Danny Neill

We talk to Judy Collins in a dizzying all ages of folk music interview…covering fan mail from Pete Seeger; courtroom drama at the behest of Phil Ochs; Bob Dylan’s Nobel prize; fond recollections of a diffident Leonard Cohen…even the Muppet Show gets a look in.

We talk to folk duo Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, AKA Mama’s Broke, ahead of the release of their second album ‘Narrow Line’. Plus, watch their new video for October’s Lament.

Whilst sounding vintage in style, Narrow Line could belong in no other era than the present day. Mama’s Broke may seem traditional, but their tales of modern life have too much bite to be nostalgic, they are new and unique voices in modern, rootsy Americana that must be heard.

With the new Oysterband album ‘Read The Sky’ finding the band on top form, it was a thrill to speak at length with frontman and founder John Jones about the new album and much more besides in our Artist of the Month interview.

With House to House, we find Matt Andersen embracing a more stripped back acoustic sound. These songs have a deep connection; pulled from the same well of real-life turbulence that, ironically, invests them with as much power and bite as anything this artist has previously recorded.

No one could have predicted the Oysterband returning with a song collection quite like ‘Read The Sky’. This is what you get when a band continue to make music for the best reasons. It’s a top-quality album worthy of the name.

…Martha Wainwright closes her eyes and reaches out her hands…you are watching an artist perform with conviction as she touches the heart of the song. It is the real deal alright, exactly what you come out for on these evenings in the hope of experiencing.

Springtime In New York, the latest Bootleg Series from Bob Dylan covering 1980-85, proves beyond doubt that Dylan, unlike many during this period, did not lose it in the early 1980s…so much of this strong material will rise deservedly towards the top end of the Dylan canon.

On Josienne Clarke’s ‘A Small Unknowable Thing’, the songs are so direct, showing an immediacy born of frustration and inspiration. Unshackled creative freedom screams out of every song…ripe with raw artistic expression combined with music of surefire melodic and dramatic purpose.

From the off, Son Volt’s ‘Electro Meloidier’ is brimming with an artistic assuredness. The songs are potent and refreshing; songs that demand to be written will always make for a more intense and rewarding experience as they do here. This is must-hear Americana for 2021.

On ‘For Free’, David Crosby sounds re-invigorated by the connections he makes with his art and these recordings. Fans and new converts will find much to love on this album which spotlights all that is fine about the man and his pure voice.

For week five in our Bob Dylan appreciation, we take a step away from Bob’s own recordings and enjoy a wide range of other musical artists covering his material. Includes a Spotify Playlist featuring over 5 hours of covers.