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Interviews & Features

Evan Bartels: ‘Music is like wine; if you have it and you like it then it’s good!’

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We had the absolute pleasure of chatting to the wonderful Evan Bartels the other week at The Long Road! Join us as we chat his UK shows, latest EP and plans for an upcoming album!

Check out our review of his set here.

How was your first set of the day?

Fantastic! It truly exceeded expectations. I thought it would be pretty good, but you never know when you’re at a festival with a bunch of other acts playing and you’re on at 12:30. But there was a couple of hundred people there, that tent was full! I thought ‘crap, this is crazy!’

Is it ever still nervewracking to go up there as a solo artist, especially at a festival like this?

That’s a great question! I would say sometimes. I’m never nervous in the sense of am I gonna mess up the song, it’s always more like, I hope people are receptive to this. But that’s another thing that you learn over the years when you’re building a set; it’s a lot like busking, doing a festival set as a solo artist where people don’t necessarily know you. When I was a kid I came up busking on street corners quite a bit. You’ve got to hit ‘em with some songs they won’t immediately walk away from. Then I find it’s just meeting people; you try to get to know the audience and let them get to know you and hope for the best! No one threw any rotten tomatoes, so that’s good!

Do you play with a band back home?

I do! I’ve had a band in the past that I’ve played with. Then when Covid hit and a lot of the touring opportunities dried up and a lot of the budgets froze it’s not been super practical sometimes to hire a band. That’s when I started touring more solo and focusing a lot on telling stories with the songs, try to make it a show that way. My goal is to be able to come back to the UK next year and have a band with me. We’re working towards it!

It would be fun to have a band. I’ve done it in the past and done full band records. It’s a different energy, there’s different tools you can use for the show.

You’ve been out here a fair bit this year already, right?

This is my third trip. I was here in March and did C2C, then came in May and did some shows with Charles Wesley Godwin. Now I’m back for the Long Road and doing a show at St Pancras Old Church in London.

We came into Long Road from Cologne, Germany, played a little festival there call Sound of Nashville. That was great because I met Nolan Taylor there, and Cameron Whitcomb, and he was great, we were all hanging out and drinking beers like ‘this is alright!’. Now the travel to get from Germany to the UK, I did not think that would be as harrowing as it was.

Did you fly out?

Yeah but we had to take a train from Cologne to Frankfurt, then flew, then a train from Heathrow to Paddington, then to Euston, then to Rugby. Like okay, that’s a long day!

Are there any comparisons you can make for here compared to back home?

I will say the one thing that’s mainly different is the way you do travel. In the US if someplace is 12 hours away, you’ll drive. I don’t know which one is easier. Here you might be on a train for six hours but at least you can sleep!

But the festivals, it’s funny how much the land here looks like where I grew up. It feels like we could be in Kansas right now! It’s beautiful!

You’ve got a busy rest of the year planned, right?

That’s the plan, yeah. I’ll be going out on the road in the States a few more times. Trying to sneak in another trip over here too. Doing a tonne of songwriting and starting to record the next album, There’s always something! Then on top of that you’ve gotta be a dad and a husband, mow the lawn and do the laundry! It’s an adventure, man.

You’ve had quite a busy year already, it seems! I saw you got played on Theo Von’s podcast which was cool!

Yeah, he gave me a shoutout for the new EP! That’s about as cool as it gets, honestly!

I also saw you were on tour with Brothers Osborne. Was the stage spinning?!

Yeah! I’ve done three or four shows with them so far this year and two of them, the stage was spinning. You were in the middle of the crowd and it slowly spins. They warned me about it, like ‘hey, just so you know, it spins, but it’s really slow’. And then you’re playing and it kinda messes you up a little bit! You’re looking out at the audience and you look down for a second and all of a sudden you’re looking at new people.

You touched on the EP before, and I remember being sold by the presser. Did you write it in a cabin, if I remember correctly?

So I wrote the songs in the tour van over the years. When we recorded it I built a little cabin behind my house and did it in there. I just did it as a passion project. I hadn’t put out music for a while so about a year ago I’d recorded some demos and my buddy Dave heard it (everyone calls him Squirrel). He was like ‘I’d love to help record this’. I didn’t know he was an engineer, we’d never really talked about work. Turns out he’d been like Rick Ruben’s house engineer for like 10 years. So he got these insane microphones and brought them out to the cabin and we recorded it all in there. We did a few takes of each of them and then picked the one that felt right. We recorded at night, I would just open a bottle of wine and play the song. There’s no metronome, no audio tuning, each track is the whole performance.

Once we got that, I had a few others friends; Paul DeFiglia, he played the organ and bass and double bass on it. Another great cat, Russ Paul, he’s a very renowned Nashville peddle steal player, so he did that. It’s funny, we recorded it in my backyard cabin, we did the bass at Paul’s backyard studio, the peddle steal we did at a buddies studio that was a backyard garage, and then we mixed everything in Squirrel’s studio which is a converted shed in his backyard! But I love the way it turned out!

What made you pick an EP over an album?

I knew it was going to be an album or an EP. I had 10 or 11 songs that I was considering for the project, and when I’d done demos of everything and listened back I didn’t want there to be any filler or anything that didn’t feel like it needed to be here. It was just a case of finding the songs that told the story that I wanted to tell. When we got done with that, where we landed was an EP. I’d rather put out a great EP than an okay album!

And you said you’re working on a longer release next, right?

Yes, we start recording next month! I’m hoping to land on between 10 and 15 songs because I currently have about 40. Whittle it all down and find the ones I love, not just like. That’s the goal!

Do you have a dream tour lineup?

Oasis. I wish I was on that tour!

You know who I’d love to do shows with? Jason Isbel. I’d love to watch him play every night on an acoustic tour. Or guys that are playing over here like The White Buffalo. James Bay too, I could listen to that guy sing the phone book every night and be happy! Those are a handful of them but if I start listing them we could be here all day and all night! You know who’s he sick actually, and I’d love to write some songs for her someday, is Adele. If she’s ever one of these pop artists that decides to make a country album, I hope she calls me!

It’s interesting you say James Bay as he’s had almost a mixed reaction to playing The Long Road.

I saw some of that! Crazy to me, good is good. I get where some people can be ‘well, he’s not country’, but by what metric? Compared to a lot of the bar-type bands, I’m not country. I think the thing that always shines through when you’re putting country or Americana or roots together is ‘is this authentic?’. When it comes down to it; if you don’t like James Bay you’re wrong! He’s got a great voice and great songs and I think it fits in in any country and any genre. And like, is Shaboozey everybody’s country? Or Morgan Wallen? Or cCharley Crockett? There’s so many different subsets and genres and opinions that I think a lot of people get lost on that. Music is like wine; if you have it and you like it then it’s good! The music part of country music is way more important than country. Everybody’s got a different opinion on these things.

Reviews

Second Wind: Does Alexandra Kay Top Her Debut?

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The sophomore release from fast-rising country star Alexandra Kay is released this upcoming Friday. Her name has been seemingly everywhere the last couple of years so my anticipation for the release is pretty high! I’m familiar with at least a couple of the singles and love what I’ve heard so far, so join me in checking out what the rest of the album has in store for us!

Starting with some beautiful, folky strings, Kay’s beautiful vocals soon come in over the top of a great acoustic chord progression for ‘Better Off’. It instantly gives off vibes of Carole King or Paula Cole in the best ways. It builds up perfectly into a powerful, bittersweet chorus, and one that will be stuck in my head for days to come! The whole song is beautifully bittersweet, and is a damn powerful opener to the album, setting the tone rather perfectly!

‘Nobody’ picks up the energy a bit, having more of an Americana feel to it than the folky previous song. The driving bass drum is excellent, and the layers throughout from all the different strings is honestly phenomenal song production. It once again builds to a massive chorus, one definitely designed to be played to huge festival crowds. I’m honestly shocked it hasn’t been a single already because it’s hugely catchy and would do amazingly on the radio. Hopefully it’s a post release one! It gives off more Janet Devlin or Caylee Hammack vibes this time, which I love just as much. It’s a simple arrangement and in and out in under three minutes, but is a fantastic song and an easy early highlight!

‘Straight for the Heart’ changes the pace yet again, this time feeling more like a straight up radio-country track. It’s got a bit of a rock edge to it too, the chorus being massive, the distorted guitars adding a lot to the sound. It’s easy to see why it was chosen as a single and is doing incredibly already on that front. It’s got a little bit of the good Taylor Swift era to it, or even Erin Kinsey. Heck, we even get some awesome guitar soloing tucked away behind some of the vocals, which adds and even greater layer to it. This is another phenomenal track, and the second that easily makes it onto our playlist, it’s that good!

The energy drops back down with ‘Right Now’. It’s a beautiful modern country ballad, the focus on the acoustic guitar, electronic beats and Kay’s utterly incredible vocals. It’s a similar story on tracks like ‘Old Me’. Both are fantastic tracks in their own right, and though I am not usually into the more electronic based drums, they fit both of these songs perfectly. And of course, lyrically and vocally, Kay once again knocks it out of the park.

Speaking of ballads, there are a few more throughout. From ‘Hell Right’ to ‘The Last’ to the closer, there are some excellent, acoustic-based country ballads on this album! All three are excellent tracks in their own right, and are only grouped together as they are pretty similar and I don’t want to repeat myself over and over here, gushing too hard over her! They’re all packed full of amazing lyrics, beautiful choruses and some great instrumentation. The strings and piano on the latter give it the perfect finale feel to it, while the former is another big highlight for me! Heck, ‘Measure of a Man’ is also pretty ballad-like, though it definitely also has more of a rock edge to it like ‘Straight for the Heart’ does. I’d definitely put it up there with that track in terms of quality, too!

Tracks like ‘Tomorrow Problems’ and ‘Feminine Energy’ are more like that mid 2000s pop-rock country style that it’s so hard not to love. Catchy, bouncy songs about having a good time is what country is all about out, and both of these do that to perfection. They’re both awesome songs and a style that Kay does so well, showing that she really is multi-talented in the country world! Both are big high points of the album too, with the latter even having another great guitar solo in it. I haven’t spoke enough about it yet, but her band have also killed it on this album, from start to finish!

The final two tracks from the album, ‘Big Boy Boots’ and lead single ‘Cupid’s a Cowgirl’, give off similar Americana-pop-rock energy that I honestly love. She manages to let loose a little with both tracks, her attitude coming out perfectly. Of course the single is an excellent track, but the former is just as good as it, and could very well be a big single in its own right. However, both songs are incredible and once again huge highlights on an album honestly packed full of them!

Overall: This is an incredible country album! We sadly missed her debut release when it dropped, but having gone back and revisited it since I do enjoy it. However, this is very much a step up from that, Kay really hitting her stride in a massive way with this album. There isn’t a bad song on the album and some of them are easily up there with some of the best country tracks of the year. It’s very easy to see why she’s become such a big name so fast, and is quickly establishing herself to be one of the biggest names in the genre in just a few years! I can’t recommend this enough to anyone even slightly into country music, check it out immediately!

The Score: 9/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: All Time Low, Chris Young and More!

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Another awesome week packed full of some awesome albums, from metal to rock to country. Let’s check them out!

All Time Low: Everyone’s Talking!

A singular single from this album convinced me and my wife to get tickets to their tour next year. Just to put into perspective the quality I’m expecting here…

The 10th studio album from the Maryland modern pop-punk legends lives up to my hype, that’s for sure! The band have matured like a fine wine; gradually evolving from their more rougher, punkier beginnings to this uber-polished, perfectly mixed arena-rock-infused awesomeness. It very much feels like the band have added elements of everything from Bryan Adams, Owl City and even Kip Moore and more pop-rock artists to their core sound, and it makes for an incredible listen. I remember loving their last release, but this very much takes everything that was great about it and refines/perfects it.

‘SUCKERPUNCH’ is of course already one of my favourite tracks by the band now, but it is far from the only highlight. From singles like ‘The Weather’ to tracks like ‘Falling for Strangers’, the heavier punk ‘Little Bit’ and the Ruston Kelly-featuring ‘Tread Water’, there is so much to love. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, all 15 songs being awesome and the 40+ minutes going by in a flash. They were a band I never minded as a kid but never quite got into much, but these last couple of albums have made me fully in on the band. If you are at all a fan of them, or of a more punk-pop sound, I would highly recommend checking this out as soon as you can. I’ll certainly be spinning it a fair bit in the coming months, that’s for sure! 9/10

Chris Young: I Didn’t Come Here to Leave

No pressure here, but this album has a LOT to live up to. I LOVED his last album last year, and the fact that he’s followed up on it barely a year later is definitely a bold move. Thankfully, Chris’ 10th album is yet another banger of a release from the country star! He has an incredible songwriting ability (I assume alongside others), be it country ballads or more southern rock-style boot-stompers. And honestly he has one of the best studio vocals in the whole genre currently. Don’t get me wrong, it’s another pretty long country release (thankfully not to Wallen levels), but there is so much awesomeness that the 14 tracks still go by in a flash! From the opener to ‘I Feel a Cold One Coming On’, ‘Pour Some Whiskey on it’ to single ‘Boots on the Ground’ to beautiful, bittersweet ballad ‘Just Keep Living’, there is so much to love. I have to say it’s not quite as good as Young Love & Saturday Nights, but it’s a damn solid followup and as I said, with barely a years turnaround between the two it’s an incredibly impressive release. Country has had one hell of a year again, and this is certainly going to be up there with one of my favourite releases in the genre in that time. And heck, it still feels like it’s growing on me with more listens! But for now, it gets a damn solid 8.5/10

The Last Dinner Party: From the Pyre

I have made no secret over the last year or two about not ‘getting’ this band. Though people throw around the term ‘industry plant’ maybe a little too easily these days, it definitely reeks of ‘throwing enough family money at it until it takes off’. You know, the GVF/Taylor Swift approach. We missed their debut album last year just before they exploded, but I remember checking it out due to the massive hype on socials and wasn’t too into it. Hopefully this sophomore release changes my mind…

It didn’t. This is music for early 20s, rich white girls that want to be hippies. It gives ‘music to listen to while spending daddy’s money on Vinted’ vibes. Don’t get me wrong, if that’s your thing, great, but it isn’t mine, sadly. And it is sadly too, because I did actively want to like this album. The Midsomer-like theming is an interesting concept, but never feels fully realised. There are flashes of its potential brilliance, especially in the one-two-punch of ‘Rifle’ and ‘Woman is a Tree’. However, then the pop edge comes in and reigns it all back in. And, honestly, because of that, this is a damn boring album. It feels a lot longer than 42 minutes, the album dragging and being a real struggle to get through in one sitting.

I know that some will probably be pissed at this review, but it’s just my opinion; there will be plenty who love this and I’m so glad they will get something out of it that I don’t. I know I am very much not the target audience, but at least I tried, right? Heck, at least the women are talented players and vocalists; I just find them painfully dull songwriters. And for that, it gets a 3/10 from me.

Sabaton: Legends

Fuck yeah, this is more like it! We’re big power metal fans here at Overtone and of course there are few modern bands doing it better than Sabaton. I loved their last album, but I really feel like this may be even better! ‘Templars’ opens the album perfectly, while tracks like ‘Crossing the Rubicon’, ‘Maid of Steel’ and ‘The Cycle of Songs’ are also big highlights for me. Of course, I have the same issue with this as I have with a fair few power metal albums in that it does all sound pretty samey. It’s 45 minutes of pretty similarly paced and sounding music, and even if it’s all great, it does get a touch old by the end. Still, if you are a power metal fan, of course you’re gonna love this! It’s a damn solid album from some of the best songwriters in the genre, even if they do stick to their standard formula a little too safely. The new metal history teachers show here why they are still one of the best around, and it’s an easy 8.5/10 from us!

Broadie Christ: Big feelings

The sophomore album from the Toronto singer-songwriter is a damn chilled-out, easy listen. Though described as indie rock, I’d argue there’s a lot more to this than that! It’s as much alt and soft rock, as well as just a genuinely quirkier edge. The easiest way I can find to describe it is a combination of Pinegrove and early Randy Newman, and I mean that as the uttermost of compliments! The more I listened, the more I fell in love with the album. The opener didn’t hook me, but ‘IDWTBfriends’ is great, and by the time I reached ‘Pretty City’, ‘Sea Legs’ and ‘Now I Can’t Dance’ I was hooked. As I said, it’s a very easy listen, and 40-minutes went by in a flash. He’s a fantastic lyricist and storyteller, and the instrumentation written around it fits the tone perfectly, as well as being a lot of fun. It’s the perfect album to sit back and relax to, but also really dive in deep to if you get the chance. I’d highly recommend checking it out if you are at all curious, and it gets an incredibly solid 8/10 from me!

Preacher Stone: By the Horns

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review of it here.

Tol Morwen: At the Gates of Valhalla

I love folky power metal, and this sophomore release is no exception! However, this does generally feel a little more technical than a lot of their contemporaries, some of the riffing and drumming being incredible. However, it still has the same level of epicness. It’s also heavy, having elements of black/death/extreme metal, especially with the screams. The atmosphere created throughout is phenomenal though, and instantly had me captivated. ‘Fate of the Gods’ is a more atmospheric black metal track, while ‘Ragnar’ is a straight up Amon Amarth style viking death metal song. Both are massive early highlights, while songs like epic single ‘The Shieldmaiden’ and ‘Rise of the Ancient Gods’ are also excellent. However, there really a bad track on this! It’s not for everyone, and at over an hour spread across just 10 tracks, it’s a big undertaking. However, I loved it, and if you are into the heavier, more grandiose side of metal, I would definitely recommend you check this out immediately! The band are so incredibly talented, and it’s yet another easy 8.5/10!

Biohazard: Divided We Fall

The hardcore punk legends returned with their first new album in 13 years this last Friday. Yeah, it’s a big deal. Especially when they returned at arguably the perfect time, given the state of the world, and clearly have plenty to talk about! Oh, and the album also slaps from start to finish! It’s angry, aggressive, slamming hardcore for a full nearly 40 minutes, and I love it. It just makes me want to throw people around in a pit and dance around through the whole thing. The riffing, the drums, the vocals, the lyrics, even the soloing, all of it is perfection for the genre, and I honestly can’t get enough. It’s so hard to pick highlights too, as each track is as good as the other. Most of it ended up on my personal playlist! It’s the perfect combination of Bodycount, Hed(PE) and Pro-Pain, so if you are into any of those bands, or just hardcore in general, I cannot recommend this album enough! Heck, even if you aren’t, check this out immediately, you might find one of your new favourite albums. I can’t give this any less than 9.5/10, and I’ll definitely be rocking this a lot in the coming months!

Of Monsters and Men: All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade

13 years after the Icelandic folk-rocky quintet’s massive breakout debut, they are back with their fourth studio album, and first of the post-pandemic era. Honestly, outside of their big hits I haven’t listened to much. In the nicest way possible, I can kinda see why. This is a boring release, dude. Much like with Last Dinner Party, this will most likely have plenty of fans, but I sadly found myself losing interest fairly quickly and often when listening to this from front to back. Don’t get me wrong, tracks like ‘The Actor’ and ‘Styrofoam Cathedral’ are good in isolation, but in the context of the album it dragged sooooo much. Please don’t kill me, OM&M fans (I also don’t like the other OM&M much, sorry), but yeah, I can’t give this much more than 4.5/10. They’re all talented players, but it really isn’t my thing.

Daedric: As the Light Left

The sophomore release from Kristyn Hope is yet another modern-alt metal/metalcore masterclass. We absolutely loved her last album back a couple of years ago, but honestly she may have gotten even better in the time since! ‘The Other Terror’ opens things up perfectly heavily, while ‘Sand Tiger’ shows off a bit more of her more alt side (though still has some great screams). The rest of the album continues to skirt that line perfectly, too. Heck, ‘Dark Legacy’ gives big Skynd vibes in the best ways. It’s hard to pick highlights, but ‘Night Mother’ and ‘Dreamweaver’ are tracks that I have already revisited multiple times over the weekend. Honestly, this is everything I wished Spiritbox was, and it’s insane to me that Kristyn isn’t on the same level as them at this point. I’mma throw it out there, this is better than Tsunami Sea, @ me. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone into more of a modern metal sound, and I’m honestly shocked she managed to top her explosive debut! She’s an utterly fantastic vocalist, both cleans and screams, and her songwriting has really gone to yet another level with this album. It’s one of the easiest 9/10s I’ve ever given!

William Prince: Further From the Country

Album number five for the Canadian folk/country singer-songwriter is a damn fun listen. I love that he very much does his own thing and has his own sound, not following the current trends in the genre. It makes it stand out a lot from his contemporaries, and is a fantastic, more folk-based sound in its own right! From the writing to the arrangement to the mix, it all almost has an epic air to it. From the opener to ‘Flowers on the Dash’ to the beautifully dark-folk ‘Thousand Miles of Chain’ to the awesome closer, the whole thing is packed full of amazing songs! And, at under 40 minutes, it makes for an incredibly easy listen! It’s definitely one to throw on and relax to. William is a criminally underrated vocalist and songwriter in the genre, and he has an instant new fan in me from this! I’m definitely going to have to go back and check out his previous work, but for now this gets an incredibly solid 8.5/10

Shadows of a Silhouette: For Those That Know

Time for some indie now, as the local boys and good friends of ours put out their highly anticipated debut album this last week! What an album it is, too! It’s definitely on the heavier side of the genre, with the riffs taking center stage in a big way throughout. It gives off big QOTSA or early Royal Blood or early Black Keys vibes in the best ways. It’s also packed full of highlights, too. Between the opener, ‘No Matter Where I Go’, ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘Hostages’, there are plenty of highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on the release! The band are incredibly talented and it’s easy to see why they are gaining so much momentum already. The genre isn’t typically my sort of thing but I really loved this from start to finish, and would recommend it to anyone even slightly curious! It’s been a while since I’ve seen them live so must do that again, as I have a feeling all of this would sound incredible in a live setting. But, for now, I shall happily settle for having the album, and it gets a very solid 8.5/10!

Wretched: Decay

The first album from the melodic deathcore quintet in over a decade feels like it has something to prove, and they more than do this with this release! This is over an hour of brutality, technical riffs, great screams and some HEAVY breakdowns. It’s another album that’s almost impossible to pick highlights from, as it’s all so good, as well as all being a similar style, sound and aggression. However, ‘The Crimson Sky’ probably has the most of a bit of everything this album has to offer! If you are into the heavier end of metal, this is definitely one for you. It has everything from Machine Head to In Flames to The Zenith Passage in here, and it’s awesome. It’s not for the faint of heart as, like I said, it’s 65 minutes in length, but it’s well worth a listen through in full if you’re interested! I’m so damn glad this band is back to studio work, and they have put out honestly one their best releases to date after all this time off. A very solid 9/10 from us!

Features, Interviews & Features

Larry Fleet: ‘I had someone ask me how I’d describe my music once and I said “it’s country Western bluegrass soul!”’

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We had the privilege of chatting to the amazing Larry Fleet at The Long Road the other week. Check out below as we chat about his UK tour, his latest EP and his future album plans!

How’s the tour been so far?

It’s been great! People are showing up, filling up the rooms, literally packed every single night. Well, we’ve played two shows, but they’ve been packed! And tonight is gonna be great I think. Then Belfast in a couple of days is sold out, too! I think it’s good for these festivals and all this stuff going on. People are showing up, they’re singing the songs. We’ve already pretty much sold out of our merch and we doubled what we were told to buy! People are buying stuff, they’re having fun, singing songs, showing up, I couldn’t be happier!

Is this your first time out in Europe?

This is my first headlining thing. I came out and did London in ‘23 with Morgan [Wallen], at the 02 I was first of three, and then this year I was direct support for him touring. It went really well and I think it’s helping me sell a lot of tickets, too. Getting in front of his crowd, and there’s a lot of them, I think that’s helped us out. But this is my first headlining thing so I’m pumped about it. And I’m thrilled with how it’s turned out.

Are there any comparisons you can make from out here compared to back home?

There’s differences. I would say one thing I’ve noticed the last couple of nights is people listen to you when you’re talking. I tell stories, and when I’m doing that they’re silent and it’s like ‘wow, they’re actually paying attention!’. And then they sing every word you do, but that happens in the States too! But I think it can be more respectful and attentive here. Back home we’re coming out for a good time and they can get a little drunk and rowdy, while here they seem a little more respectful. I like it!

Yeah, I think even today we’ve been at a couple of the smaller stages and there’s been some learning almost from people coming out and being like ‘oh yeah, this is really quiet when I’m talking!’

Yeah! And some people don’t like it. They want people,to be rowdy all night because they’re playing rowdy kinda stuff, but I’m a singer/songwriter so I like when people listen. I wanna tell you the story of how it came about. It’s cool they wanna be a part of it.

As for similarities, when you go to a city it still feels similar to back home, you just have building that are 400 years older! The architecture is a little different but cities feels similar. All in all people have been super nice to us!

Somewhere in the South came out a month or so ago now, the response seems great so far!

Yeah! It’s funny because when it came out, we’ve only played it maybe once in the States; we didn’t play a lot in July. We came over here and were like ‘let’s try it out’ and Baylen started playing it on the radio, and just a few days ago we saw it’s like top 50 on a bunch of album charts over here! The songs been doing great and that whole EP, we’ve been playing pretty much everything on it and people are digging it!

It’s four different songs with four different styles. And that’s what I kinda wanted to do when I put it out. I’ve been sorta pigeonholed into what is just traditional country, but there’s a lot more than that. Here’s this blues, this soul, this rock. It gave me a chance to say here, this is what’s coming.

What made you choose an EP over another album?

Honestly, when I split with Big Loud at the end of last year, I wanted to go in the studio for a few days, see what I come up with, and show different songs with different styles. I just wanted something I could get out quick to show ‘hey, I’m here’. To show the record label has nothing to do with me being successful. I had a great relationship with the label but they can slow you up as they have a lot of artists, you can’t put out music when you want to. This allowed me to drop some songs to keep people with me.

You’re pretty active and successful on social media, do you have any advice for people on that front?

That’s something I have to work at! I’m not the greatest at it. One thing I can’t do is be fake. I know there’s a lot of people like me who want to see something real, so I try to give them something real. Whatever I’m doing, whether it’s something stupid or whatever, we have a fun sense of humour between us as a band so I try to let you in on what you do. When I’m hanging out with my kids, it’s just me being a dad! I try to make my music as honest as possible and I think that’s why things have worked out that way. I’m not trying to act like somebody else, so for advice just be yourself. Whatever you’re into, odds are someone else is gonna be into it too. Your demographic or crowd may not be millions, but it may be a couple hundred thousand! You can make a living!

You used to be in a bluegrass band as a kid with your family. Would you say it still influences your sound today?

For sure! That’s how I started. If you can play Bluegrass music you can play pretty much anything. Like sped-up jazz, almost! It’s a very hard thing to learn, so me learning that early on helped a lot. I still write songs so every now and then I have one that’s like ‘oh, this feels like a Bluegrass song’! I had someone ask me how I’d describe my music once and I said ‘it’s country Western bluegrass soul!’. I’m not always bluegrassin’, I like Southern rock and blues and all these other things too. But bluegrass is always still in my DNA, I love it. I played a bluegrass song in London last night!

Is there anything we can expect from the set?

I mean you can expect ‘Where I Find God’, that’s what kinda got me here. I’mma play a few new songs. Honestly I don’t even know what the set looks like. My drummer, I just kinda let him do his thing, and if we need to change it I’ll just call it out. We tend to play something different every night. If someone comes up and is like ‘hey, you didn’t play this song I wanted to hear’, well, come tomorrow night! Every night we try to make it a little different, that’s what keeps people coming back. It’s not just a rehearsal, you wanna be tight but you don’t want it to feel like a Chuck E. Cheese show, you want it to feel organic!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: HARDY, Amorphis and More!

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A quieter but still pretty stacked week of new albums for us to check out!

HARDY: COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

The third album we’ve checked out from the (shock) country star, and thank god it’s at least better than his last one! I was so obsessed with Mockingbird and the Crow, so Quiet! felt like a bit of a letdown in comparison.

This release very much does a good job of getting him back on track. There’s a LOT of fantastic stuff on here, from the opener through ‘Luckiest Man Alive’ and ‘Girl With a Gun’ to the likes of ‘Who Don’t’, ‘Gun to my Head’ and the wonderfully tongue-in-cheek ‘Y’all Need Jesus’ (though I did get called out by a line in it too, lol). And honestly, having named a bunch, I still wouldn’t say any of the other tracks are in any way bad! For an album that’s 20 tracks and 69 (nice) minutes long, that’s a pretty fantastic achievement! Don’t get me wrong, that is too damn long, and it definitely could have done with some of the fat trimmed, but that’s more of an issue with country in general still, so I’ll let off one of the most prevalent songwriters in the genre the last decade plus. And that hour was still a damn easy listen and went by in a flash!

I think he leant too much into the rock side of things with his last release, while now he’s managed to find that perfect balance between that and country, like he had with THE CROW. As I said, while not as groundbreaking as that release, it’s still a damn good album, and one I’d recommend to anyone who’s a fan of his, or into country or rock at all! HARDY is back with a vengeance, y’all, and I couldn’t be happier! I’ll be spinning it a lot for the rest of the year, I’m sure. 8.5/10, though it may grow on me even more with more listens!

Amorphis: Boarderland

I remember checking out the bands last studio album a few years ago and LOVING IT, so my hype heading into this was pretty high already. Safe to say it didn’t disappoint! Right from the offset ‘The Circle’ is an epic prog metal banger. That’s swiftly followed by the heavier melodeath single ‘Bones’, and tracks like the grandiose ‘The Strange’ and ‘Light and Shadow’ are also massive personal highlights. However, the whole album is excellent, there really isn’t a bad song on it! It’s a great continuation of the band’s discography, fitting in perfectly next to Halo. The band are incredible songwriters and musicians, and that is very much on full display throughout this release. If you are at all into prog, power or death metal, this is well worth checking out! 8/10

Foreign Affairs: Brothers

We’ve already checked out this album. Check out our full review of it here.

Beyond Extinction: Where They Gather

The debut album from the Essex death metal band goes hard throughout. The first thing I noticed was the amazing production, the release sounding and feeling MASSIVE. It somehow makes it seem even heavier too, in the best way possible! I haven’t actually checked the band out much since we saw them a few years back, but they have grown into a force to be reckoned with on record. From the brutal opener to ‘Seven Spears’ to ‘Earthmurk’, there’s a lot of awesomeness. And that’s not even mentioning the two amazing tracks featuring guests. Both Alex Teyen and Josh Davis kill it on their tracks, making both ‘Tyranny’ and ‘Apache’ (respectively) huge highlights, too. If you’re into the heavier end of metal I cannot recommend this enough! It’s easily one of the best death metal releases of the year, and will definitely be one I revisit when I need a heavy fix. The band are destined for big things sooner rather than later thanks to this album, and it gets an easy 8.5/10 from us!

Colbie Caillat: This Time Around

The eighth album from the folk-pop-rock singer-songwriter feels like it takes a bit of a country twang to it this time round. That’s hardly a complaint, I saw her at more of a country festival last year and she fit in there perfectly. This style is very much what she was made to release, as this is an incredible album, honestly! It maybe helps that it’s packed full of massive and awesome country guests, with every track feating someone, but that shouldn’t take away from Colbie’s immense writing and vocal talents. But yeah, the guests are great too, even Walker Hayes! Of course a lot of the songs are tracks that she’s released previously, but the guests add a great new twist to it all and leave it feeling still fresh! ‘Bubbly’ is always a great song, but Amos Lee makes it somehow even better! Between that, the opener, ‘Lucky’ and ‘I Never Told You’, there are plenty of amazing songs on this album. However, every song is pretty great, and makes for a fantastic 40+ minutes of chilled out country-folk pop! Plus, her cover of Posty’s ‘Circles’ is excellent! If you’re into more of a pop-country sound, or like Colbie’s music in general, I’d definitely recommend giving this a spin. It’s a great reimagining of her hits, and the original songs are definitely up there alongside them! It’s a fantastic duets album, and I’m shocked she’s never done one sooner! 8/10

Revocation: New Gods, New Masters

Album 10 from the tech death band, following up 2022’s massive Netherheaven. I remember checking it out but somehow didn’t write about it, so I’m glad I finally get to do that with this release. Especially when it’s an absolutely fantastic album like this is. It’s 44-minutes of heaviness and brutality and utter brilliance and some of the best drumming and guitaring I’ve heard all year. It’s honestly impossible to pick highlights as the whole thing is as amazing as it is similar, piecing together perfectly.

It certainly isn’t going to be for everyone reading this, but if you are at all curious it’s well worth spinning at least once in full! The band are all working their asses off throughout and have crafted something truly special with this release! The multiple guests also once again add so much to the release, with Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation being a particularly awesome guest! I loved this, and will definitely be listening to at least the individual tracks a lot moving forward. 8.5/10

Rage: A New World Rising

We’ve also checked this one out previously, aren’t you lucky?! Check it out here.

Sloan: Based on the Best Seller

The second album we’ve checked out from the alt rock/punk-pop band after 2022’s Steady. Honestly, I can’t remember anything about that album, but apparently I rather enjoyed it! This release is no exception, a fun, easy-to-listen-to old-school rock album. From the opener to ‘Baxter’ to ‘So Far Down’ to ‘Here We Go Again’, there is plenty to love on this release. While it’s not typically my sort of thing, I really enjoyed not only these tracks, but the album as a whole, it being another fantastic release to just sit back and chill out with. It’s easy to hear why they’re such a big band in their native country, and I would certainly make the case that they are somehow only getting better with age, as I enjoyed this more than their last release. If you like more bluesy, poppy rock, this is certainly the album for you! 7.5/10

Reviews

Brothers: Foreign Affairs Kill it With Their Debut Album!

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The debut album from the UK indie-ish duo of brothers is arriving with a lot of hype to it, as the band have been gradually building steam for a few years now. I’ve heard the name everywhere but have somehow never really heard their music… until now! I thought they were definitely worth a full deep dive review, so without further ado, let’s dive right in!

‘Magic Box’ opens up the album perfectly, a great indie-rock guitar and vocal melody with more instrumentation building in over and over. It gives Drew Holcomb vibes, or even Jack Johnson. It sounds awesome, and is immediately catchy as hell! The backing vocals with the ‘ooo’s, harmonies and gang vocals add even more depth to it, too. The track is crafted to perfection, with every sound fitting excellently and it all forming something truly magical. It sets the tone of the album amazingly and is honestly one of my favourite tracks of the year. Immediately a huge highlight!

More quirky instrumentation comes in as a steal drum opens ‘Killer Spell’. Then we get more of the great Americana-indie stuff, building into a truly massive, arena-filling chorus. This one is much more James Bay, in the best possible way! The lead guitar bits throughout are awesome too, having so much feel to them and fitting the vibe of the track well. It’s another amazing track, and one that I feel is gonna be stuck in my head for days to come!

‘I’m on Fire’ strips things back and slows things down in a beautiful piano ballad. It’s maybe a touch early for a track like this on the album, but honestly, it felt completely natural here and fit the pace of the album perfectly. It builds incredibly to yet another HUGE chorus, the backing vocals and drums adding so much to the epicness of the track. It dropping back down for the bridge before exploding back in for a final chorus was masterful; powerful as it was beautiful. The band so far are three for three on excellent tracks!

The only track I’d heard before this, ‘Walk Away’, changes the pace again into a blues banger. The riff is amazing, and it building with the drum and bass and harmonies more and more into an infectiously catchy chorus! It drops out perfectly for a bridge before we get a double time, almost bluegrass-tinged guitar solo, which was sick! Still, it has that same indie feel to it at the same time, feeling very much like the same band. And I kinda liked it dropping back for the outro chorus, it almost bringing the track full circle. Banger after banger so far!

As if my mind hadn’t been blown enough already, ‘Evel Kinevel’ starts with a gospel chorus, god clap and everything, and was awesome! Then we get a great indie riff with Adams amazing vocals over the top. Once again, it builds perfectly to the now expectedly huge chorus, just made to be played to massive festival crowds around the world! It’s yet another song that I can expect to be stuck in my head for the next few days, and is yet another fantastic track!

Single ‘The Last Dance’ brings the blues riffing back, much like ‘Move Your Body’. Both are great, up-tempo tracks that definitely get you… well… moving your body! They definitely sound distinctly like Foreign Affairs while having a more indie-rock edge to them. And they break up the album pretty perfectly, keeping the energy up around the mid-point.

The next few tracks slow things down again with some great ballad writing. Whether it’s the Bay-like acousticness of ‘Baby Blue’ or ‘Adam’s Song’ or the piano-led nature of ‘Flowers in the Window’, it’s all so beautiful and powerful. I do have to say it does grind the pace of the album down to a crawl a touch, and is a lot of slower stuff all at once. I don’t know if it’s just my tiny attention span, but I think I’d struggle to listen to all four tracks one-after-another on many listens. All are incredible songs on their own, but when together it’s a touch much for me, and highlights how insanely stacked the first half of the album is. Still, if you like more of an easy-listening vibe, check out every single one of these. ‘Hummingbird and Me’ in particular is another massive highlight track.

The album concludes with a two parter; ‘One Minute’. Part 1 is amazing, the vocal delivery honestly giving me goosebumps at times. It’s the perfect nearly-two-minutes of folk-rock. Meanwhile part 2 is a full-length track packed full or a similar brilliant, beautiful, vulnerable level of emotion. They very much fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle, and while are incredible separate, are perfect together. How is it not one of the biggest tracks of the year already? If you check out anything off this album, let it be this; it’s truly phenomenal. The lyrics are incredible, and the instrumentation and delivery fit the gravitas of them perfectly. What a way to close out this release!

Overall: This is an incredible release! I went into it not really knowing what to expect and was utterly blown away by the whole thing. There are so many killer tracks on this, and practically no filler. The band blend genres seamlessly, and have put out something truly heartfelt and personal with this release. I am a new, huge fan of the band, and already cannot wait to hear what they do next. However, for now, I’ll be spinning this a bunch moving forward!

The Score: 9.5/10

Reviews

President, Wells Ferrari and More: EPs Galore!

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A stacked week of EPs for us to check out, from metal to indie to rock. Lets check it all out!

PRESIDENT: King of Terrors

The new mystery masked band (definitely not fronted by Charlie Simpson) have dropped their debut EP this weekend. Does it live up to the insane hype around them? Personally, no, but I’m certainly not the target audience for this sort of music. It’s very Sleep Token, and y’all know how I feel about them. It’s a touch more interesting and heavy than them, but still incorporates a lot of the same pop and electronic elements around the big riffs and occasional screams. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it’s quite worth all the hype. ‘Fearless’ was a fun, almost Skillet-esque track, while the riffing in ‘Dionysus’ was good too. However, the good moments were few and far between, and there are only so many trap and hip-hop beats I can hear in metal before I immediately get bored of them. If you are into this sort of thing awesome, you’ll surely get a lot out of it, but it wasn’t for me at all. I can’t give it any more than 5/10, sorry lads!

Wells Ferrari: Wasted Time

The sophomore EP from the indie-Americana duo is just as good as their last, drawing together their last string of single releases into the perfect 23-minute release. The band’s sound is excellent, being a slightly more chilled out version of the likes of Mumford & Sons or even Evan Honer. The lyrics throughout are fantastic and packed full of emotion, while the pairs vocal harmonies are a solid highlight time and time again. From the excellent title track to ‘Bending’ to the epic ‘Cloud of Rain’, there are so many fantastic songs. However, there really isn’t a bad song on here; all of them are excellent. It’s the perfect release to throw on and sit back and chill-out to. The band are on track to become massive in the scene sooner rather than later, and this release will surely push them closer to that. If you are at all into the genres I’ve mentioned check this out as soon as you can! 8.5/10

Delilah Bon: PRINCELESS PRINCESS

Delilah follows up her phenomenal 2024 album with this four-track collection released between all her heavy touring schedule. It honestly feels like it acts as an extention of EHFF, bridging the gap between that and whatever is next. I do have to say it’s not quite as memorable as the album, but is still a damn good release! The opener/title track is awesome and been stuck in my head since I first checked it out. ‘CINDERELLA’ is a fantastic track too that I’m sure will go down a storm live. Meanwhile ‘BUSH’ is tongue in cheek and got a chuckle out of me, though I’m sure she makes some good points for women.

It’s impossible for Delilah to put out something I don’t love though, as her vocal ability is so insanely underrated. From her rapping to screaming, it’s all so good, and she’s very much kept it all turned up to 11. And she is PISSED throughout this, it making the delivery of her fantastic lyric writing even better. The instrumentation is great too, the electronic and heavy punk guitars fitting together perfectly, making an amazing backdrop for the vocals.

It’s a short release that has immediately made me come away wanting more, but for now I am more than glad to settle with this. A great addition to her already stellar discography! 8.5/10

Last Hyena: Suspect Your Elders

The first live gig we covered here at Overtone, this band have a special place in my heart for that. Add to that the fact that they are insane instrumentalists and songwriters, and I was damn hyped for this release. They didn’t disappoint at all, this is awesome! The mainly instrumental 16 minutes is a solidly awesome listen of proggy, mathy stoner rock, and blew my mind in multiple places. We even got some gang vocals on the opening track, a big highlight and made the track somehow even better. There isn’t a bad one on here, though. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but if you are at all curious I cannot recommend checking it out enough! The riffing throughout is top notch, and everyone is working their asses off from start to finish. A very easy 8/10!

House of Hosts: Reckoning

The debut EP from the hard rock/alt metallers is a home run right out of the gate! This is a fantastic release from start to finish, packed full of a big riffs, arena-filling melodies and some great screams here and there. I love this new generation of bands that are inspired by the likes of Godsmack, Nonpoint and Breaking Benjamin, and I would argue this release is up there with a lot of what those bands have put out! There’s even a slight hint of Tool at times, which I love! All four tracks are amazing and highlights in their own right, picking just one or two is impossible. If you are at all into hard rock or metal, stop reading this right now and check this release out immediately, it really is that good! I’m going to be spinning this a lot in the coming weeks and months, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10. If it was a full release, it may have even gotten top marks!

Eirra: Instructions Unclear

The indie-pop songwriter put out her debut EP this weekend, and it makes for a fun, chilled-out release! It’s not typically the sort of thing I listen to, but I honestly had a blast listening to this! From the quirky electro-pop of ‘Mona Lisa’ to the more acoustic indie-folk of ‘Soho’ and ‘Somehow, Someday’, there’s a hell of a lot to love. It’s easy to see why she’s a rising star pegged for big things in the future, and as a first non-single release, this is a fantastic start! If you are into the lighter stuff, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! Throw it on and just sit back and relax and get lost in it, I know I did! A surprisingly (for me) solid 8/10 from us!

Interviews & Features

Crowe Boys: ‘We’re pretty deep into trying to get through some songs for the next record!’

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We had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with the amazing Americana-indie duo Crowe Boys at The Long Road the other weekend. Check it out below!

So firstly, you just played London, right?

Yeah, we just played the Lexington. It was sick! Then back in a couple of weeks to play the Electric Brixton.

Is it your first time coming out here?

Yes sir!

Are there any comparisons you can make out here compared to back home?

A lot of it is just culture differences. The roads. Driving. The food. But it’s all like 1° different, you know? Not like so different but it’s like, close but not quite the same.

I imagine it’s a little weird being in an environment like this that tries to encapsulate the vibe of the South so well?

Yeah, they’ve smashed it, it’s really close!

Have you got a busy rest of the year planned?

Yeah, we’ll be on the road for a couple more months, and then we’re done around mid-December!

How would you describe your sound?

Indie folk, I guess!

I saw on your website you used to be in a punkier band, right?

Alt-punk, yeah!

Would you say it influences your sound still today?

I don’t know. I’d imagine given how long we played it it probably still does in some way.

Would you have any interest in going back to that?

I don’t think so. We’re both really loving what we’re doing at the minute!

Are you writing still?

Oh yeah!

Is it a way down the pipeline yet?

Hopefully not too far away, as we like to get people music when we can. We’re pretty deep into trying to get through some songs for the next record.

I think it’s quite hard to keep up with putting stuff out these days, too!

What’s the writing process like for you two?

Recently it’s just us starting ideas off on our own and then bringing it to the table. Hash out like what this is saying and feeling. Then try to find a way of putting the music around it that also feels the same way as when you hear the words.

Is it just the two of you here this weekend?

Yes, just a duo!

Do you tour with a band back home?

Yeah! They’re kinda a part. It’s kinda friends that we’ve gotten to know from the music scene in New Orleans. They’ll swap out if they need to, but there’s like a couple that are our guys!

You have two sets this weekend, what can we expect from them?

They’ll pretty much be the same!

It’s always a little hard with the time slots. It’s the same stage too, right?

I have no idea! I currently have an AirTag on me and they’re just going to cart me around! But also, it’s fun to just kinda immerse yourself in it!

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d wanna be a part of?

Personally, I think it would be sick to do a show at Red Rocks with, like, Mumford and Sons/Gregory Allan Ascoff.

It seems like Red Rocks has really embraced country recently!

Yeah, I mean Colorado and Montana, those are like, country to the max!

If you could have written one song from history, and spring to mind?

Good question! Probably, since we were talking about them earlier, ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers.

That’s cool, it feels like such a British song…

Oh heck no, it’s a huge song! Love The Killers in the US!

Features, Interviews & Features

Baylen Leonard: ‘It’s so much better they have an opinion about it than no opinion at all!’

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We had the absolute pleasure of chatting to Long Road organiser Baylen ahead of this year’s edition of the festival. Check out as we chat about the highs and lows of it below!

We’re just a couple of days out [at the time of recording] from Long Road, are you more excited or nervous?

What’s really exciting about it is when you see everybody who’s coming start posting about it online and start excited about packing and doing a trial run of setting their tent up in their garden. The crew is already on-site now building it so I’ve been getting loads of pictures and videos all week of the stages going up and everything going. It becomes a big machine at this point, it’s like a train you can’t stop! I’m really excited to get there and see it with my eyes!

Have they been there since Monday, then?

There’s been some people on site since last week. Most of the crew have been there since the weekend. I will get down there tomorrow, and not freak out at all. I’ve learned by now that every year I get there and so much is done, I think ‘oh my god, what about that?’ and I’ve learnt that it always comes together. There’s always a lot of running about and mayhem right before the gates open, but then it’s all perfect!

How do you find the time to do all of this alongside your radio work as well?

I don’t do it alone, there’s no way! There’s a big team and we work on it year round. Then as we get closer to the event the teams within the teams start adding people to their teams so it becomes quite a big operation by the time we get here.

I always kinda see it as one thing, doing radio and all the other stuff I do in country music. It almost just feels like it’s one thing. If I’m playing someone on the radio that I really love I’ll think about trying to get them on the festival. Or if I’m seeing someone in a live setting that I’m considering for the festival, I might think they’d sound great for the radio. I kinda get to do all the things I do all at the same time!

What inspired you to start the festival? C2C has been going a while but it feels like you guys were the next ones to do the country thing over here!

I’m originally from Tennessee. I’ve lived in the UK for a really long time, and country music has been my thing for a really long time, so for years I was always wanting to do something like this and had lots of different ideas about it. I met up with somebody else who also wanted to do this. She’s Irish so she grew up going to Irish music festivals and wanted to bring that. So between her and that background and me, we thought what could we do that’s authentic and brings the best of both of those worlds together, but makes it very much a UK festival. So we started it! Our first was in 2018 and it seems crazy that it was that long ago! It’s really nice that we seem to have found out spot within what is a really exciting time for country music.

People have really taken The Long Road under their wing and those who come to it feel a sense of ownership over it as well which is exactly what we want! We want it to feel like home for everyone who’s into country, Americana and Roots. Even people who don’t like country, maybe there’s something in there for them! Then they come along and find some country that they actually love. It really comes from a love of the genre and wanting to bring this authentic country experience to the UK, and to help it grow too!

It’s our fourth year now and just the atmosphere is amazing, it’s really become a favourite of ours. Seeing familiar faces there every year is great!

That’s really something we wanted to bake into it from the beginning, to be a friendly, warm festival where everyone felt welcome! And as we grow to try and retain those things. We’re bigger this year than we’ve ever been, but I hope it still feels like the same festival!

You’ve added the Hitching Post this year, right?

Oh, I’m so excited about the Hitching Post! I named it after a venue from back home when I was growing up. A lot of towns in the South, The Hitching Post is quite a popular name for a honkytonk. This venue back home was a real stop for artists that were touring and coming up so like Darius Rucker and Garth Brooks played it before anyone knew them. I found all this out after I moved away, of course!

The point of the Hitching Post at the Long Road is that it’s a hardwood floor. We really wanted somewhere where people could dance. We’ll have dance classes and the music in there really lends itself to people doing line dances or swing dances. We’ll have people there to teach you how to do that. We’re also using it for sit-down conversations with people like Drake Milligan. It’s just another venue where people can hang out, make their own, meet their friends. I think it’s gonna be a really good vibe! I can’t wait to get there and see it!

I imagine it’s a bit of a logistical nightmare to get so many international bands to play. Do you approach a band and they arrange a tour after, or do you see who’s touring first?

It’s both of those things! Some artists we approach and say “we’d love to have you at The Long Road”. Sometimes we’ll book them and they book a tour around it, sometimes they’ll just come and do it UK exclusive, like Drake Milligan this year. Some will come and do TLR and then go to Europe and do some shows. Some of them will already will be planning to come so will approach us, or will be planning on doing something nearby. Sometimes we’ll talk to people and they’ll go “it’s not going to work this year but let’s talk next year”. It really is just a case of all of those things!

Is it sometimes a struggle to decide what artists to book? There’s been a little backlash online from the James Bay booking.

I think that one of the goals of TLR was to get as many people into country music as we could and to celebrate all types of country, Americana and roots. If you look at our lineups from year one we’ve always had artists sit a little bit outside of those core genres but that aren’t completely different. James Bay is a great example. I know a lot of people don’t think of him as fitting in, but he really does. He’s made music in all of those genres. He’s recorded in Nashville and just made his Grand Ole Opry debut, the absolutely approval stamp for any artist in country music. I think because he’s so big and so well known, it’s actually easy to forget he’s actually in these genres. If it means James Bay fans who don’t count themselves as country fans but find some country artists that they do love, I think that’s a great thing! I actually think a lot of country fans are going to have a really great time watching him!

Also, with a festival like TLR, as big as it is and with as many artists as it has, there’s always going to be artists that you love and those you don’t, or that you haven’t heard of. We have six stages, there’s always something going on somewhere that you’re gonna love! He’s a great get for us and a fantastic live artist! But it goes back to what I said about people feeling ownership of the festival; it’s so much better they have an opinion about it than no opinion at all!

You’ve got a couple of new stage takeovers at Buddy’s this year, right?

Yeah! We have Loose Music which is a UK label that we’ve worked with since the beginning, and then Spinefarm, a really big UK label. The thing about doing that is we want those people to bring their sensibilities to the festival. Colour me Country, we want Rissi to bring artists that maybe we don’t know or artists that wouldn’t be able to come to the UK at this stage in their careers. The same thing with all the other takeovers we have, it’s people I’ve known from the industry for years and years, I’ve always liked their taste and what they do. It’s great to give them the freedom to show their side of country.

Do you have any hand in booking for them, or do you let them get whoever they think will fit?

We work together. We kinda go “hey, here’s your takeover, these are the slots, what are you thinking?”. They come to us with a list, we go to the, with a list, sometimes we have people we can’t fit in elsewhere. It works both ways, but for the most part they’re people we trust, we don’t get in their way too much!

Have you got some stuff in the pipeline for next year already?

Oh, we work so far ahead it’s unbelievable. Even before the lineup is complete each year we’re already having conversations about the next year and even the year after that! Conversations about next year are already happening!

Do you have a dream get for The Long Road? Anyone you’re really wanting to book over the next few years?

Yeah, absolutely. There’s always a dream list. And that list changes every week, at least! But I couldn’t tell you, because we might just get ‘em!

I imagine you’re happy to keep the festival growing, there’s more room on site for it to expand?

Yeah, part of the reason we picked the sight… it just felt right. It reminded me of the geography of back home so it looked really great. It’s easy to get to. And also because there’s room there for there to grow. We’re happy for it to grow but we want to maintain the vibe of the festival, so that’s why we’ve been doing it little by little! We really think about how it’s going to impact everything, how it fits in with what we’re doing already, how it will affect the layout and the capacity. Make sure that it all makes sense for the people who come to the festival!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Glenn Hughes, Blessthefall and More!

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A typically stacked week of New Music Mondays for us to dive into, with everything from metal to country. Let’s dive right in!

Glenn Hughes: Chosen

The former Deep Purple frontman (amongst plenty else) released his first studio solo album in nearly a decade last week. I’m always a little hit and miss when it comes to Glenn’s music, but I actually rather enjoyed this! I went in with no expectations and came out liking the album! ‘Voice in my Head’ is a great opener, while tracks like ‘Heal’, the Sabbath-y ‘The Lost Parade’ and ‘Black Cat Moon’. The riffing is the real highlight of the album but Glenn’s vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, making me not even mind them for once. It’s a really solid heavy blues album by a real legend in the genre. If you are at all into his previous stuff, or more sludgy rock in general, this is well worth checking out! I probably won’t listen to the album in full much, but the odd track will definitely be in heavy rotation moving forward! 8/10

Blessthefall: GALLOWS

Returning after a four year hiatus, the US metalcore quartet are taking no prisoners with their seventh album. It goes HARD and heavy, but also has plenty of big, melodic choruses and moments. The opener sets the pace for the album perfectly, but tracks like ‘Wake the Dead’ and ‘Y.S.A.B.’ that perfect the formula. Then there’s the three awesome guest-feature tracks. Caskets, Alpha Wolf and Story of the Year all bring different sounds to their collabs, and really help break up the album perfectly. My favourite is the insanely aggressive Alpha Wolf one, but that’s not a surprise given how much I liked their last album! Then there’s the metalcore ballad ‘Light the Flame’ that somehow fits exceptionally well around the rest of the heavier stuff. And for once we don’t have a modern US metalcore album close on a slow soppy track, ‘This Ends with Us’ going just as hard as everything else!

The whole album is just sick, honestly! I have to admit I was familiar with the bands name and style, but not particularly with their music. With their last release coming seven years ago, it was before I majorly got into the modern metal sound. So, as a first real jumping off point, this is incredible, and definitely makes me want to check out more of their older stuff! Whether you’re a newb like me or a long-time fan, this album is worth checking out if you are at all into the heavier end of metal! 8.5/10

Lanie Gardner: Faded Polaroids

The sophomore EP from the pop country/Americana singer-songwriter has been a rather anticipated release for us here at Overtone! We checked out her debut album less than a year ago and had a great time with it. She also put out an EP back in only June that somehow topped it again. While said EP is integrated into this release, they are far from the only highlights of the release. Don’t get me wrong, ‘Takin’ The Slow Ride’ is still my favourite track she’s put out, but there are tonnes of highlights on this. Whether it’s other EP highlights like ‘Boys like You’ or ‘Buzzkill’ to new songs like ‘Boot Down’ or ‘Rattle and the Devil’s Whip’, there’s plenty to fall in love with here! It’s a modern sound, drawing comparisons to everything from Megan Moroney to Alana Springsteen to Lindsay Ell. Hell, the girls in country are killing it right now, and Lanie is quickly working her way up to join those other names! Her vocals are fantastic, and it’s clear she has a big hand in writing it as you can heat her emotion throughout!

Shockingly, the length barely bothered me here, too. Every song is excellent, and there wasn’t one I’d think of cutting, damn impressive on an 18-track album! It does loose a bit of momentum somewhere in the middle, but is broken up rather well with a couple of higher energy tracks. In yet another year jam-packed with awesome country releases, this is a definite standout. She is somehow getting better and better with each release, and I can’t give this any less than 9/10!

Tallah: Primeval: Obsession // Detatchment

The third studio album from the new-nu-metalers has a lot of hype to live up to! I loved their last release, as well as their debut, and feel they are one of the most underrated bands in metal today.

It’s certainly another interesting release! They seem to have gone even more quirky and proggy than their previous stuff, lean more into Mr Bungle Tool or (unsurprisingly) Dream Theater at times. Heck, there’s even just a touch of Alien Ant Farm at times, though that may be more Justin’s vocal delivery. Speaking of Justin, another INCREDIBLE vocal performance from front to back, being easily one of the best vocalists in the business today. However, that shouldn’t take away from the rest of the band, as they are working their asses off throughout. From some awesome riffing to expectedly excellent drumming to some awesome extra bits in record scratching and strings, it’s all incredible and fits so well.

As for the songs themselves, they’re fucking awesome. Whether it’s the opener, the Tooly ‘A primeval obsession’ into the perfect double-up of ‘_la|cuna_’ into ‘A primeval detatchment’, and then the final three full tracks being amazing heaviness, there is so much to love. And heck, any of the tracks I haven’t mentioned are also fantastic. 42 minutes goes by in a flash, and the release is a surprisingly easy listen throughout. I honestly thought at the start this would be a bit of a grower, and it still may be, but by the end of the first listen I already love it. None do it quite like Tallah, blending together so many different late 90s/early 2000s sounds but making them wholly unique to them, and it’s an album I’d recommend any metalhead out there listen to! Another 9/10

Fury: Interceptor

The fifth studio album from the hard rock/heavy metal Brits finally dropped to much hype on Friday, and honestly it deserved every bit of it! It feels a little lighter and blusier overall than their other stuff, but I think it may work in their favour. The band are all such talented musicians and their songwriting prowess is on full display throughout this release to match it. It’s also almost impossible to pick highlights, as the whole thing is awesome! It’s like the perfect combination of Metallica, Iron Maiden, H.E.A.T. and even a healthy hint of Battle Beast. Heck, then you have the almost country/Southern metal ‘Walk Away’, and there is plenty of variety throughout! The band have been building momentum for years now, yet still remain somehow one of the most underrated acts around. I have already spun this a couple of times through this weekend, and have no intention of slowing down any time soon! If you are at all into rock or metal, I cannot recommend this enough! 9.5/10

La Dispute: No One Was Driving the Car

The first album from the emo/post-hardcore band in six years, it’s clear they haven’t lost that special something that brought them to the dance. From the fantastic lyrics to Jordan Dreyer’s emotion-filled delivery to some awesome guitar work and proggy arrangements, this is definitely a La Dispute album. And hell, it’s a good one, at that! Anyone who’s checked them out prior knows that they are an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone, but their fans will surely love this just like I do. Don’t get me wrong, it’s long, even I was tapping out at times during its 75-minute runtime, especially when a lot of it is similar. However, the poetry of the lyrics and the constant shift in focus between the different vocal styles and big riffs kept me hooked over and over again. Tracks like the opener, ‘The Field’, the title track to the wonderfully prog epic ‘Environmental Catastrophe Film’, there are plenty of highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track on this thing! Don’t get me wrong, I do sometimes get the odd hint of a Kyle Gordon vibe at times, but if anything it just adds to the enjoyment!

If you are at all curious, check this out, you may like it as much as I did! While I wouldn’t recommend maybe if you’re full-on depressed/struggling, just turning this on in a dark room with some headphones on and really getting lost in it and feel it is quite the experience. A very solid 8.5/10 from us!

Liam St. John: Man of the North

The debut studio album from the blues-rock/Americana man and his band dropped last Friday, and is utterly fantastic! I somehow wasn’t familiar with him until I checked him out ahead of Long Road this year, and after seeing him I was pretty hyped for this album. It lives up to said hype in a great way, being a bourbon-and-sex drenched nearly-hour of blues-Americana. It’s a style that is already right up my street, and St. John performs it to near perfection! Taking clear inspiration from the modern titans in the genre like Gary Clark Jr, Jack White or even early Highly Suspect, while giving it his own twist and sound thanks to his Nashville roots. From the likes of ‘forefathers’ and ‘Off the Rails’ to ‘Everything I Had’ and ‘Landslide Over the Highway’, there are so many massive highlights. But, once again, there really isn’t a bad track on here! It’s a big collection, but definitely worth a full listen at least once if you get the chance!

My only ever so slight note is that ‘If I Were my Father’ was a rather subdued opener and a bit of an odd choice; something more up-beat may have made it even better! Still, hardly a big complaint, as the album is still incredible! If you’re into any of the styles or bands mentioned above, I cannot recommend this alvum enough! I’ll definitely be spinning this a fair bit in the weeks and months to come, and it gets a very easy 9/10 from us!

Leonie Jakobi: What Are the People Gonna Say?

The debut album from the German singer-songwriter rocker is honestly a fantastic release! It’s got a great up-beat, old-school punk-pop vibe that is sure to get you up and dancing! From the opener to the beautiful ‘What Happened to Us’, the rockin’ ‘Don’t Mind Me’ and ‘I Deserve to Shine’, there are plenty of massive highlights throughout. However, there isn’t bad track throughout! It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to this, and it went by in a flash. She’s building a solid hype around her with her touring the last couple of years, and this album will surely help that to push her to new heights! Her vocals are incredible, emphasised perfectly by the great mix throughout, and it all adds even more weight to the already fantastic lyric writing. If you like the lighter side of rock, this is definitely one for you! 8/10

FM: Brotherhood

The British hard/AOR rockers returned with their fifteenth album this last Friday. Honestly, I’ve never been hugely into the band in the past, but I did enjoy listening to them! Maybe it’s more live that I’m not hugely into them, because I had a blast with this from front to back! How I missed their last two albums is beyond me too, will definitely have to revisit Old Habits and Thirteen if they sound close to this. The first four tracks are AOR perfection, while songs like ‘Don’t Call it Love’ and ‘Because of You’ are also massive highlights. Yes, it is all a little samey, so 52-minutes is maybe a little overkill, but it’d be hard to cut any of the tracks as they’re all damn good! I’ve definitely become more of a fan of the band, and will be listening to this again pretty regularly for the rest of the year. It’s another feel-good release, and if you’re into more softer rock, check this out ASAP. Another very solid 9/10 in a great week!

Syncolima: Move Mountains

The third album from the British stoner metal band is maybe the best they’ve ever released! The band’s talent was never in question, but is once again on full display throughout this whole 40-minutes. They feel like they’ve really come into their own here, confidently blasting out amazing riffs and some great vocal hooks over and over. Tracks like ‘Mistakes Were Made’, the title track and the perfectly titled ‘Kill All the Billionares’ are all personal highlights, but the whole album is awesome! Plus, the production is top notch, definitely a step up from their other stuff. It’s not wonder the band are gathering some serious momentum, and this release will surely only add to that! 8/10

Swollen Teeth: Ask Nothing

The debut album from the masked metal collective is dark, heavy and quirky, all in equal measure. It’s definitely got the nu metal and brutality of early Slipknot, but a bit more of hardcore punk edge to it too, almost Turnstille-esque. Tracks like ‘Money and Greed’, the ‘Purity’-like ‘Foster’ and the hardcore ‘Ask’ are all personal highlights, but every track on here is a bit of a banger! They’re just so interesting, fitting right in alongside Tallah above as an exciting new twist on nu-ish metal. It’s an incredible release from a band that are already making waves, and it immediately makes me want to hear more of what is to come. Check this out if you are at all into this side of metal. 8.5/10, good stuff!

Jonah Kagen: Sunflowers and Leather

Somehow a massive name in country/folk that I hadn’t heard of until this weekend, Jonah has instantly made me a new fan of his work! Straight off the bat, yes, it’s another nearly hour-long, 16-track release, and it certainly has times where it drags. However, his vocals are captivating, especially when the harmonies come in behind, and his lyric writing is truly phenomenal. It’s like a combination of Evan Honer, James Bay and Mumford and Sons, it’s awesome! The one-two-punch of the opener into the title track is incredible, as are tracks like ‘Black Lung’, ‘The Reeper’ and ‘Burn Me’. He’s done a fantastic job of picking the albums singles and, while there are some slight lulls, these six tracks and others more than make up for that.

He fits in rather perfectly in with the currently indie-Americana rising scene alongside the likes of Wyatt Flores or Crowe Boys, but also very much does things his own way. This is fucking amazing, and well worth checking out regardless of what you are into. He has a huge new fan in me, and it’s yet another big 9/10! Heck, it may even get higher with more listens, too!