Concert Review: HIGHLIGHTS FROM C2C COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY BERLIN 2020 (Part 2)

Looking for Part 1? Find it here for reviews of Caylee Hammack, Noah Schnacky, Charles Esten, Filmore, Kassi Ashton, Brett Young, and Lindsay Ell 

All photos are my own! 

https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2019/03/concert-review-c2c-country-2-country_27.html

Jimmie Allen will always hold a special place in my heart, being kind enough to record a lovely video message for a friend of mine a few years ago who couldn’t attend his concert. A nice bloke who can sing? Say no more. You just know you’re going to have a good time with Jimmie, and Berlin 2020 was no different, as he swaggered on stage in cowboy hat and long black coat, complete with a big gold medallion for good measure. We heard three of Jimmie’s hits on the livestream, starting off with Make Me Want To - ‘it might be too soon to say I love you, but you’re gonna make me want to’. As Jimmie called out to the crowd, ‘Berlin, how y’all doing out there tonight, baby?’ (only Jimmie Allen can call an entire city ‘baby’), I found myself getting caught up in it, even from home, and it was at this point that I started really wishing that I was there to get caught up in the atmosphere. Not only were Jimmie’s upbeat songs creating a great atmosphere, but he was too, having a good time and spinning around the stage.

He continued with the very nice country love song Best Shot, with the band taking a minute to cut all music and just let Jimmie’s voice shine, getting everyone to put their phone lights up as he sang, ‘I’m not saying that I’m perfect, cause girl you know I’m not, but I’ll love you with everything I’ve got, I’ll give you my best shot’. Jimmie finished with Underdogs, coming into the crowd to finish the song and really proving my point that half of the reason for going to gigs is to interact with the artist, with no-one showing why better than Jimmie Allen. I really want him to succeed.

I can’t say I have much to comment on the next artist Willie Jones, as he just wasn’t my cup of tea (but I sure would be some peoples) – he sang the country/hip-hop infused Back Porch, which whilst not necessarily my style, again highlights well that country is whatever we want it to be – pop, rock, hip-hop, you name it. 

 https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2018/10/concert-review-darius-rucker-royal.html

Time for big act number two next, Darius Rucker, who played everyone’s favourite song Wagon Wheel, which you know, love, and can’t help but sing along to from the very first chord. Darius is such a nice guy (need more proof – check out my interview with him here), and you could really see this on stage as the crowd sang along to every word, highlighting that Darius’s music really is universal. I couldn’t wait to see what other songs we’d hear on the livestream, until the screen changed to the next artist. Excuse me, C2C organisers? You highlight Darius Rucker as one of the three main acts on your livestream, and you’re going to play just one of his songs? Some of the Spotlight artists got even more than that! Get your act together. I was very much enjoying the Berlin highlights show, but honestly, that was such a big let-down I didn’t think I’d recover.

As if to prove my point, the next artist was someone I hadn’t yet heard of, Austin Jenckes, and yet we saw three of his songs versus Darius’s one. Hear me out, I am absolutely not complaining (well, I am about Darius’s lack of songs, but not about hearing three of Austin’s), as Austin was a revelation. He has a phenomenal voice that is a must for any fans of Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs, and shone on his songs Ride Away and If You’d Been Around. After watching the show, I listened to his recorded songs, and don’t say this often, but think he sounds even better live than on record. That last song, If You’d Been Around, was not only full of powerful vocals, but also deep emotion and storytelling with just him and a guitar, but he really didn’t need anything more.

However, nothing could have prepared me for the last song we’d hear from Austin, a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide. I simply wrote in my review notes ‘Yay!’ because it was such a joy to hear, and I don’t think I’d ever heard a male cover of the song before. This was really special, and my highlight of the night so far as his voice completely filled the arena. Austin Jenckes, you’re my one to watch. 

 https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2019/03/concert-review-cmc-rocks-festival-day-1.html

I don’t think I could’ve been happier with the next section either. Aptly titled Introducing Nashville, it was a trio made up of Eric Paslay, Tenille Townes, and Abby Anderson. Like a little storyteller’s circle, the three introduced each other, starting with Abby introducing Tenille to the crowd by saying ‘y’all are about to hear a tornado come out of this girl’s mouth’. She wasn’t wrong, as Tenille launched into Where You Are, singing ‘I’d stand in any ticket line, any mountain I would climb, just to find my way to where you are’. I was enjoying it so much, that one song in and I was already downloading Tenille’s album The Lemonade Stand onto my phone. 

 https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2019/09/concert-review-c2c-country-2-country.html

Tenille followed by introducing Eric with ‘you guys already know who this guy is – he’s one of the kindest and more respected songwriters in Nashville’. I don’t think I’ve ever met Eric, but I know that I agree with Tenille – he has a reputation for being such a nice guy, and also one who writes great music, including the fun Friday Night that he played for us then. 

 https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2019/03/concert-review-c2c-country-2-country_29.html

Next we had the super excited and nervous Abby Anderson, who joked around with the crowd before introducing song Make Him Wait. She explained that she comes from a family of six girls, and it was really important to her parents that they taught all the girls what they’re worth, and so this song was a ‘big shout out to all the ladies in the room, and bigger shout out to all the studs in the room who treat their ladies right’. I think Make Him Wait is a feat of songwriting and really should have been a much bigger hit. As she began to play the keyboard, Abby’s nerves disappeared, her confidence shooting up the moment she started singing. She has a beautiful and soulful voice, and I’d really recommend her to anyone and everyone.

I would definitely also recommend Tenille who said ‘I think I’m gonna stand for this next one, but I’m not much taller when I stand’. She might be pint-sized, but she is a powerhouse, and proved this on Somebody’s Daughter, which tells the story of Tenille seeing a girl holding a sign on the side of the road and wondering what her story was. I really like hearing the inspiration behind songs – again, another great reason to go to gigs rather than just listen to albums and the like. This song was made even lovelier with Abby harmonising in the background – I like artists supporting artists, and think these two make a great team.

The Introducing Nashville section finished with Eric stating ‘if you’re hearts on the edge of breaking, hopefully this one will give you a clean break and help you move on with your life’ – say it louder for the ones in the back! He played She Don’t Love You, a lift your lights up song that was hugely different from Friday Night, and really highlighted that he is not an artist who pigeonholes himself into just party songs or ballads. What a writer, and a really enjoyable part of the show.

We had another Tenille up next, this time Tenille Arts, who started with her song Everybody Knows Everybody. Lyrics like ‘you can’t break up, make up, or make out without everyone knowing’ made me nostalgic for the small town life I never had, and I really liked Tenille’s tonality and range that allowed her to hit the high notes and low notes alike. She then played a song I’d heard before - Somebody Like That – a track not settling until you find someone good enough. Like Austin Jenckes, she sounded incredible live and there were honestly no faults in her performance – definitely another one to watch.

If Lindsay Ell was country’s rocker chick, The Cadillac Three are 100% country’s rocker boys. Their part of the show started with a backing video of three skeletons riding in a convertible before the band themselves came onto the stage raising their beers in the air. I think the trio might have got the highest number of songs in the livestream (I’m still mad they only gave Darius one), as they sang four songs - Hard Out Here For A Country Boy, Slow Rollin, White Lightning and The South. Each song was full of edge, heavy guitars, and rock galore.

Honestly, I think this was a set better viewed from home, and I could only imagine how overpowering the drum and bass would have been in person, given that I could barely hear the vocals from my computer speakers. The Cadillac Three are certainly unique in the genre, and I think were probably needed for the nights events – you can hardly go home without a few party anthems thrown in, can you? They represent country for the outlaws, the rulebreakers, and those who just want to have a good time.

I’ll admit I got a bit confused about the next artist, Kyle Daniel, as we had two performers up on the Spotlight stage. Is Kyle Daniel two people? Was it supposed to say Kyle & Daniel? My research afterwards showed that Kyle Daniel is in fact just one person, but whoever he was joined with also did a great job. Kyle Daniel (and friend) performed God Bless America (Damn Rock N Roll), and think if you’re a fan of Fairground Saints, you’ll like Kyle Daniel too.

 https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2019/03/concert-review-cmc-rocks-songwriters.html

Time for the final act of the night, and I was kind of hoping that Luke Combs would get a few more songs than Darius Rucker did. Thankfully, such as the case, and he started off with She Got The Best Of Me, sounding exactly as he does on his records. Watching from home gave me a bit more time to dissect the lyrics, and listening to this song made me realise that it’s actually pretty sad, but whether you’d think that just listening to the melody is another story.

We had very much the opposite for the next song, which Luke started off by saying ‘everybody knows that feeling you get when you meet somebody you think might be more than somebody you just met somewhere’. Such was the case with his then-to-be wife, who inspired the next song he played for us, Beautiful Crazy. This was well done, with the gorgeous wedding song style lyrics matched perfectly with beautiful starry night visuals behind Luke.

Luke introduced Hurricane as the song that changed his life in a whole lot of ways, and it made me realise that all Luke has to do is write a song about bad weather to have a hit – Hurricane, When It Rains It Pours? Actually, scratch that – all Luke has to do is write a song to have a hit. You can see he is a man who loves his music, as he closes his eyes and feels the music, letting those powerful vocals that we all know and love do the talking. Luke is a powerhouse and a great choice for any festival anywhere – I just can’t wait to get back and see amazing artists like him soon enough. 

I hope you enjoyed my review of the highlights from C2C Berlin! Any artists you would have particularly loved to see? Let me know on Twitter @CiarasCountry, where you can also stay up to date on all the latest music news, whatever I'm listening to at the moment, and of course any more gig and festival reviews! You'll also find me every Friday from 5-8pm on www.ukcountryradio.com - hope you can join me there - thanks so much for reading!

Concert Review: HIGHLIGHTS FROM C2C COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY BERLIN 2020 (Part 1)

 

Concerts are one major thing I know many of us have missed this past year – I mean, look at me – half of my blog is based around attending, reviewing, and interviewing at concerts! Aside from that, there’s nothing quite like the buzz you get being around thousands of people who share the same passion as you, in the same room as your favourite artists, singing the words to the songs you’ve heard on repeat over and over again. I’d say it’ll still be a while until I get back to any gigs or festivals, but thanks to technology, that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy them from home.

C2C Country 2 Country 2020 was the first of its kind that I had missed since its inauguration in 2013 (and you can find countless blog posts about C2C’s over the years right here – just search C2C in the search bar on your right), because I was in Australia checking out its counterpart (read about that here). However, lucky for me, the folks at Country 2 Country were kind enough to record some of the highlights from Berlin 2020 and share them with us over Facebook live, so I thought I’d share my thoughts with you now, just like we were at C2C 2020 together! I've included some photos from the last times I saw these artists too.

The first thing that I’ll say is that I was impressed with the length of the event – about two and a half hours of non-stop music, and super helpfully for me as a reviewer, with the artist and song title labelled in the corner of the screen.

The first artist we had was red-headed country singer Caylee Hammack, who started by saying ‘Do I have any redheads in the house?’ (I cheered from home) before launching into her fun song Redhead, full of lyrics I’m sure my parents would agree with – ‘they got their hands full tryna tame a pistol’, and ‘raised a little hell when they raised a little redhead’.

Just like that song, it was obvious that Caylee herself was full of fun, as the next song we saw started with her strapping a tiny children’s xylophone under her arm. ‘This is for any boy who your Momma warned you about and you still dated,’ she started off by saying, and I’ll admit that I was expecting another foot-stomper so was pretty surprised when it started off as a stripped back ballad. However, before too long, Just Friends kicked up a notch into the powerful song I recognised from some of my Spotify recommended playlists with some of the best advice I’ve heard: ‘I shoulda listened to my momma and we shoulda stayed just friends’.

 

https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2019/03/concert-review-cmc-rocks-festival-day-2.html

The next artist was no stranger to me - Noah Schnacky, who I’d had the pleasure of interviewing at CMC Rocks (check that interview out here). Immediately, Noah’s charisma was clear to see, from the way he dressed, in a laid-back outfit of jeans, backwards baseball cap, and a sweatshirt with his surname on the back; to the confidence in his voice as he kicked off with Hello Beautiful, a song I could practically feel the girls in the audience falling in love with.

I particularly enjoyed his cover of Thomas Rhett’s Make Me Wanna, where he added a little country twang into his vocals. His band had done a great job of adapting the song to make it different enough to be Noah’s own, and yet familiar enough so that it was recognisable to country songs. A great choice for a show like C2C, as not only did it show off his voice and guitar skills, but also pulled in anyone who maybe didn’t know Noah before, but certainly would know Thomas. The last song of his we heard on the livestream was Noah’s first radio single, I’ll Be The One, with cutesy lyrics like ‘I’ll be the one that got the one that got away’. Noah really looked like he was having fun at this point, pulling off his sweater and giving it to a lucky girl in the front row. Overall, if you’re looking for something halfway between country and a boy band, Noah’s certainly the one for you.

I will rave about Aussie duo Seaforth until the day I die, so I was really pleased to see they were included in the C2C highlights, if only for one song. They introduced their song Talk To Me by saying it was one they wrote about girls with Southern accents ‘but since we’re here, it’s about girls with German accents’. These kings of harmony blessed us with three minutes of enjoyment, and I think a line in their song encapsulates well how I feel about Seaforth - ‘it don’t matter what you’re saying, you know it all sounds good’.

 https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2018/04/concert-review-nashville-in-concert.html

You might be forgiven for thinking Hugh Jackman was the next artist on stage as Charles Esten began with his easy listening Sweet Summer Saturday Night. With his deep voice and sultry talk singing, I thought this was exactly the kind of song you listen to at a beach festival – aka exactly where I’d rather be right now. As he moved on to She Don’t Love Me with an intense guitar solo from Charles at the beginning, it was astonishing how much he seemed to me to epitomise his character Deacon from the show where he got his country start – ABC’s Nashville – and I found myself wondering whether the character of Deacon was based on Charles, or whether Charles had based his country persona that we were now seeing on the stage on Deacon.

Charles’s section of the show finished with the fun and playful He Ain’t Me - ‘he might be all that, but honey, he ain’t me’ – culminating with Charles doing a proper rockstar jump off the higher section of the stage at the end. He’s likeable and fun, and made an enjoyable addition to the show.

Next up was Kassi Ashton, who started off by introducing the song that got her her publishing deal, Pretty Shiny Things. The song itself was pleasant – a powerful ballad about being valued for your looks over anything else, but personally, Kassi’s voice wasn’t for me. Having heard her speak just moments before, I was a tad disappointed by the, in my opinion, overly ‘indie’ tone that she sang with that I find a great deal of artists nowadays tend to add to their vocals. Perhaps that is Kassi’s natural singing voice, who knows, and if indie’s your thing, she might be for you. 

 https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2018/03/concert-review-c2c-country-2-country.html

It was the first ‘big name act’ that we had next, Brett Young, looking like bro-country personified in his camo tee and jeans. The first song we saw was 1,2,3 Mississippi, in which Brett paced across the stage to make sure he gives attention to everyone. This continued in Here Tonight, where he did his best to get the audience to engage with him – pointing and asking them to sing with him, a move I’m always impressed that artists do at festivals where a fair few people might not know their songs.

I like Brett's voice with its raspy undertone, and enjoyed many of the lyrics in Here Tonight, including the adorable ‘if ever I get lost in your eyes tonight, please just let me stay a little bit longer’. Nowhere were the lyrics more enjoyable than in made-for-the-radio track Catch, where Brett sang of all the things he thought he’d be catching – a buzz, up with the boys, a cab; and now he’s trying to catch her eye, her name and catch his breath. Clever.

If Brett looked like what you think when you think ‘country’, Filmore certainly didn’t. Complete with manbun and hipster clothing, Filmore is a far cry from the cowboy hats and flannel we’re used to, but I think does a good job at highlighting how country is always changing, and there isn’t really ‘one style’ of country after all – I find this all the time, hosting a country-pop radio station (Friday’s GMT 5-8pm on www.ukcountryradio.com, if you’re interested), and people expecting me to either be playing just Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash on repeat, or songs about trucks and girls in cut-off jeans…

Long story short, it’s this embrace of country not being what it used to be that I think Filmore does well. We heard three song from him - Love That About You; a song ‘about being in love, I guess’ called Other Girl, and finally Slower. Of the three, my favourite was Other Girl, a cute track that you can just imagine him serenading to someone special with its lyrics like ‘I don’t need no other girl, cause when it’s right, it’s right’, but perhaps what impressed me most about Filmore was his ability to hold the audience with just his voice and a guitar – no backing musicians, no visuals – not an easy feat, but just goes to show that a good voice, good lyrics, and good personality go a long way. 

 https://ciarascountry.blogspot.com/2018/03/concert-review-c2c-country-2-country_14.html

Another artist who blurs the boundary as to ‘what is country’ is Lindsay Ell, the bluesy-rock-country-chick that I really don’t think has any competition for her niche in the genre at the moment – there really is no one else in country who does that style as well as Lindsay. I remember being enthralled one of the last times I saw her by her beautiful guitar (check that review out here), and she certainly didn’t disappoint in Berlin, with a gorgeous guitar with painted flowers and gold glitter – I’ll take one, please. It certainly wasn’t just for show too, as she punctuated all of the songs we heard with awesome guitar, highlighting the major benefit of attending concerts rather than just listening to the record – artists can really go to town on their instrumentals in a way that a three-minute track just wouldn’t allow you to.

The first song we heard was I Don’t Love You, full of power as it hit the chorus, with Lindsay pouring her heart and soul into those notes. What was amazing was that I could tell that she wasn’t even giving it her all, and you could hear the power in her voice that she was holding back, eventually letting loose at the bridge as the band pulled back to let her show off those amazing vocals. She continued with a cover of Stevie Wonder’s Signed Sealed Delivered. Like Noah’s cover of Make Me Wanna, Lindsay had completely changed this song to make it hers, in a way that allowed her to make the most of her insane guitar skills as we saw her battle with her keyboard player, before making her way to the front of the stage to play the guitar lying flat on her back.

You could tell what her final song was going to be from the sirens playing over the speakers at the beginning. Criminal is definitely from the rockier side of her catalogue, but honestly I think Lindsay could basically choose whatever genre she wants to be in. Certainly if you’re a fan of country-rock, I can’t think of a better artist. 

And that's just half of it! There was simply so much to cover, so I'll be posting Part 2 very shortly. Stay tuned, and let me know what artists you loved from today's review by contacting me on Twitter @CiarasCountry - thanks so much for reading!

TRAVEL: Australia Bucket List (QLD, SA, NSW, NT)

It is no secret at all that I adore Australia. So far I’ve had the opportunity to:

*Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef*

*Experience real Australia on the Gold Coast*

*Watch beautiful sunsets in Darwin*

*Swim with whales on the Sunshine Coast*

*Chill out in Byron Bay*

But there’s still so much to see! So I thought that whilst I plan my future Aussie adventures, I’d take you along with me! Here are just a few places that I can’t wait to visit once I make my way back Down Under – enjoy!

Heron Island, QLD

I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know this place existed until I saw that some of my Facebook friends was there. Heron Island seems to be a pretty well-kept secret, and I was even wondering whether to post it on my blog, but you can keep a secret too, right? Located just off the coast of Queensland in the southern Great Barrier Reef, this tiny island is a haven of beauty and wildlife. I love diving, so seeing what life lurks in and around its natural coral cay – including nesting turtles, migrating whales, and an abundance of bird life – is incredibly appealing to me. Plus, I love that it’s a bit off the beaten track – the only ways to get there are via boat, or the more preferable option of helicopter – think I’ll have to get a few more blog sponsors before I’ll be able to afford the latter! I’m looking forward to long days of exploring, swimming and diving, topped off with a couple of cold bevvies on the beach while watching the sun go down – heaven.

Kangaroo Island, SA

Heading to South Australia now for one of the most diverse parts of Australia, and that’s saying something. Overflowing with dolphins, sea lions, koalas, and of course, kangaroos, Kangaroo Island is a must for any nature-lover like myself. Australia never ceases to amaze me with its animals, and like beautiful Philip Island which I visited when I was last in Aus, I hear you might also even see some penguins around here too. It’s not just wildlife that make KI worth a visit, but also the stunning rock formations which line the various hiking trails Australia’s third largest island has to offer. If you read my Melbourne blog, you’ll also know that I’m a bit of a foodie too, and I’ve heard wonderful things about Kangaroo Island’s selection of food and wine – a delicious meal overlooking the ocean whilst kangaroo hop by? Yes please!

Flinders Range, SA

This places seems to me like Australia’s answer to the Grand Canyon. With its rugged peaks and rocky gorges, which look even better when bathed in the soft glow of the Aussie sun, Flinders is the land that time forgot, and I think it would be the perfect place to go to forget about any and all worries – something I think we probably all need after this year, right? I’m a big fan of stargazing, and the Flinders remote location seems like the ideal place to lay out under the night sky and take a moment to appreciate this beautiful country (well, when its various animals aren’t trying to kill you…) I’ve also heard it’s a great place to get the true outback experience – eating authentic Aussie food at an outback pub with live music to keep you company. Nice.

Lord Howe Island, NSW

You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d taken a wrong turn and ended up in the South Pacific when arriving on Lord Howe island with its Tahitian blue waters and tropical aura. The island’s motto is ‘just paradise’ and if the photos and videos I’ve seen are anything to go by, I’d say that’s not far wrong. The Geographer in me just wants to learn more about the formation of this irregularly shaped volcanic island, and the adventurer in me is dying to get out and explore the coral reefs, pristine beaches, and hiking locations. As well as diving with the fish, I’ve read that you can also hand feed them too – how cool! However, with only 400 visitors allowed on the island at one time, I’d better get booking my trip now…

Uluru, NT

A glaring gap on my Australian journeys is perhaps one of the most important places is Australia – Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock. My reasons for wanting to visit here are two-fold: primarily, Uluru seems to me to be the heart of Australian history and culture, and is steeped in Aboriginal tradition with loads of opportunities to learn more about the past, present, and future of this iconic place. Secondly, due to its location in pretty-much the centre of the continent, it definitely fits my bill of somewhere to watch the sunrise, sunset, and stars. I don’t think I can say I’ve truly ‘done’ Australia until I’ve visited here! 

And that's not even half of the places I have on my Australia bucket list! What places have or would you like to visit in Australia (or indeed the world!)? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry. Stay tuned for even more fantastic Aussie destinations coming soon to this blog... thanks so much for reading!

Best of Music: February 2021

*check out my last music round-up here!*

I went a bit mad with music this month. I favourited loads of playlists, listened to them at all hours of the day, skipped, shuffled, and liked until I had a pretty well-compiled playlist of my own. With almost 50 tracks, getting it down to my top eight was a challenge, but I think you’ll like them; and if you fancy listening to that full playlist, who am I to stop you? Find that here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4hwR6WqSciJ5j5RYGuErMt. Without further ado, here are the top songs I listened to in February 2021!

Breakups – Seaforth

I will never forgive Covid19 from stopping me seeing Seaforth live. I was due to see this Aussie country-pop duo perform at CMC Rocks Festival 2020 which sadly didn’t go ahead. However, at that time, I’ll admit I’d never heard of Seaforth. Perhaps seeing them at the festival would have introduced me to their music sooner, but this weird year has given me the opportunity to delve into their discography with a renewed passion. Breakups is a soft song that anyone who’s ever been through a breakup needs to listen to, because I promise it’s one you’ll be able to relate to: “All I wanna do is hear your voice, pretend it doesn’t hurt like hell. Drink some wine and talk about the past, and not go ten steps back, but breakups don’t work like that.” If breakups aren’t your thing, listen to Everything Falls For You which is a song guaranteed to make anyone fall in love with you. 

https://genius.com/Seaforth-breakups-lyrics

 

Somewhere Drinking – Lexie Hayden

Obviously I was in the mood to get in my feelings this month (it was Valentines month, after all) so Lexie Hayden’s Somewhere Drinking came along at a perfect time. Lexie has a truly beautiful voice, and this relatively stripped back ballad allows that voice to shine, full of emotion. This song charts what we all think about the one that got away: “I’m gonna be here a while, somewhere drinking something strong, sitting here singing along to some heartbreak song. Wondering if there’s a shot that you might be somewhere thinking bout me, somewhere drinking.” It’s really no wonder that I like Lexie given that she cites her inspirations as being some of my favourites - Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves – so if you like them too, you’ll love this one. 

https://genius.com/Lexie-hayden-somewhere-drinking-lyrics

 

Freedom Was A Highway – Jimmie Allen ft Brad Paisley

I hold a soft spot in my heart for Jimmie Allen for recording a lovely video for a friend of mine who wasn’t able to go to a concert of his. Anyone who’s nice, I’ll listen to their music, but I didn’t need an extra reason to listen to Freedom Was A Highway. The first time I heard it, I didn’t know who it was by, so finding out it was Jimmie and country legend Brad Paisley. This is a proper summer jam that evokes images of cruising down the highway in a convertible, worries flying away behind you in the wind. Both Jimmie and Brad have done themselves a favour with this song by opening them up to each other’s probably quite different fanbases. This song is fun personified. 

https://tasteofcountry.com/jimmie-allen-brad-paisley-freedom-was-a-highway/

Long Night Letting Go – Jaden Hamilton

Country music loves a man with a deep voice and heartfelt lyrics – think Josh Turner, Jason Aldean, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs… I’m already calling it that the next one to be added to that list is Jaden Hamilton. At only 20 years old, Jaden already has a voice for the ages, and the social media savviness to make himself a star – I discovered him via Spotify but see he already has over 350k followers on TikTok too, and we all know how good that platform is at taking people from obscurity to semi-stardom. Long Night Letting Go follows the same theme as a song I loved last month – Troy Cartwright’s Love Like We Used To (check out last month’s roundup here) – with lyrics like “Well baby, we’re just bottle rockets in this fifth of July town, that old moon is dropping and we’re gonna have to come back down. I don’t wanna waste no time, if we gotta say goodbye, do it slow, and make it a long night letting go.” Bonus points just for the way he says July.

Unsaid Emily – Julie and the Phantoms

We love a surprise track here at Ciara’s Country. Did I think one of my favourite tracks of the month would be from a Netflix musical comedy-drama series? Absolutely not. In fact, I had no real interest in watching Julie and the Phantoms until I kept seeing post after post saying that it was actually very well-scripted, and had good music to boot; and who am I to say musical series don’t make good music – ever heard of Hannah Montana or High School Musical? Don’t tell anyway, but I still listen to that. I hold absolutely no shame about listening to Unsaid Emily – this song has very little aside from a simple guitar and Charlie Gillespie’s voice, and that’s probably what makes it so great. It’s so raw and real, and leaves you thinking with lines like “the words I most regret are the ones I never meant to leave unsaid.” 

https://www.amazon.com/Julie-Phantoms-Season-Netflix-Original/dp/B08HDNZCZX

 

Message In A Bottle – Lakeview

I obviously have a thing for male country duos (Florida Georgia Line, Dan + Shay, Seaforth), and lyrics with puns in them, so you’d best believe I like Lakeview. Lead singer Jesse Denaro has raspy vocals that go so well with country anthem tracks, and coupled with Luke Healy’s guitar skills, the two of them have made a somewhat upbeat power ballad. It’s no wonder the song has a lot of kick behind it, as both boys made their start in the metal genre, but I’m glad they’ve made their way over to country. The lyrics are as smooth as the whiskey in the music video, with lines like “I’ll get drunk on the memories of you and I. If I text you, honey, when I get to the bottom, you can call it just a message in a bottle,” (get it?) Get these two on stage somewhere soon! 

https://musicstax.com/track/message-in-a-bottle/12MKdcz5qn4wmZQr2xKzcK

Chasing After You – Ryan Hurd ft Maren Morris

I’m honestly surprised there aren’t more country music power couples – if I was in country music, you’d better believe I’d be falling in love with another country star – if they can write songs like that, what more do you want? We have Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, but I don’t think we can quite call Gwen country, and so my vote for country’s hottest power couple has to be Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris. Chasing After You is the first duet the couple has dropped, and I’m going to have to petition that the two release an album together. Anyone who’s read any of my other music roundups knows I love a good intro, and Ryan plays a beautiful guitar solo to kick this one; and you should also know I love Maren’s voice too, so this track is heaven for me. Goes to show that making music with the one you love can create something really beautiful. 

https://tasteofcountry.com/ryan-hurd-maren-morris-chasing-after-you/

 

The Way You Look Tonight – Tenille Townes ft Keelan Donovan

There’s something different about Tenille Townes. She has a voice that is so uniquely hers – you’d hear it on the radio and know it’s her, the same way you would with someone like Elle King or Halsey – it’s that slightly indie tone that can come off as annoying for some singers, but doesn’t for Tenille. She finds her male counterpart in Keelan Donovan for The Way You Look Tonight - a sweet song about showering your SO with love because they really are just something special. The song has most appreciated links to Frank Sinatra, and the vintage vibes don’t stop there. If you like music from the 70s, the likes of Fleetwood Mac, or don’t like the style of any of the other songs I’ve mentioned on this list, give this one a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

https://genius.com/Tenille-townes-the-way-you-look-tonight-lyrics

February was a fun month for me for music. I’ve found a lot of songs I really, really like, and hope you do too – if you want to see more of what I’m listening, my Spotify can always be found here: Ciara's Country Spotify.  I’d love to know what made its way onto your playlists this month, so drop me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and tune in to my radio show every Friday GMT 5-8pm on www.ukcountryradio.com where I’ll play songs from my roundups too! Thanks so much for reading :)