{"id":1852,"date":"2017-02-10T15:00:30","date_gmt":"2017-02-10T15:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lisaredford.com\/?page_id=1852"},"modified":"2021-04-11T12:41:54","modified_gmt":"2021-04-11T12:41:54","slug":"americanafestuk-2017","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/?page_id=1852","title":{"rendered":"AmericanaFestUK 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I enjoyed a really inspiring time at this year\u2019s AmericanaFestUK, two days organised by the AMA-UK celebrating Americana music, a genre that is currently thriving and continually gaining more widespread acceptance here in the UK including coverage in <\/span>the national papers<\/span>. The second UK Americana Awards ceremony hosted by Bob Harris featured an array of wonderful performances reflecting the eclectic nature of the music. Appearances by Van Morrison, who was presented with the award for Best Selling UK Americana album of 2016 with \u2018Keep Me Singing\u2019 and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Richard Thompson, who also performed, is testament to how hard the AMA-UK have worked to bring Americana into the forefront of roots music.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the conference this year the focus was on the live side of the industry and those involved with touring and promotion<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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At the after show party where Sam Outlaw played an excellent set of 80s\/90s Country Hits Revue.<\/p><\/div>\n

Americana festivals.<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

The first panel I saw was concerned with Americana festivals and involved four flagship festivals and their programming process. The panel featured representatives from four established Americana festivals: Maverick Festival, Kilkenny Roots, Summertyne and Southern Fried Festival. <\/span><\/p>\n

They all discussed the challenges of promoting their festivals, how they focused audiences and also helped up and coming bands. Paul Spencer, founder of Maverick Festival set in Easton Farm Estate, Suffolk, was the first to shine a light on the genre and be an Americana specific festival. I\u2019ve been to Maverick many times, and also when the AMA-UK Conference used to happen right before the festival in July, and it\u2019s a really lovely festival with a relaxed atmosphere and beautiful setting. Paul told us the addtion of the buskers stage can lead to an official slot at the festival and last year he also provided other opportunites such as Noshville Americana Festival, a two day free festival in King\u2019s Cross in association with the AMA-UK who suggested member artists to perform. <\/span><\/p>\n

John Cleere from Kilkenny Roots in Ireland interestingly revealed how the festival has changed its name and that having Americana in the title can be a possible curse, even now after becoming an accepted genre it can cause journalists to not know how to describe it. Tamsin Austin, Performance Programme Manager at the Sage, Gateshead and who programmes SummeTyne Americana says the festival was borne out of the Jumpin\u2019 Hot Club, a venue in Newcastle promoting blues, country, and roots music and who I played a concert for supporting Chuck Prophet. You can really feel how it has been a labour of love for her, and this was also clear with all of the organisers. She admitted it had been tough at times and that it\u2019s a continual challenge striking the balance of putting on the commercial headline artists with the lesser known. SummerTyne also provides two free stages to showcase UK up and coming artists. <\/span><\/p>\n

Andy Shearer from Southern Fried Festival, based in Perth Concert Hall and venues across the city, says the Americana term can be narrow and that the core audience at the festival are not really that aware of it, they just get into it organically and so\u00a0<\/span>Southern Fried is promoted as covering a wide range of musical styles including country, blues, bluegrass, gospel, soul, songwriters and alt.country.\u00a0<\/span>They all acknowledged the huge support of the AMA-UK and how it had done a lot of work to improve the infrastructure and also how building good relationships with agents such as Bob Paterson Agency and Paul Fenn Asgard is crucial in keeping the all important live scene thriving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Songwriting Workshop<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

At this year\u2019s conference the second day started with a songwriting workshop and <\/span>a fantastic opportunity for 10 artists to play their songs to a panel of successful songwriters: twice Grammy nominated Beth Nielson Chapman who has had numerous songs recorded by country and pop performers, celebrated writer, 10CC\u2019s Graham Gouldman, Angaleena Presley, a member of female country trio Pistol Annies, and Glen Phillips, <\/span>songwriter of 1990s alternative rock group Toad the Wet<\/span> Sprocket<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Artists including Jess Morgan, who played a captivating acoustic showcase the night before featuring songs from her latest album \u2018Edison Gloriette\u2019 and Megan O\u2019Neill whose band Common Threads <\/span>will be releasing their debut EP \u2018Stories to Tell\u2019 in February 2017, played their impressive material to the panel <\/span>who provided some excellent and constructive song critiques suggesting edits, key changes and advice on song structure. Megan says of the experience, <\/span>“Performing my song for the panel at the AMA UK songwriter’s showcase was terrifying, exhilarating and incredibly informative. Such an amazing opportunity and I feel so honoured to have taken part.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Beth, who is in demand as songwriting teacher and also hosted \u2018Back to Beth\u2019s\u2019 a lovely intimate house concert as part of Bob Harris\u2019s \u2018My Nashville\u2019 documentary on BBC4, had some real gems of advice, such as ensuring every lyric has weight and purpose. She also suggested regularly stretching the songwriting muscle and trying techniques like taking a classic song such as \u2018Yesterday\u2019 and writing three new verses to it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Angaleena felt more concerned with if a song moves her, If it moves people it doesn\u2019t matter if it makes sense. She didn\u2019t understand some lyrics on \u2018Heartbreaker\u2019 Ryan Adams\u2019 acclaimed debut album but that didn\u2019t diminish its emotional impact on her. Beth agreed, saying she adores the Paul Simon lyric \u2018Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes\u2019 but has never discovered what it means.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Q&A was also fascinating, giving insights into how the songwriters on the panel have dealt with their success. Beth said her songs were not cut straight away and she felt overwhelmed after having her first hit. Graham has enjoyed success for a long time, he was only 19 when he wrote The Yardbirds \u2018For Your Love\u2019. Glen was also signed young and it\u2019s interesting that the parts he rejected in certain songs were the most successful ones, he felt it was about dumbing down and making material universal. Angaleena says she felt successful after she wrote her first song that had a real emotional impact <\/span><\/p>\n

They also discussed their writing routine. Beth emphasised the importance of showing up and being open to that creative flow, making time for it and writing anyway. For Graham, the act of taking his guitar out feels like going to work and he shared an inspirational Picasso quote \u2018inspiration exists but it has to find you working\u2019. He also said he now really enjoys co-writing, how it keeps you on edge and that another writer will listen to something you may have disregarded. <\/span><\/p>\n

Glen recommended \u2018The War of Art\u2019 a book that really gives him motivation. He also reiterated the importance of showing up and said a co-writer can see through gems and ideas you may have overlooked. Angaleena keeps a notebook at all times for when inspiration strikes as little nuggets can easily slip away. Keep your heart and eyes open so you can receive messages and it\u2019s essential to record your melodies straight away.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo by Michael Hingston<\/p><\/div>\n

Bob Harris In Conversation with Mary Chapin Carpenter<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Further inspiration came next with Bob Harris in conversation with acclaimed songwriter, five times Grammy Award winner Mary Chapin Carpenter. She talked about starting her career in Washington with the likes of Roseanne Cash, who she still tours with and reveres. They also discussed how, being the daughter of Johnny Cash, she provides the link in a chain, and told a lovely story of how Johnny wrote a list for Roseanne, essential songs that she should know, and her release \u2018The River and the Thread\u2019 was the result, where she revisited and explored her heritage and embraced the roots of US music.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo by Michael Hingston.<\/p><\/div>\n

They discussed the term Americana which Mary felt is a broader term helpful for those who don\u2019t easily fit into boxes and Bob recounted another great songwriter, Mary Gauthier\u2019s theory that you have to go through a lot to get to simple. Mary talked of her songwriting process and how she edits herself and makes every word count. The moving conversation touched on grief and loss and how 2012\u2018s \u2018Ashes and Roses\u2019 was all about that. Mary acknowledged the healing power of music, how it makes you feel you\u2019re not alone and how cathartic it is to write about what you\u2019re going through. Mary is a sole writer and they discussed how Americana does seem more solitary as a writing process. As a songwriter I\u2019ve always been drawn to how it has a more organic sound and provides a real narrative and heart within its songwriting.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a <\/span>rapidly growing membership and the introduction of The Official Americana Chart, which the US have now followed, it\u2019s a really exciting time for the AMA-UK. Now five years old, it\u2019s providing a strong network and real sense of community amongst those who are passionate about the music. As Clubhouse Records, an independent label with an impressive roster of excellent Americana artists stated, <\/span>the \u201cnetworking was a key part of the whole event and it was great to meet so many like minded people.\u201d Here\u2019s to next year!<\/span><\/p>\n

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With Baylen Leonard.<\/p><\/div>\n

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I enjoyed a really inspiring time at this year\u2019s AmericanaFestUK, two days organised by the AMA-UK celebrating Americana music, a genre that is currently thriving and continually gaining more widespread acceptance here in the UK including coverage in the national … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":1545,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1852","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1852"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1852"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9906,"href":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1852\/revisions\/9906"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lisaredford.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}