Holly Williams is the 28 year-old daughter of Hank Williams Jr and granddaughter of country’s biggest legend, Hank Williams. With her second album, Here With Me, Holly once again sets out to prove that even though the blood of country royalty flows through her veins, she’s still just – in her own words - a simple singer/songwriter trying to build a fanbase one gig at a time.

Holly has released two studio albums: The Ones We Never Knew and Here with Me, in 2004 and 2009 respectively. The latter album has produced two chart singles for her on the Billboard country singles charts with "Keep the Change" and "Mama", which charted at 53 and 55, respectively. On this album she has succeeded in creating the type of album that would easily find a place among the works of her favorite artists. Penning the majority of the album's 11 tracks, Holly writes with piercing clarity on situations plucked from her life. Her emotional honesty and commanding vocal performances give 'Here With Me' a timeless quality that only gets richer on repeated listens.

Though her father is country legend Hank Williams, Jr., Holly's time spent with her dad mostly took place when he was off the road and away from the spotlight. In turn, Holly never realized the influence of her grandfather Hank Williams, Sr. until she embarked on her own musical explorations. Holly found herself sharing a bill with a wide range of artists including Billy Bob Thornton, Train, John Mellencamp and Duncan Sheik, in addition to playing a string of shows throughout Europe opening for Keith Urban.

“Alongside the clearly country songs and beneath the delicately rootsy production—still understated by mainstream standards—Williams stuck to the serious-minded, heavy-hearted songwriting she's done all along”

www.myspace.com/hollywilliams

“An Invitation to the best…Tequila drenched –Tom Petty meets The Killers with The Boss on the jukebox - in a cantina somewhere down Mexico way … kick ass rock’n’roll party!”

The sound of Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers owes as much to the punky, power-pop of the late-seventies as it does to the traditional American rock influences of Tom Petty and Springsteen. Like other South-West cult icons Alejandro Escovedo and Joe Ely, RCPM are unafraid to cross boundaries with their music, and will mix tales of banditos from somewhere-down-Mexico-way with subtle observations of the human condition amongst tequila-slugging good-time anthems. All this set against a backdrop of riff-rich driving guitar, and melodic, memorable choruses, while unmistakable tones of Mariachi and Spanish phrasing drift in and out of the proceedings.

RCPM were born from the ashes of The Refreshments, the late-90s rock band whose two cult-classic major label releases produced several hit singles. Clyne wrote and performed the theme song for the hit cartoon series King of the Hill with the band.

The Refreshments disbanded in 1998, and quickly learning to fly without the safety net of a label, Clyne and drummer PH Naffah formed RCPM to become the only independent band to debut in the Top 10 on Billboard's Internet Sales chart for six consecutive albums, including two number one entries. Firmly entrenched in the independent ethos, RCPM are proof positive that quality music does not have to fit into the framework laid down by the major players to survive, and thrive.

OWEN HARVEY: "Every now and again someone hands me a CD that makes you want to hear more - OWEN HARVEY is that person and a singer- songwriter who clearly has something VERY special to offer"........Cosmic American "

Owen’s debut album, ‘Disappearing Stranger’ is a collection of great songs which reflect singer songwriter skills way beyond that of a first record. The Songs are intelligent with compelling melodies that stay in your head long after the disc has stopped spinning.. This collection of stripped back ‘folk - pop songs’ easily stand up against the likes of Ryan Adams, Josh Rouse with a little Evan Dando in for good measure.

www.myspace.com/azpeacemakers
www.myspace.com/owenjamesharvey

Beth Nielsen Chapman returns to the UK in early 2010 in support of her new CD, ‘Back To Love’, a brand new collection of songs.

From writing hits for other artists to recording her own, Beth, a Nashville based singer-songwriter, has truly embraced musical diversity. A breast cancer survivor, environmental activist, teacher of workshops and lecturer on the magic of creativity (which she believes is a birthright of everyone), Beth’s passion, when you get right down to it, is still ‘the song’.

She has penned numerous hits and written songs for many top artists including Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, Elton John, Neil Diamond and Willie Nelson. The mega-hit “This Kiss” recorded by Faith Hill received a Grammy nomination.

Her groundbreaking album “Sand & Water”, written and recorded following the death of her husband from cancer in 1994, was performed by Elton John on his 1997 U.S. tour in place of "Candle In The Wind” to honour the memory of Princess Diana.

Beth has had the good fortune to be championed by BBC Radio 2 and in particular Sir Terry Wogan. Ken Bruce, Aled Jones and Bob Harris.

Beth will be supported by MARCUS HUMMON.

The hits continue for Marcus Hummon, called "Nashville's Top Songwriter" by the Nashville Scene's Readers Poll. Most recently, his co-written, "Born to Fly," perched Sara Evans on top of the charts, along the way garnering a CMA nomination for Song of the Year. This comes on the heels of back to back chart-smashing singles from the Dixie Chicks, "Ready to Run," which also won a Grammy, and "Cowboy, Take Me Away," both co-written with Dixie Chick Martie Siedel.

www.bethnielsenchapman.com/
www.myspace.com/marcushummon

His 10 critically acclaimed studio albums, recorded from New York to Nashville and London to Los Angeles, weave together rock, pop, country, folk and Americana influences with the musical roots of his home state of Texas. Growing up in rural Texas in the 1960s and 1970s instilled in Smith a driven, independent creative vision. Based in Austin since 1982, Smith, praised by All Music Guide as “a singer-songwriter blessed with an uncommon degree of intelligence, depth, and compassion,” has created a distinctive, admired body of work and has long enjoyed an international following as a compelling live performer.

Beyond his foundation as a singer-songwriter, Smith has, among other things, composed an orchestral piece for the Austin Symphony, written and produced a documentary for BBC Radio 2, scored compositions for experimental dance troupes and created a dramatic song cycle for a theatre production now underway. And his “Be An Artist Program,” which he founded in 2003, is a popular series of in-school workshops that seek to foster creativity in students across the United States and Western Europe.

His most recent release, After All This Time: The Best of Darden Smith, is an enchanting 16-song collection chronicling what No Depression called “the restless stylistic evolution” of “an artist beyond category.” It neatly encapsulates Smith’s distinguished career with selections from every one of his studio albums, plus two new tracks. The debut release on his own Darden Music label, After All This Time draws its title from his 2002 No. 3 single on the BBC Radio 2 chart. It includes his 1993 hits “Loving Arms” and “Little Victories” as well as “Reminds Me (A Little of You)” from Evidence, his acclaimed 1989 collaboration with the British singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine.

DAVID OGILVY - "The sophomore effort from Scottish /American songsmith David Ogilvy is more subtly shaded, treading a fine line between the fluid intimacy of Nick Drake and the cracked country blues of Townes Van Zandt. Ogilvy's multi instrumental prowess is extraordinary - equally adept at pedal steel, dobro, ukelele and mandolin." Uncut

"David Ogilvy is the J. J. Cale of West London. The Scottish-American singer?s second album, Mockingbird (Thumbpick Records), has that lovely Southern back-porch feel, where songs of reminiscence and regret are steeped in the forgotten art of understatement. "Tell me how long can a man wait for his time?" he sings in a husky mid-Atlantic burr on Portmahomack as banjo and pedal steel glide wistfully behind. If Ogilvy has waited longer than most, it is not for want of a good song in his heart." The Times

www.myspace.com/dardensmith
www.myspace.com/davidogilvy

An amazing opportunity to see one of Country Music’s legends playing live at the MAZE – who would have thought it!

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Carlene Carter has emerged from a period of intense mourning and introspection to craft Stronger, an album that explores the power of love to hurt, to bring laughter, to change the heart and, most of all, to heal.

CARLENE CARTER has always straddled the line between country and rock. Daughter of the legendary and beloved June Carter Cash and Country Music Hall of Famer Carl Smith, and stepdaughter of the enduring Johnny Cash, she is heir to one of the richest musical legacies of all time. Long known as a Nashville "wild child," the young Carlene Carter embarked on a series of ricochet romances, musical experiments, and headline-grabbing escapades that made her one of the most colorful characters in the country-rock pantheon. A stint in London resulted in marriage to rock star Nick Lowe and to her acclaimed 1980 album Musical Shapes, forerunner of a sound Nashville would come to embrace in the 1990s. When her "party girl" era ended, Carlene returned to Nashville. In the mid-80s, she joined her mother and aunts as a member of The Carter Family. Touring with the Johnny Cash Show, Carter embraced her country roots, and the prodigal daughter began to make her own records again, this time on Music Row. In the 1990s, she sailed to the top of the country charts with such jaunty tunes as the GRAMMY nominated "I Fell in Love," as well as "Come on Back," and "Every Little Thing." Carter’s long-awaited current release, Stronger, represents a mature melding of her country and rock influences. Her witty personality, ready smile, and country-hip manner continue to endear diverse audiences. Carlene’s career has occasionally sputtered through the emotional whirlwind of her existence, but she has confidently reclaimed her focus. She boasts a new love, new songs, a new record, a new sound, a new manager, a new booking agency, and a renewed outlook on life. For Carlene Carter, the past is the past. And today begins her Stronger future.

“Carlene Carter's long-awaited return fluctuates between the sassy country-rock of her past and reflective acoustic-country tunes about her present.” – Associated Press

ALANA LEVANDOSKI - One of Canada’s leading progressive roots artists, Levandoski gained the respect, and endorsement of much of the international roots music world with her outstanding debut album "Unsettled Down" Her new album “Lions & Werewolves,” recorded in a 100-year-old church in rural Manitoba and produced by ace British producer Ken Nelson, renowned for his work with Gomez and Coldplay. While “Unsettled Down” was a coming-of-age album, “Lions & Werewolves” is a poised and mature work that stands with the works of the best of ‘60s story-tellers.

"I really believe in Alana,” says the legendary BBC Radio 2 announcer Bob Harris. “She is part of an emerging generation of new artists who are reflecting the range of influences that make Canadian music so exciting, from the brilliant free-form collective Broken Social Scene, to the authentic Country twang of Corb Lund. Her songs are intelligent, warm and strong. She's a fine artist, and a trouper."

www.myspace.com/carlenecartermusic
www.myspace.com/alanalevandoski

PLEASE NOTE VENUE CHANGE

This show has moved to - WHITWORTH CENTRE Station Road, Darley Dale, Matlock, DE4 2EQ

“Mind-blowing…absolute perfection” UNCUT’s “Album of the Month” *****

Formed in 1994 in Portland Oregon, Richmond Fontaine have built themselves up from an SST cowpunk inspired band to a diverse and, at times, amazing live act leading them to be labelled the “Kings of Americana”. They have been compared to the likes of the Replacements, Blasters, Wilco and Ryan Adams.

The band has been described by UNCUT Magazine in the UK as the “New Kings of Americana” where they have been given two albums of the month and went on to sell over 30,000 albums in Europe. The new album “We Used To Think the Freeway Sounded Like A River” made it into Uncut’s top 50 Best Albums of 2009. This album follows on from the band’s landmark seventh album “Thirteen Cities” (2007), the sparse, stripped down, “The Fitzgerald” (2005) and the alt country classic “Post To Wire” (2004), which was named 4th best album of the year by Uncut (behind Brian Wilson, Wilco, & Loretta Lynn). The band took a year writing the new material and rehearsing before they went in to the studio with singer/songwriter Willy Vlautin’s strongest material to date.

“Match the depth of their songwriting with tough-sweet arrangements - Heart of America calling out around the world” **** Mojo

“When it comes to narrative in pop music, I know of no finer exponent now working than Willy Vlautin” **** Mail On Sunday

PETER BRUNTNELL - Americana album of the month in MOJO Magazine. If you're at your computer, put "Bruntnell" and "False Start" into YouTube. A sepia-toned fly-on-the-wall film of three musicians - bowed bass, wheezy accordion, folk guitar - playing one of the loveliest songs of the year. It's the opening track to Bruntnell's seventh album, his best since 1999's Normal For Bridgwater. Which is saying something, as the underrated singer-songwriter hasn't made a bad record yet. Recorded mostly in his own studio, the songs have less of a sense of journey than usual, staying closer to home. Which is Devon. Bruntnell's British, though his music sounds Americana, at times recalling Joe Pernice (the excellent Domestico). The mood is reflective, tender and bittersweet, the sound of summer turning into Autumn, Bruntnell's dreamy voice nicely contrasting with the sharpness of the songs. - Sylvie Simmons

www.myspace.com/richmondfontaine
www.myspace.com/peterbruntnell

“Low fi from weird america's rural roots. railroad guitar, whiskey banjo and skeliton washboard. hi energy oldtime and juke blues.”

Woody Pines had been writing and playing as well as any of his generation long before producing his debut solo album in 2005. The material is rich in character and redolent of place, namely rural, real America. His style has been compared to Paul Burch and his presentation likened to Mark Olson, but he’d dug even deeper for his source inspiration, with a passion for the early ragtime and jug band greats. Earlier, those leanings set him off on a musical journey which led him to form the highly-rated Kitchen Syncopators with Gill Landry (Old Crow Medicine Show) who performed everywhere from New Orleans to Seattle’s Folklife Festival and the Oregon Country Fair.

After striking out on his own and moving to Asheville, western North Carolina, his repertoire was re-shaped to create an intriguing blend of old-time/juke joint/country blues so authentic and evocative you’d swear they might be period pieces. The 2007-issued Lonesome Shack Blues with its great pickin’ and just-right lightness of touch, won him an even bigger following among the kinda folks who seek their musical fix courtesy of Professor Longhair or Mississippi John Hurt.

Woody Pines Circa ’09 is now a person and a band, his playing companions - Zack Pozebanchuk (bass), Darin Gentry (fiddle) and Nathan Taylor (drums) - providing so much brotherly support and bonhomie they are now one and the same and have adopted the stage name. In between a busy touring schedule that has taken them to venues and festival stages from Wisconsin, Washington, Oregon and Michigan to Indiana, Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia and Ohio, they recorded killer tracks for the widely-acclaimed new album, Counting Alligators which has been picking up rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. As soon as it landed on his desk, Bob Harris put it straight on to his BBC Radio 2 show.

"In a pinch, Pines and his pair of cohorts might be described as a group that makes the type of American roots music that sounds good coming out of a busted AM radio speaker. In a tinny but effective voice that would make Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan proud, Pines croons about rounders, trains and good gals long gone, over a bouncy and unhurried blues picking style that keeps toes tapping with ease." ~ High Country Press, Boone, N. Carolina

www.myspace.com/woodypines

We have been following the progress of Sarah at SXSW since the release of Silver City in 2005. Her gigs are always exciting events with feisty rock, driving country and heartfelt ballads found during the course of a live show. Now with a catalogue of three great releases Sarah and the boys are going to do a headline tour of the UK for the first time in 2010.

Since SXSW this year, Sarah has gone on to perform at the AMAs in Nashville and was nominated for newcomer of the year. Following shows at the Grand Ole Opry and the Mercy Lounge, Plus a session was Bob Harris.

As the great thespian Patrick Swayze once said, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." The same is true of Sarah Borges. On the basis of her critically-lauded early work, particularly Diamonds in the Dark (2007), some pundits decided they know exactly where the Boston-area rocker and her cohorts, the Broken Singles, belong in the musical spectrum. They were mistaken. Her new record, The Stars Are Out, is about to stun them with a more vibrant, far-reaching display of what Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles are all about. And yes, there will be dancing.

www.sarahborges.com/

The Duke & The King are a glam-soul-folk quartet from New York featuring Simone Felice, Bobbie Bird Burke, Simi Stone and Nowell Haskins. Named after the travelling Shakespeare Hustlers in Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' these curious blood-brothers (and sweet sister) have found a home together, a travelling church of harmony and sin where its OK to French kiss your cousin and all strays are welcome to come out of the cold and sing along to songs of love, loss, pathos and hope. . In just a short time since the release of their debut album The Duke & The King have garnered a barrage of international acclaim, earning comparisons to some of pop history's most hallowed acts, from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to Smokey Robinson, Fleetwood Mac, Sly & the Family Stone, and Simon & Garfunkel.

myspace.com/dukeandtheking