Interview: MORGANWAY, Country 2 Country 2019, London

*Before you read this, check out my C2C content here* Looking for a new band to sink your teeth into? Look no further than six-piece Morganway! I had the chance to chat with founder Callum about fitting into the country genre, writing dark songs, and how music can make some of the coolest TV scenes we've ever seen - enjoy!

Ciara’s Country (CC): I have the pleasure of talking to Callum Morgan from Morganway ahead of their sets at C2C London. Callum, thank you so much for chatting with me today.

Callum Morgan (CM): Thanks for having me.

CC: So, we’re catching up ahead of C2C – what can music lovers expect from Morganway?

CM: What a question! Morganway is the true sense of being in a band, I think what’s special about a band is that it’s a bunch of different personalities that come together and create something bigger than themselves. When I used to go see bands I would always be in awe of the different personalities at play and what they create together, so that’s really what Morganway is doing. Morganway is creating the Morganway sound. It’s something quite unselfconscious – we’re not trying to fit into any genre and it’s wonderful that the country music scene has been so welcoming to us. I think it’s such an open-minded music scene. So what people can expect is Morganway, really!

CC: Well one of the great things about country is that it’s so broad. No matter what elements of different genres you pick from, somehow they all manage to fit into country anyway.

CM: I think so too. Some people have this kind of misconception that country is banjos and tractors and stuff, and yeah, there are songs that have that to them, but I think as you say it’s quite a broad genre. There’s a lot of different interests at play, and you wouldn’t necessarily think that someone like the late great Tom Petty is a country singer. Traditionally maybe he’s not, but certainly some of the music that inspired Tom Petty would have come from what you might call more traditional examples of country music like Hank Williams.

CC: Exactly, there are so many areas to draw from! For you as well, having a six piece band must mean you have so many different influences and ideas thrown around all the time. How do you make sure everyone’s voices are heard throughout the creative process?

CM: I saw an interview with Tom DeLong after he left Blink 182, and he said that being in a band is a beautiful compromise, and often you have one person’s vision that wants to go one way and another person’s vision that wants to go another way, and sometimes they meet in the middle. That might sound that neither vision is satisfied, but it sometimes makes the best music. We all have strong opinions. The band was formed by my brother and I so I guess we’re sort of the band leaders but it’s important in a band that everyone is empowered and everyone has their voice heard because otherwise it doesn’t work.

CC: I bet sometimes the clashes end up creating a better piece of music than you would have started with.

CM: Definitely. We’re always challenging each other. There are some different personalities. Matt, our keyboard player, is very chilled out and I think it’s important to have someone like that in the band because he’s an incredible musician but is good at going with the flow and offering his ideas but in quite a gentle way. I can be quite the opposite really! We all work together even though we are very different.

CC: One of the things we definitely love in country music is great songwriting, and I really liked how you’d put together your latest single Frozen In Our Time – can you tell me a bit about how that came together?

CM: Yeah, definitely. It was a song that we were playing live for a few years. It was originally a song we had with our previous singer Yves Mary B, and we worked on it as a band until it developed into something quite long and progressive, and even quite dark actually. It’s definitely a darker side to the Morganway sound. It was always leaving a really strong impression at gigs so we thought it needed to be on the album. It was never going to be a three and a half minute pop song. We don’t really apply that self-conciousness to when we write songs, we’re not trying to write something just to fit a certain kind of criteria. This one just felt like the longer it was, the more it was getting into the core of what the song really needed to be. I like the idea of Frozen In Our Time because I think art is, be it music or paintings, it’s all frozen in its time. Sometimes it transcends into other peoples eras, it’s timeless. The singer Jackson Brown said he still calls albums a record because it’s a record of events, so I think time is so integral to all of those ideas.  So that’s what Frozen In Our Time is all about.

CC: Speaking of records and albums, what sneak peeks can you give us about the album?

CM: One thing it definitely isn’t is eleven versions of the same song. There are songs on the album that are long progressive builds like Frozen and then there are three minute poppier tracks, there’s bluesy-rocky tracks, there’s folk tracks. It’s all quite high-octane and reflective of our live shows right now. I think as well, what you were saying about the different personalities throughout the six of us and how we agree on things, I think this album is a good reflection of all the different influences going into it. It’s definitely not eleven versions of the same song, but it all sounds like us – it is all Morganway.

CC: It’s interesting that you commented on the fact that Frozen In Our Time  is quite dark but you also have very different songs on the album. Was that a conscious move from your previous works and also ensuring you have that variety on the album?

CM: Honestly, and I don’t mean this as a lazy answer, none of this is really self-conscious. If it was as simple as ‘I’d really like to write a dark song today’, I’d probably end up writing a two minute major key pop song! That’s the weird thing about song writing. There was no decision that said ‘we need a dark song here’, ‘we need an upbeat song here’, we were just working on songs that felt right to us at the time. Then when you go into the studio it becomes a different beast and you discover things about the song that you hadn’t discovered before. I like to think we weren’t consciously trying to tick boxes or anything.

CC: I know some other artists say ‘my album needs a love song’ or ‘my album needs a poppy upbeat song’ but that definitely wasn’t necessarily what you were going for.

CM: Exactly, we were just looking to capture the essence of Morganway. I think what people like about us when they see us live is that we are just being ourselves, whatever that is. That process did not change going into the studio, we wanted to just capture who we were as Morganway. We didn’t really talk about necessarily having a love song here or whatever. I think the messages we’re trying to convey are like the genre, quite broad things really. One of the great things about performing to people is making a connection. Words are so important to me, I’d grown up listening to Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, really phenomenal lyricists, and I think that when you get that perfect harmony between lyrics and music that just connects with people, it just works. I like the idea that in something as simple as a song, you’re putting something out there that can be interpreted in so many ways. There She Goes doesn’t have to be about heroin, but it might be for some people, it might not be for others. That’s why I don’t necessarily like to talk about what a song is about, because I think that’s more up to the listener.

CC: Definitely. I’m looking forward to seeing how people respond to your sets this weekend! Festivals like this are such great opportunities to discover up-and-coming artists – are there any artists out there you think people should really start listening to?

CM: Yeah, for sure! We’re really happy because Kenny Foster is playing, who we’ve played with before. We played Country On The Clyde with him in Glasgow last year. I really recommend people to check out Kenny Foster, he has such sincere songwriting and is just a great guy as well. And Ashley McBryde too! I’ve been really impressed by her songwriting.

CC: What a great example of someone who’s gone really far sticking with just making great songs with meaningful lyrics.

CM: Definitely. As I said, genre is never really something that has ever interested me – I really like songwriting and I think there’s so much good songwriting out there. I’ve never been to C2C before either so that’ll be good!

CC: You certainly have a lot to look forward to! Last question for you: what’s one question you’ve never been asked in an interview but would love to be?

CM: Wow. Let me think… What do you think is the greatest use of a song in a TV show that you love?

CC: I’ve not heard that one before!

CM: Mainly because I think it’s an opportunity to plug a show I think more people should watch. It’s an HBO show called The Leftovers, but it’s honestly slightly changed my life. I know that it’s boring when people go on about a great television show, but there’s this one scene, a very violent scene that features the song God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. It’s a song that’s been used a lot so it’s not necessarily an original choice of music but it works so well. I’ve never cried so much watching something. I don’t know what that says about me.

CC: Well, that kind of links back to people putting their own interpretations on songs and the different ways they can be interpreted.

CM: Exactly, and it’s a great show. People should definitely check it out.

CC: So not only have we gotten to know more about Morganway and the artists you recommend, but some TV recommendations too!

CM: For sure. Go to C2C, watch all the lovely music there, and then afterwards you can start The Leftovers. Those are my words of wisdom for the day.

CC: Brilliant, thanks so much Callum!

I hope you enjoyed today's interview! Drop me a comment below if you have any questions or thoughts, and make sure to follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry for more interviews and reviews coming soon!

Concert Review: C2C COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY 2019 (Day 3), The O2, London

Before you begin, make sure to check out my Day 2 C2C review here! 

You wait 365 days between each C2C festival, and then just like that, you’ve reached the final day already. That’s pretty much how I felt going in for the final day of C2C, but at least I had some exciting acts lined up in the morning to keep me occupied. We started off with Twinnie who immediately woke up the sleepy group with Half Gypsy. Her songwriting style is certainly unique with titles like steel guitar heavy Daddy Issues, Bad Bitch and the Jason Mraz-like Cupid (during which she got the crowd singing along to ‘I hate you Cupid’) and this, coupled with her great voice, made for a very enjoyable show. Definitely an act I’d like to see again, and maybe higher up the bill this time so that more people can enjoy it too!

Next up was Lainey Wilson who immediately identified herself as a proper Southern girl with flared jeans and the coolest cowboy hat I’d ever seen, and this was before we’d even heard her thick Louisiana accent. She was definitely a rock chick as she jammed to Workin’ Overtime and Waste Of Good Whiskey before promising to show us her sassy side during Poor Boy.

I loved the stories she told, including how her grandmother had interestingly inspired a song called Middle Finger, and about a boy who had thought he had broken her heart, forgetting she was the one with the Microphone. Clever lyrics interspersed her songs – I particularly liked Rolling Stone’s lyrics: ‘Like a feather in the wind, I could be gone / No, you don’t give a rock to a rolling stone’ She was certainly about as rocky as they come, but very cool and an awesome songwriter to boot.

The good acts just kept on coming as Abby Anderson took to the stage next, celebrating her 22^nd birthday (I’m only a bit jealous of super-talented people who already have much more success than I could ever dream of at such a young age) The words that immediately sprung to mind as she performed songs like I’m Good and Dance Away My Broken Heart were ‘sweet and sassy’, and she was an utter joy to watch. We toned things down a bit for the emotional This Feeling and With The Radio On, Abby finishing by saying ‘y’all have seen me cry, so we’re family now’. You see what I mean about the sweet part?

I really enjoyed her song Make Him Wait, inspired by the way she was raised, and what I saw to be sort of a comeback to all the bro-country ‘hey girl’ songs currently on the market that do little more than bragging about getting with girls. Abby’s voice was sublime, and I definitely recommend you take a listen to some of her music – that’s what I’m doing as I write this review – as I have no doubt she’ll be as big as the likes of Maren Morris in just a few years.

Speaking of ‘hey girl’, next up was Michael Ray who had the ladies screaming before he’d even opened his mouth. He was undoubtedly a good performer as he worked the stage during Kiss You In The Morning and I’m Gonna Miss You, but ground my gears a bit when he mentioned writing a song that helped him get through a breakup – Her World Or Mine. Having seen and heard Travis Denning talk about co-writing the song with Brett Beavers and Jamie Paulin, it seemed odd to see Michael suggest it had been written about his experiences. Alas and alack. If you like bro-country, Michael might be one for you, but I personally preferred when he broke down this façade during Get To You, and wished we got to see a bit more of this. I did get a sneak peek into his soft side when I asked him what his first dance with fiancée Carly Pearce would be – it’s Jake Owen’s Made For You. Aww.

Spotlight artist Adam Hambrick was up next, and showed just how good he is at writing hit songs as he performed Justin Moore’s Somebody Else Will and a song about how music was the only thing he would let take him away from his family, Country Stars. He winged a lot of the set, which was quite endearing, and made me wonder just how many other hit songs he had hidden away too.

New Big Machine Label Group signee (that’s a big deal) Lauren Jenkins was next on stage, singing songs about loving someone who has a past - Give Up The Ghost ‘Two of us is one too many / Open the door and set her free / Give up the ghost, hold on to me’; some that took 7 months to write - No Saint; and revenge songs about cheating exes – My Bar.

A real surprise was Blood about not knowing how to help someone going through a tough time. It dealt with topics I’d never seen dealt with in songs before – take a look at the lyrics: ‘Ripping all your veins out won’t change a thing / Painting angels black won’t wash away your pain / Dying’s no way to prove we’re not the same / The blood in you is the blood in me’ Whilst very dark, I think songs like this could actually be helpful to those suffering, so was glad Lauren had taken the plunge to do such a thing.

Our final act on this stage was Logan Mize. Frankly, everything was just a bit too loud and I couldn’t really hear what or how well Logan was singing over the bass and drums. From what I could tell, Logan is a connoisseur of party songs as he sang Life’s A Party and Drinkin’ Buddies. Probably an act better suited for this late time in the day rather than say 11am or the like.

I had deemed that evening’s entertainment to be ‘Songwriters Night’ as all the acts on the lineup seemed to fit that bill. First was Drake White who I’ve always thought was a bit too cool for school since he played the Radio 2 stage at C2C two years ago. What can definitely be said about Drake is that he puts his whole self into his performance, making sure we were getting out just as much as he was putting in during songs like Let It Ride and Back To Free.

I didn’t like the way he changed his voice between speaking and singing as some of the words came off just weird – take my interpretation of how he sang Coast Is Clear and listen to it yourself if you don’t believe me: ‘Just go run with the bulls over in Spoyne / Dance buttnekkid in the po’ing rain / Life ain’ta worth livin’ if you do it all the say-ah-ame’ but he was indeed able to hold the crowd just by himself, and I must say that Livin’ The Dream is a damn good song.

Caroline Jones was our first act on the Spotlight stage, and I did find it strange this year that some of the Spotlight artists were not doing full sets themselves, like Caroline and Catherine McGrath, as I would have preferred a thirty minute show on the Radio 2 stage than just the three songs we got here. Caroline’s pure voice rang out during Worth The Wait and Chasing, but I really didn’t think three songs was enough to get to know what she was like.

Ashley McBryde was the act I was most looking forward to out of the four main acts on the Sunday night and she came on stage, understated in her outfit, covered in tattoos and looking very tiny up there. I thought she picked an interesting song to start off with in Living Next To Leroy, as it’s a song about heroin abuse, but I suppose she had to fit it in the set somewhere and this was as good a place as any. This was followed by the Dancing In The Dark-esque El Dorado and Old Jean Jacket before we got into the really good stuff.

First was cheating or love song (you decide) American Scandal which just has some great lyrics and a catchy melody; the hugely fun Fat and Famous, written for her high school reunion – the reactions of which I would love to have seen as she sang ‘You got fat, I got famous’; and one of the most satisfying songs around, Girl Goin’ Nowhere. As expected, the crowd as we got to ‘I hear the crowd / I look around / And I can’t find an empty chair / Not bad for a girl goin’ nowhere’.

For someone who had been completely off our radar just a year ago, to have that kind of reaction from a crowd who truly was happy that Ashley is able to sing words like that is pretty incredible, as is the fact that she had the highest selling debut album of any artist in 2018, which she casually slipped into conversation. Damn good songs and a damn good singer – what more could you want?

One of the best acts in UK country music, The Wandering Hearts were next on the Spotlight stage to perform to perform Fire And Water and Devil (tell me you don’t hear One Republic’s Counting Stars when you listen to that song) – dedicated fans screaming every word back at them as they sang. They really are good, and I wish they were an even bigger deal in the UK than they currently are.

Next was the ‘Legends slot’ of C2C, which can either be a hit of a miss for me. I’ve spent most of my career as a broadcaster and blogger trying to get people to drop the ‘and Western’ from ‘Country’ and convince them that today’s country is not the same as it used to be, so trad country is just not the stuff that I listen to. Filling the slot this time was Lyle Lovett, who had some songs with very amusing titles and lyrics – Cute As A Bug, Pants Are Overrated (it was a different time when this was written), and If I Had A Boat - see lyrics: ‘And if I had a boat / I’d go out on the ocean / And if I had a pony / I’d ride him on my boat / And we could all together / Go out on the ocean / I said me upon my pony on my boat’ – who comes up with this kind of stuff?

Having been performing for forty years now, his vocals were what you would expect from an older performer, but a real surprise came from his backing singer Francine Reed, who really should’ve had her own set for the lungs on her. Man, that woman could sing! If you’ve read my Day 1 and Day 2 reviews, you’ll know that an important element of a festival for me is the ability to sing and dance along to the acts, and Lyle’s music just didn’t fit that – Royal Albert Hall solo concert maybe, but not C2C.

Last up on the Spotlight stage was Jimmie Allen, who unfortunately didn’t invite Abby Anderson back to sing Shallow with him again (to be honest, we definitely all could have heard that again), but performed some of his hits American Heartbreaker, Make Me Want To and of course, Best Shot. I thought he was an interesting fit for Songwriters Night, as unlike Caroline and The Wandering Hearts, I would have put Jimmie less in the specifically songwriter section and more in the pop section, which would have fit better on other days. I’m sure there was some method to it, and it was an enjoyable mini-set nonetheless.

The big act of the night, and indeed of the weekend for many people, was Chris Stapleton. He performed songs both from his latest works From A Room: Volumes 1 & 2 as well as debut album Traveller, and I noticed those from Traveller like Nobody To Blame and Fire Away got a heck of a lot more people singing than his more recent songs did, the exception being Broken Halos, which really is just a great song.

There was a total of three people on stage – a drummer, Chris and his guitar, and his heavily pregnant wife who supported him by singing backup on some songs – and nothing but coloured lights and the big screens projecting what was happening on stage. Some might argue that nothing more was needed, that Chris’ vocals were enough to carry the whole show (and I’d be stupid to say that his vocals aren’t incredible) but I personally could’ve done with more. Props, pyro, dancing, videos, funky shapes on the screens, more engagement with the crowd, whatever – I just found it hard to hold my concentration when nothing but the song being sung changed (sorry!)

I think this all goes back to my definition of a good festival – being constantly entertained, whether that be by singing and dancing yourself, or watching someone put on a hell of a good show. Don’t get me wrong, Chris has some brilliant songs, many of which we got to hear – Whiskey And You, More Of You, Traveller, Parachute, but to be honest, this was the night out of the three that I could have happily missed, and that’s based on the whole evening’s lineup – that’s the problem with getting your tickets before the line-up is announced. But, if all you’re after is great vocalists, then this would definitely have been the night for you.

To conclude, yes, I did enjoy my weekend at C2C, but I have to be honest in saying that it was one of the less enjoyable of my seven years attending the festival. This is almost all down to the lineup – I think out of everyone playing on the Main stage, there were two acts that I actually wanted to see (Keith Urban and Dustin Lynch), most of the others were repeats, or people I hadn’t heard of and thus assumed they weren’t big or popular enough to be playing the Main stage.

Nonetheless, there were definitely some clear highlights – I loved discovering Fairground Saints, Travis Denning, Runaway June, and Abby Anderson; and Cam, Dustin Lynch, Catherine McGrath, Lady Antebellum, and Keith Urban all put on fantastic sets (minus #guitargate). I’m excited to see who’s on the lineup next year – let’s hope for some new big names (Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Jon Pardi maybe?), some welcome returners who haven’t played for a few years (Maddie & Tae, Dierks Bentley?) and even more great new acts – we’ll just have to wait and see.

I hope you enjoyed today's review! Make sure to leave me a message in the comments and follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry for even more reviews and interviews coming soon - thanks for reading!

Concert Review: C2C COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY 2019 (Day 2), The O2, London

Before you begin, make sure to check out my Day 1 C2C review here!

I was back early the next day and headed straight to the Indigo to catch Sarah Darling, who epitomises dream country with her easy listening music full of pleasant ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s on tracks like Blue Sky and Dreams Fade Away. She was very friendly, chatting with the crowd and offering up a love song to UK fans in the form of Shine, juxtaposed with her love song for Wyoming, the ultra dreamy Where Cowboys Ride, and my recommendation for what to listen to if you want to get to know her.

Next up was Nashies favourite Sam Palladio (I might have been his only fan there courtesy of Netflix’s The Princess Switch) who certainly played more rocky songs than country ones as he jammed out to Hello Heartbreak, one he had written as his character Gunnar’s last song, Goin’ Electric, and another written with a member of Biffy Clyro, Ghost, that didn’t quite make the Nashville soundtrack. The top moment for me was his ‘goodbye to Gunnar’ song Adios Old Friend which stripped back the rock and made for an easy listening, heartfelt track.

I had to head off for an interview with Megan O’Neil during Noah Schnacky’s set, but not before first watching him rock out to Old Dominion’s Break Up With Him, and then woo the crowd as he sat on the side of the stage to sing swoonworthy More Beautiful. Is it a coincidence that two of Noah’s songs (the other being Hello Beautiful) have such a word in them? Something tells me he’s going to be the new young country heartthrob.

Back from my interview, I caught Travis Denning’s set, having enjoyed his performance at the CMA Songwriters Series a few nights prior (you can read about that here). His setup was ideal for me – literally just him and a guitar on stage which meant we were focusing on the music and music only. We started with slow songs After A Few and one he had written for Michael Ray, the beautiful Her World Or Mine (my recommendation for first song to listen to to get to know Travis – make sure you listen to his version!)

He then explained that he felt he was a metalhead raised on Southern rock who had fallen in love with country music, and so tried to keep those influences in his music, as exemplified by a track written with Devin Dawson called Snakes & Needles. Whilst on the rockier end of the spectrum which is the side of country I tend to like less, I really enjoyed listening to this as the lyrics were incredibly well thought out – a true mark of a great storyteller and songwriter, something evident throughout all the songs he had penned. We continued on the rocky note with an incredible rendition of Miranda Lambert’s Kerosene – so interesting to hear performed by a male artist and which rightfully garnered huge applause.

Travis finished with the comment ‘My name is Travis Denning, but I used to be known as David Ashley Parker from Powder Springs’ leading us nicely into his final song – David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs (does what it says on the tin, eh?) Overall, I was very impressed by his songwriting, and he seemed like a genuinely nice guy – one to watch.

After the previous nights performance, I was excited to see Runaway June perform on the Radio 2 stage, and was not disappointed. They really were my kind of music: fun, well thought out lyrics, and great harmonies which they showed off on tracks like Train Whistle, Blue Roses and Lipstick, as well as covers of Keith Urban’s Love Somebody (well, they had technically opened for him the previous night!) and Dwight Yoakam’s Fast As You. Lipstick made them the first female trio in a decade to have a top 20 hit on country radio, and I have no doubt they’ll have many more. What an act.

We headed back to rock with the Canadian James Barker Band (what is it with country music groups being the Somebody Something Band?). Their songs were full of lyrics that would make their mamas proud - take Lawn Chair Lazy: ‘You’re doing nothing too crazy / Just getting lawn chair lazy / It’s the party of the year just sitting here / Somebody hand me a beer, beer, beer’ and Living The Dream: ‘I drink beer and I smoke pot / And I’ve thrown punches in a parking lot’. In all seriousness though, they seemed like cool guys, and if rock country is up your street, these are definitely ones to check out.

I headed off for an interview with Sarah Darling and then into the Arena for first act of the evening, Carly Pearce. Either the sound system was off or she wasn’t used to that type of microphone as she came off initially as a bit screechy, the speakers sounding like they were about to blow out every time she hit a powerful note. As such, I think she might have been better suited perhaps for the Radio 2 stage as it wasn’t the best start to the evening (IMHO), but we did get some redeeming moments in the form of If My Name Was Whiskey, an emotional track about loving someone who loves their drink more; and hit single Every Little Thing, which to be honest, was what we were all there for.

Moving over to the Spotlight stage, we had my new favourites Fairground Saints showing the O2 just what they could do, performing Somewhere Down The Line, California and Mary. They definitely gave me some Little Big Town vibes both in terms of their great harmonisation and also songs that you just want to listen to again and again.

Another major pull of this years lineup for me had been Dustin Lynch, who I think is just a great all rounder. He burst on stage with the pump-up track One Hell Of A Night, immediately showing off just what a showman he was, waving at the audience and getting us all engaged. He has some incredibly catchy songs which he performed including personal favourite I’d Be Jealous Too, Mindreader and new number one song Good Girl, and yet even these catchy tracks were peaked by his performance of Adele’s Someone Like You mashed with Cowboys And Angels. If you don’t hear that song and feel tears pricking your eyes, you probably ought to see someone about it.

Making sure that we weren’t all going to burst into tears after that, he decided to play a drinking game with the crowd as he performed a cover of Garth Brooks Friends In Low Places (again, any country artists who don’t cover this song?), making the crowd drain their drinks even though we still had most of the night ahead of us. Dustin’s fantastic set finished with more hits: Seein’ Red and Small Town Boy – definitely a highlight of the weekend for me.

Back on the Spotlight stage, Catherine McGrath took her place to perform Just In Case, Wild and Lost In The Middle. If you’ve read my C2C reviews before, you’ll know I called her performing in the arena in previous years, as she really is that good. I’ll never not be proud looking back at the fantastic singer I first saw three years ago and thinking ‘that girl’s going somewhere’ My prediction for this year: she’ll be headlining the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire before too long. You heard it here first.

From maybe 2011-2013, if you’d asked me who my favourite country artist was, you probably wouldn’t have been able to finish your question before I blurted out ‘Hunter Hayes!’ His debut album was a revelation to me, and I must have listened to every track on that hundreds of times. Take this as an indication that I was a very big Hunter Hayes fan. So surely watching him play the Main stage at C2C was a good thing?

I hate to say it, but no. Partway through his set, Hunter explaining that he was suffering from a sore throat, which was a relief in the very least to the crowd as a means of explaining why his vocals were a bit…off. Having listened to his album (hundreds of times!), I knew just how good of a vocalist he was, but I really think he should have cancelled the gig if his illness was that bad, because I found myself worrying that all those who weren’t familiar with his music would think that he really did sound like that – it just wasn’t good, and it actually hurts me to type that about someone whose music I adored.

On the plus side, his guitar playing during Light Me Up was phenomenal, and his vocals improved dramatically during Invisible, whether that was due to sitting down or just less shout-singing. I also appreciated just how much he opens up in his music, revealing insecurities that must be hard to talk about, let alone share with the world, and yet are so important to let others out there know they’re not alone. This was clear during Invisible, where he spoke about struggling with the feeling that he doesn’t quite fit in, finding his purpose in songwriting; and Dear God (lyrics like: ‘And why does my life have to hurt so much? / Why can’t I find any peace and love? / And why do I feel like I’m not enough? / Dear God, are you sure that you don’t mess up?’) He writes great music and I truly believe he’s a great singer. Hunter, I love you, just come back when you’re better to prove just how good you are.

The fangirls were out in force for Michael Ray on the Spotlight stage as he performed Think A Little Less (co-written by Thomas Rhett), Her World Or Mine (co-written by Travis Denning), and One That Got Away (co-written by Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey – damn, there are some pretty good mainstream singer-songwriters out there!)

That evening’s headliners were the glorious Lady Antebellum, and it didn’t take longer than one song (I Run To You) before the whole crowd were on their feet. Hillary was chatty and fun as she and her bandmates performed their hits Hey Bartender, Just A Kiss, Heart Break, Compass and American Honey. Prior to this concert, I had no Lady Antebellum songs on my phone, and yet was surprised at just how many they knew. For a band who aren’t necessarily the first to spring to mind when you (or at least, I) think of country music, they sure have a lot of recognisable songs.

 

Hilary and Charles shared the stage as they treated us to new song What If I Never Get Over You and Just Looking For A Good Time, before Charles headed into the crowd during a cover of Suspicious Minds, slapping hands with fans as he ran on by. Back on stage, we were told that they had made the decision to change the setlist from their usual US set, Charles mentioning that during his hiatus he had come more in touch with his spirituality and so performed the next song, Hello World, with different meaning before. I, for one, felt that it certainly turned the O2 into a country music church of sorts.

I also loved how they took a moment to praise Dave Haywood as the brains and glue of the band. It’s undeniable that Dave often takes a backseat to the other two, so seeing him get the credit he deserves was really pleasant. They stripped things back, sitting on stools to perform a mashup of A Good Thing, Dancing Away With My Heart and Wanted You More, their voices ringing clear across the arena.

Hunter and Carly were brought back on stage for a sexy rendition of Niall Horan’s Slow Hands before we moved into the party section of their show, courtesy of the poppy You Look Good, groovy Downtown and rocky Love Don’t Live Here Anymore. As if you had to ask, Lady A provided us a very satisfying encore of Need You Now (how can you not love that song?) and We Own The Night. A surprising highlight of the festival for me, and yes, I now have all of their albums downloaded to my phone. Call me a Lady A fan.

I hope you enjoyed today's review! Make sure to leave me a message in the comments and follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry for even more reviews and interviews coming soon - thanks for reading! 

Concert Review: C2C COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY 2019 (Day 1), The O2, London

I don’t think I’ve ever been as committed to something as I am to C2C Country 2 Country festival, as I was now heading back for my seventh year. Arriving at The O2 on the Friday afternoon, I headed straight for the BBC Radio 2 stage in Indigo at the O2. Whilst there are many stages to choose from, I’ve always found the Radio 2 stage to host some fairly big names within country music who aren’t quite big enough to play the Main stage – take Old Dominion, Lauren Alaina and Charles Esten as examples of artists who have played there over the years.

First up were Fairground Saints, a three-piece trio I’d not yet heard of but was glad I’d made the trek in early to see. They reminded me of Family of the Year (you might recognise them from the Boyhood soundtrack) with their slightly indie vibe and beautiful harmonies; Eli, Mason and Meg using their three voices very well on songs like California and Somewhere Down The Line. I think this stage almost works better as stripped down as it can get, so just having the three on stage, Eli tapping out drum beats on his guitar worked marvellously. I’m a new fan.   

I was excited to see the next act, having been a fan of Raelynn since the release of her Wildhorse album and hoping that one day she’d tour in the UK. She arrived on stage with dramatic flair to Ariana Grande’s God Is A Woman, launching into her first single God Made Girls. It was clear from the get-go that Raelynn is quite the firecracker, sauntering about the stage in thigh high boots as she sang. With fun, high energy songs like Lonely Call and Tailgate, I really felt Raelynn could have fitted right in on the Main stage, and indeed may even have done better there as the band on the Radio 2 stage had a tendency of drowning her singing out, the setting being more apt for acoustic performances.

My favourite parts of her set were during the stripped down segments where you could really see her put her heart into her performance. Songs like Camo, written about being married to a military man, and Love Triangle, about being in the middle of her parents divorce, were real highlights and undoubtedly Raelynn at her best.

There was a lot of excitement for the next act, Jimmie Allen, most of which spurred from his hit single Best Shot which had been blasting out all over country radio last year. Jimmie is definitely on the ‘hip’ end of country music, as evidenced not only by his style (sporting a leopard print hat from the woman’s section at River Island) and bro-country lyrics (‘I don’t need my hands on the wheel / Cause I got both hands on you’ being a notable example). The crowd lapped this up, singing back the lyrics to American Heartbreaker and his covers of Trace Adkins You’re Gonna Miss This and Garth Brooks Friends In Low Places (are there any country artists who don’t cover this song?!).

Definitely what appealed to me most about him was his personality. He was a funny guy, causing the crowd to laugh when he realised he’d forgotten how to start one of his songs, and chatting us through some of his songs, like not wanting to play games with someone you’re interested in in How To Be Single and being one of the few black people in country music in All Tractors Ain’t Green. He seems like a lovely guy – even recording a video of himself for me to send to a big Jimmie fan who couldn’t make it – and for that reason I wish him every success.

I headed next into the Arena, where there was definitely the biggest production I’d ever seen at C2C with screens floor to ceiling – a necessity for those in the high seats. Chase Rice kicked off – or at least tried to, with his mic not working for the first minute or so, starting with the ironic On Tonight, as his mic definitely wasn’t. Back on track, he continued with Jack Daniels Showed Up, played in a much different setting to when I had last seen him at The Borderline (you can read my review of that here), the drum beats causing my heart to beat in an irregular fashion.

Things took a turn for the weird when Chase invited an audience member on stage during sexy track Ride, and basically encouraging her to get off with his bass player… Regardless, I much preferred the less rock-heavy elements of his set like Gonna Wanna and Eyes On You, which prove that as much as being a rockstar, Chase can also be a bit of a softie and tell good stories with nothing more than Three Chords & The Truth.

First on the Spotlight stage was singer-songwriter Adam Hambrick whose distinctive high voice reminded me somewhat of Max Schneider. He played own release Rockin’ All Night Long which quite frankly didn’t seem to fit his persona to me (‘Cause when you’re young, you hold on and / It’s bloodshot eyes, watch the sun rise / sleep when you die / phase of life’ – is it?) but did prove his songwriting prowess by performing Dan + Shay’s How Not To which he helped write. Quite honestly, I can’t fault a song like that.

How it was that Cam was only second on the lineup was beyond me – a voice like that needs to be much higher up – and she proved this from the very first note of Diane. She is a complete and vocal powerhouse, evident on already released songs that she performed for us, including Mayday and revenge track Runaway Train (followed by the words ‘Thank you to all the a-holes out there because at least they make for good music!) and sneak peeks into her upcoming album with the soul-wrenching Forgetting You When I’m Alone which I have no doubt will be just as big a hit as Burning House and the sexy Til There’s Nothing Left, about wanting to give everything you have to the one you love.

As if the whole set wasn’t enough of a highlight itself, Cam treated us to a wonderful mashup of Miley Cyrus’ Nothing Breaks Like A Heart, a brilliant song in itself, and Dolly Parton’s Jolene, which meld together perfectly – a real treat and an example that she can take on other powerhouses songs just as well as her own. And yes, in case you’re wondering, she did end on Burning House, no doubt a song that will be paying her bills for as long as she lives!

Back on the Spotlight, we had the excitable Abby Anderson who exuded infectious energy that you couldn’t help but love. Her sassy songs I’m Good and Naked Truth reminded me of Maren Morris, and with a voice as good as hers, I hope she goes just as far. We had a special treat as Abby invited Jimmie Allen onto the stage to perform a cover of Shallow from A Star Is Born. Certainly a risky decision given how much praise Lady Gaga’s performance of the song has gotten, but Abby was good enough to do it justice. Yet another brilliant act I’ll be adding to my playlist.

Following on with the positive energy was Brett Eldredge on the Main Stage, whose personality and music is the definition of fun. He began with Lose My Mind and Somethin’ I’m Good At, the cutesy lyrics (‘I can’t change the world, no I can’t change a flat / If you give me your heart, girl, well, you may never get it back / You said you’d never smile again, but oh no, here it comes / Would you look at that? / I finally found somethin’ I’m good at’) making both us and him smile.

If you’re looking for some music to make you smile, look no further than songs like Don’t Ya, Long Way Round, Love Someone, and Drunk On Your Love, all of which we got to hear and bop along to. To me, Brett exemplified exactly what I want out of a festival, which is feel-good music I can dance and sing along to at the top of my lungs. This was a stellar set full of moments like this and ended on a high with Wanna Be That Song and Beat Of The Music.

Another impressive spotlight act followed in the form of girl band Runaway June who impressed me with their catchy songs, ranging from the upbeat and fun Lipstick and I Can Buy My Own Drinks to the calm love song Wild West; as well as their great voices. The female Dan + Shay, maybe? Again, I’m a new fan.

And then onto the main event. Friday’s headliner was Keith Urban, and undoubtedly the act I was most excited to see for the whole weekend considering that it had been 12 years since his last gig in the UK (excluding his intimate performance at the O2 Forum Kentish Town two days prior) We began with the high energy Never Comin’ Down, Keith appearing in silhouette form to the screams of the crowd. This was followed by Days Go By and Coming Home, with Julia Michaels appearing on the video screen for her parts.

Keith took a moment to greet the crowd with a ‘We finally made it back! It feels so good to be here!’ and invited a Scottish fan from the front row up on stage, hilarity ensuing as Keith tried to understand the man’s accent, and the man in turn called Keith out for taking so long to make it back to the UK.

We blazed on through Somewhere In My Car and Long Hot Summer, Keith shredding his guitar so hard he nearly fell of stage. The next section was stripped down for personal favourite Parallel Line and Stupid Boy, again with hugely impressive guitar solos, showing that Keith could easily have held the stage just by himself without the band a la Chris Stapleton. Somebody Like You and Blue Ain’t Your Colour kept the ballad vibe going before we picked up the pace again with Cop Car, a song I always like hearing to compare it with Sam Hunt’s version.

I had expected Keith to bring Cam back on stage to cover Carrie Underwood’s part in The Fighter as he had down with Kerri Watt at his Kentish Town show, but Carrie appeared instead on the video screens to sing. Partway through the song, Keith headed down to the Spotlight stage to perform a medly of Kiss A Girl, Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me, and You Look Good In My Shirt, much to the delight of fans further back.

Now here’s where things get shady. At this point, Keith explained that since we were giving him so much time and energy, he wanted to give us something back. Taking his guitar off, he pulled out a Sharpie, signed it, and looked around for one lucky fan to give his guitar to. Let’s say there were at least 200 fans standing around the Spotlight stage, including a bunch of screaming girls right in front of where Keith was standing – logical options for who he might want to give the guitar to, right? Instead, he turned 145’ round, back towards the stage. Okay, maybe someone from the front row there? Nope. He pointed a few rows back, and a girl was brought onto the stage. The exact same girl as who he had given the guitar to at O2 Forum Kentish Town, two days prior. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Now, either lightning really does strike twice and Keith couldn’t remember the girl he’d met two days ago (even though all of us who were at that concert could), or this was fixed. The latter being the more logical option (what is the likelihood she would be picked out of the 20,000 C2C attendees?), the magic for me and for many others who noticed was over, which was a shame as it was otherwise a really good show.

We finished swiftly with Gone Tomorrow, Here Today and Wasted Time, confetti raining down on the audience. Keith thanked his fans and promised he’d be back sooner than he was this time, and just like that, the show was over. No encore, really? I looked over at my seat neighbours and wondered if that was really it, never having known any headliner to have finished without an encore. All in all, it was a super fun set, but I feel the O2 Forum set had been superior as we’d got at least 5 more songs then and without the confusion of #guitargate.   

I hope you enjoyed today's review! Make sure to leave me a message in the comments and follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry for even more reviews and interviews coming soon - thanks for reading!