones you put out?

CM: I’ve been writing for just over a year, so I had this whole list of songs, about fifty songs, that I went into a meeting with my record label and management and we just listened to all of them. Luckily I’m with a team of people who have the same kind of tastes as me so we all picked together and all loved the same songs so it was really easy to pick the ones we wanted to put out.

CC: Can you tell me a bit about the creative process when it comes to writing songs?

CM: It’s always different but a lot of the time, I think of a random lyric and I write it in my phone, and I’ll go into a session and someone will say ‘do you have any ideas for what you want to write about’ and I’ll bring them to the table, or experiences that have happened to me. Then everyone talks about it and what they’ve been through and it kind of goes from there. Everyone pitches in.

CC: Is there one song you found particularly interesting to write?

CM: Yeah, I have this song called Wild which I’m going to release but it’s not out yet. I literally went into the studio the day after I went to a Coldplay concert, and I was on a rant about the guy I went with. I was writing with Lindy Robbins who wrote down everything I said and we kind of pieced together a story word for word as I’d said it, so that was a really interesting way to write a song. It turned out very honest.

CC: That’s something for us to look forward.

CM: I’m so excited to release that. I sing it live but I don’t have a proper version yet.

CC: Will we be hearing that tonight?

CM: You will!

CC: So you mentioned Coldplay there – it seems your music taste is quite broad.

CM: Yeah, I started listening to country from Nashville when I was about 12. My family loved traditional country and so I kind of grew up with that side of it, but I was also listening to what was on the radio and what my friends listened to – Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, that kind of stuff. I think the music I write and listen to is just a blend of everything. If a songs good, it’s good. I don’t really restrict myself to genres, but country’s the main thing I listen to.

CC: I’d say that’s the case for most country fans. 90% of the music on my phone is country, the other 10% is anything and everything! So as well as your songs, one of the things I particularly have enjoyed is your music videos because they seem very innovative in that they’re tailored to social media.

CM: Those videos were so fun. I was standing in front of a green screen and then to see it come to life is just so cool. I love social media – it’s how I’ve found people who liked the same music as me because my friends didn’t like the same music that I did. It’s just fun to post pictures and stalk other peoples lives too.

CC: Are you managing to get your friends into country now?

CM: I think in general, not even just my friends, people are starting to realise that country is more than what they think it is. I think people have this idea that country is only Johnny Cash, or it’s only George Strait.

CC: Or songs about tractors and beer.

CM: Yeah! And I do love that side of country music but there’s so many different kinds now – there’s Sam Hunt and Maren Morris and all these people who are breaking new ground with country, and I think as people listen to it they realise it is cool and they do like it and then give it a chance. I think it’s growing as people hear songs on Spotify and things like that.

CC: Speaking of Maren Morris, I know she’s coming over in November – maybe there’s an opening slot for you there?

CM: Ah, I have to take everyone I can get! I saw her at Country 2 Country and I was like ‘oh my gosh, I love you’. She’s amazing.

CC: That was definitely a C2C highlight for me. So with all this music you’re releasing, will there be a full length album on the way soon?

CM: At some point I definitely want to put out an album. Right now there’s no specific plan, I’m still writing. We’ve got some songs that I like and I just want to get some more. My main focus right now is to start playing for people and getting people to know who I am and what they think of what we’ve got so far before I put out a big album. It’s definitely on the bucket list to get that done.

CC: So more singles and acoustic versions then?

CM: Yeah, some more songs are coming your way soon hopefully.

CC: I have to say I find it really exciting meeting you at what is pretty much the beginning of your career. What are your aspirations for the next 5 to 10 years?

CM: I just want to be able to play music and see people enjoy it. I’ve seen people at Country 2 Country who knew the words to my songs and so when people ask me what I want I always say I’d love to see people know the words to my songs, or dance along, or say ‘I know exactly what you mean in that song’. Even in these first few shows that I’ve done, people have known the words and have told me that my songs mean something to them. That’s just what I’ve always wanted, and so for that to keep going or grow onto a bigger scale, that’s what I hope to do.

CC: I’ve seen photos of you after shows with huge lines of people queuing up to meet you. It seems people really are interesting in knowing more about you and your music!

CM: Yeah, it’s crazy – every night I think ‘nobody’s going to show up’ and then loads of people do and they’re all so nice. It’s so cool because they’re the people who love the same music as me and are like me that I didn’t even know existed when I was 12. It’s been so fun.

CC: I think we definitely get that kind of homegrown country vibe to you as well that we like.

CM: Irish as well. The Americans love the Irish. I went to Nashville and everyone was like ‘I have a great-grandad who’s Irish!’

CC: When I played one your tracks to my friends, they said ‘Is that Taylor Swift? I’ve not heard that song before.” I definitely get some Taylor Swift vibes to you so that’s a career trajectory I can see you going down.

CM: That was actually how I got into country music. I listened to Taylor’s album and then she talked about Rascal Flatts and all these artists and so I started to look at that and get into it. That’s really cool to hear!

CC: What kind of music would you say you’re listening to right now?

CM: Right now I’m listening to Sam Hunt, Kelsea Ballerini, Raelynn – I really love her.

CC: Her new album is fantastic.

CM: The Apple is my favourite track ever. And Love Triangle – oh my gosh. There’s just so many people I love. I go onto Spotify and listen to the country playlists and listen to all their songs and find out that way. There’s a guy called Steve Moakler as well who I discovered recently and he’s amazing. An endless list.

CC: Would you ever consider covering any of their songs?

CM: Yeah, I put up covers on YouTube every few weeks or so and I just cover whatever songs I love, or something someone’s asked me to do that I really like. So I’d definitely do covers of those.

CC: So you’re taking fan requests then.

CM: Yeah, I used to wait and read all the comments on my videos and think ‘oh, that’s a good idea’ if I didn’t know what to cover next.

CC: Are there any artists that you really like who you think are underrated and deserve more recognition?

CM: There’s a guy called Donovan Woods who has really good acoustic style and lyrics. He’s from Nashville and he’s amazing but I don’t think many people know who he is but I tell everyone about him because he’s amazing, so you should listen to Donovan Woods.

CC: Will do! Is there a dream artist you’d love to collobarate or perform with?

CM: Taylor Swift, Kelsea Ballerini and Raelynn. They’re my three hits.

CC: Well I suppose tonight is almost ticking one of them off! I’ll expect you to perform with the other two over the next few years, okay? And my final question for you tonight is what’s the one question that you wish you were asked in interviews but never have been?

CM: I don’t think so. If I was interviewing I would have no idea what to ask. You’ve done a pretty good job! But no one’s ever asked me what my favourite chocolate, so maybe that one because I’m very passionate about chocolate.

CC: And what would your answer to that be?

CM: Cadbury Dairy Milk or Lindt, hands down.

CC: There you go, you can add that to your rider then. Thank you for answering all of my questions and I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me today!

CM: Thanks for having me!

I hope you enjoyed reading this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it! You can find out more about Catherine McGrath on social media @imcathmcgrath, and keep up to date with all things country by following me on Twitter at @CiarasCountry. Thanks for reading!

Concert Review: JOHN MAYER, The O2, London

Without a doubt, John Mayer is, and has been for a number of years, my favourite musician, so to say I was excited to attend his The Search For Everything Tour would be an understatement. I’d first seen him perform in 2014, and three years later, I was back for round two.

I was attending the second night of his London gigs at the O2 which had sold out shortly after release, prompting him to add another London date for the previous evening. The night kicked off with Swedish singer-songwriter Andreas Moe, who I was excited to see as he’d also opened for John Mayer on the European leg of his World Tour in 2014. Moe started with his most successful song Ocean which I recognised from the last time I had seen him perform, which brought back pleasant memories.

Like Mayer, Moe is a talented guitarist, and this showed in the guitar solos he performed during Frozen River and Free Fall. It’s clear Mayer has been a big influence on Moe, as he recalled listening to one of Mayer’s songs for hours on repeat before finally finding it in a record store and starting his dream of one day performing on the same stage as John. I particularly enjoyed Bus Stop, a new song where the beat of the bass drum pounded right through your heart. Moe’s songs to me seem like ‘road trip songs’ – the kind you can imagine listening to as you roll down highways – think Family of the Year’s Hero. He finished his set with Calling Out and This Year, before taking a bow to the happy crowd to mark his final show on The Search For Everything Tour.

Forty-five minutes later, the arena lights dimmed and the stage screened welcomed to the crowd to The Search For Everything Tour. Mayer didn’t make a grand entrance as many artists I’d seen perform on this stage often do, instead simply walking on stage with his band, guitar in hand. The entire show was very minimalistic, with a simple set using only the screen behind him. He doesn’t rely on gimmicks, pyrotechnics or choreography, because his incredible vocals and guitar skills do all the talking for him.

The screen behind him introduces ‘Chapter One – Full Band’ and we hear the opening chords of Waiting On The World To Change. One benefit of John’s music is that each song is so different it’s often easy to tell which song is coming up as soon as you hear the first few notes. The show included a mix of tracks from both Mayer’s latest album The Search For Everything as well as old favourites, and Chapter One mixed new songs like Helpless and Moving On And Getting Over with older songs like No Such Thing. This Chapter ended with Changing, complete with a heart-rending guitar solo that reminded the crowd that John rightly deserves his position as one of the best commercial guitar players out there.

The lights dimmed for a moment as the set was changed and we were welcomed into a completely different atmosphere for ‘Chapter Two – Acoustic’. The band had left the stage along with their instruments, and all that remained was John and a Japanese bridge in the middle of the stage, accompanied with a stunning Japan-inspired backdrop complete with Mount Fuji and sakura trees galore. I must say, the visual displays used during the concert were almost cinematic in style and completely stunning, sometimes projecting images of John on stage and at other times showing night time city skylines, the inside of a ‘Fight Club ending’ style building or soft Californian sunsets.

The crowd cheered as John began to play the recognisable beginning of Dreaming With A Broken Heart before subtly flowing into Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967. This acoustic section was enjoyable because absolutely nothing more was needed to enthuse the 20,000 strong crowd than just John and his guitars (which he changed more often that you could count). Again, it became clear just how talented John is on the guitar as he extended songs to include highly impressive guitar solos, his face contorting with passion and making it look like man and guitar really were one. After Stop This Train, John also showed off his harmonica skills during Whiskey Whiskey and Neon and it was hard to draw your eyes away from his fingers picking at the guitar strings facing than our eyes could focus.

The set went dark again but was swiftly replaced with an introductory video for ‘Chapter Three – John Mayer Trio’ where John, bass player Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan explained their decision for including the jazz / blues trio as part of this tour. They presented a very different sound to the previous chapter, going full-on rock during Crossroads and Good Love Is On Its Way with Steve going all out during drum instrumentals, and John allowing his falsetto to shine during Vultures. I’m more of a fan of John’s ‘vibey’ tracks so this was probably the part of the show where I was less engaged (although still very engaged) but appreciated the variety that the show set-up allowed for.

‘Chapter Four – Full Band’ saw a return of all band members who we were introduced to one by one, with John explaining that each were good enough to play an entire gig on their own, and yet they chose to play with him instead. This was highlighted when guitarist David Ryan Harris took over the mic to sing the opening lines to one of John’s tracks, and automatically had my money for any solo gigs he’d like to do in future. Again, the set transported us to another visually stunning destination, this time the inside of a candlelit barn as John played In The Blood, one of my favourite lyric driven songs with honest lyrics like ‘How much of my mother has my mother left in me? / How much of my love will be insane to some degree? / And what about this feeling that I’m never good enough / Will it wash out in the water or is it always in the blood?’ Unlike many pop artists, John’s lyrics tend to have more substance which, along with the vibey style and incredible guitar skills, are what make him stand out to me.

The barn was replaced with dancing pandas for Still Feel Like Your Man where John put us all to shame by reaching high notes that we can only dream of. Whilst not replicating the dance moves seen in the music video for this song, John endearingly shuffled around the stage which was certainly something that kept me smiling throughout the concert. The tone was turned down a notch as he began to play Slow Dancing In A Burning Room, one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard which I think would be a perfect wedding song, in spite of its subject matter! This section finished with Dear Marie, a song John is particularly proud of given it, and album Paradise Valley’s, different style to his previous work.

The band exited the stage but the crowd kept singing parts of Dear Marie and so they soon returned for encore performances of Edge of Desire and Gravity, during which phone lights began swaying around the arena. The band left again and the set changed to a single piano towards the front and a plain white background. Alone for the final time on stage during ‘Chapter Five – Epilogue’, John played piano-led versions of I Will Be Found and You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me before disappearing through a door in the middle of the screen. The credits began to roll on the screen as we were told ‘The End’, just in case any of us were hoping for ‘Chapter Six’. I certainly was.

John played for a little over two hours, so I think we certainly felt that we were getting what we paid for. My only qualm would be that the set list changes every night, and I found myself almost wishing I’d gone on the previous night instead when John played a number of my favourites including Daughters, Free Falling, and Why Georgia. However, the fact that the set changes every night is testament to John and his bands skill in performing a complete anthology of songs. If I had it my way, I’d have gone to every night of The Search For Everything. 

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Concert Review: KELSEA BALLERINI, Under The Bridge, London

It’s been almost two years to the day since Kelsea Ballerini released her debut album The First Time, and yet last night’s gig at Under The Bridge was the first time she’d hit UK shores to perform. The anticipation was palpable and we were in for a real treat from the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter.

The night was already off to a good start as I walked into the venue to be greeted by the sound of Zac Brown Band, Old Dominion and Blake Shelton songs blasting through the speaker system. Although Kelsea wasn’t due on stage until 9pm, there was already a long line of fans waiting outside Under The Bridge who came in as soon as doors opened to secure the best spaces. Knowing who the opening act was, I’m sure they were glad that they arrived early to see her perform.

Catherine McGrath has become a recognisable name in the UK country music scene over the past few months, having opened for just about anyone touring the country, from The Shires to Canaan Smith to Cam and now Kelsea. As she walked on stage, she made sure to immediately introduce herself to the crowd, talking about how she used to queue for concerts like this and how excited she was to support Kelsea tonight.

Her set kicked off with perhaps her most well-known song to date, Hell Would Have To Freeze Over, a poppy number about what an ex would have to do to win her back. She take the time to explain the inspiration behind each song she plays, from Starting From Now about trying not to let heartbreakers back into your life, and a song called Cinderella co-written with Nashville songwriter Liz Rose. Rose famously helped to write many of Taylor Swift’s country-era songs, and there are many allusions that can be made between Swift and McGrath, from the way they base songs on personal experience to even their style of singing. Hopefully this bodes well for Catherine’s career trajectory!

She already seems pretty well known though, and it’s nice to see members of the crowd already singing along to her songs. The applause grows steadily after each song, and following a performance of recent single Just In Case, I hear the people next to me comment “she’s got a great voice” – some new fans there already.

She finishes her set with two slower songs, She’ll Never Love You and Never Want To Fall In Love, which although not as easy to dance along to, highlight her fantastic vocal range hitting some impressive high notes, and allow her guitarist and drummer to shine. We also get a sneak peek of unreleased song Wild written about a guy still in love with someone else, my favourite song of her set. The story-telling lyrics are truly country, and point to Catherine as definitely one to watch. I look forward to seeing her headline a show at some point soon.

A short while later, the lights go down, video screens at the back of the stage start flashing and the opening chords of Yeah Boy begin to play. This is followed by a huge roar as Kelsea takes to the stage, unsurprising this being her first show in the UK. As she sings, her energy is palpable and this permeates the crowd who continue singing at the top of their lungs when Kelsea points the microphone in our direction during Looking At Stars.

It’s hard not to love Kelsea as the first thing she says to the crowd is “OH MY GOD! This is my first even show in the UK, I was worried no one was going to show up!” Needless to say, the gig sold out in under an hour. She gets into the crowd to perform my favourite track from The First Time, Square Pegs, before returning on stage to perform a high-energy version of her hit song Dibs, dancing around the stage and making it obvious that she was having just as much fun as all of us were. ‘One for the girls’ track Stilettos was followed by super fun Roses, which she confirmed will be on album #2, and I can assure will have you dancing round your room within seconds.

We were treated to a number of unreleased songs and things were slowed down for an acoustic version of High School and summer jam We Were Like. Without a doubt, my favourite new song was I Hate Love Songs, an almost satirical anti-love-song love song with lyrics like “I hate Shakespeare and Gosling and cakes with white frosting, two names in a heart shaped tattoo / I think Cupid is stupid and violets are purple, not blue / I hate catching bouquets, the honeymoon phase and letterman jackets don’t fit / Your eyes can’t hold stars and you’d die if your heart really skipped” It’s a lot of fun and a really catchy tune at that, so I’m certainly looking forward to hearing the studio version if one is released.  

Kelsea performed a few mashups too, including a country love song mix of Girl Crush and Blue Ain’t Your Color, and a pop mashup detailing the story of a relationship, ranging from James Bay’s Let It Go to Justin Bieber’s Sorry and One Republic’s Apologise. I’m sure all artists involved would have been very proud to have their songs covered by such a talented artist!

The show finished with some of Kelsea’s biggest hits to date, including Sirens and Peter Pan, which again, the crowd were more than happy to take over singing whenever Kelsea stopped, and XO, her first UK single, the exposure of which will hopefully encourage Kelsea to come back across the pond more often. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see her next March as a headliner at C2C Country 2 Country, if not before. Here’s hoping!

She walked off stage with a huge smile on her face, but it wasn’t long before the crowd began chanting ‘Kelsea’ and so she appeared a few minutes later literally right in the middle of the standing crowd, guitar in hand to perform The First Time. Although the lack of stage meant people on the other side of the room weren’t able to see her, it was incredible to hear just how her voice filled the entire venue, creating a truly magical experience. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a Kelsea show without ending on Love Me Like You Mean It, where the energy was turned up to eleven and left us all buzzing even after she’d left the stage for the final time. Kelsea, we welcome you back soon with open arms!

Let me know your thoughts on the review, Kelsea or Catherine, as well as checking out some exclusive photos and videos from the gig on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and stay tuned for more reviews and interviews coming soon!

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