Kellie

Once again, I am very overwhelmed that Southern Halo made up of sisters - Natalia, Hannah and Christina Morris have agreed to this interview with me about their 2018 and what a jam packed year it has been for them. Phot Credit: Tony Bongiovi LaBeet Hey girls. Thank you for agreeing to this interview with me about your 2018. You girls started the year off by releasing your debut album Just Like in the Movies back in April, could you please tell me a little back your experience of that and what was the reaction like from your fans? We have had such a great time touring all over the United States performing and visiting radio stations as soon as we released our second album. We are so thankful for all of the positive support that we have received with each single release! There isn’t anything we love more than being able to share music with our fans and getting to experience new places! I have to ask of all the songs on the album which is yo...

This week's interview comes from singer-songwriter,  Katy Hurt who has had a fabulous 2018 with releasing new music, exploring the world and performing in many wonderful places. Hello Katy. Thank you for agreeing to this interview with me about your 2018. Hey. Of course, thanks for all the support this year! You started the year off by going to the Abbey Road Studios to perform with some of your friends, what was that like?  That was such a fun day! I was there to be a part of Sonia Leigh's live album, and it was not only us and the band but she invited all the musicians who we had worked with whilst on tour with her throughout the months leading up to it, so it was like a big musical reunion. In March, you played at C2C once again - what was that like for you? C2C is always one of the highlights of my year, especially because underneath everything else I am still just a huge fan of country music. So in-between all our own shows I was runn...

I am very excited that I am bringing you our first exclusive in the form of Emily Faye's Me For Me music video which is an incredibly special track for me from Emily. The video for Me For Me is a home video movie which Emily put together herself with actual footage from her cousin's wedding the main inspiration for this song which was filmed by Gerard De Bruin. The wedding gives us a little insight into what Me For Me is all about, and be sure to keep watching for the little twist at the end! HERE IS THE VIDEO LINK FOR ME FOR ME HERE Emily recently told me about the background of Me For Me "During a songwriting challenge I undertook in January of 2017 where I wrote a verse and chorus every day for the whole month of January, I challenged myself to write a song using the same guitar parts all the way through, and to differentiate between the sections of the song by changing only the melody. This particular song is the only one of the 31 day challenge tha...

I may not have been sent this song but you know when you love a song so much I thought I have too and Emily Ann Roberts' Your Christmas Eve is one of those songs. Emily Ann wrote Your Christmas Eve with Leslie Stacher and Will Robinson. Your Christmas Eve has a beautiful piano instrumental which is just stunning throughout which quickly joined by Emily's crisp and soft vocals which I absolutely adore and it sets the tone for the whole song. All three verses of Your Christmas Eve feature some stunning lyrics with the first verse setting the song of beautifully about the importance of Christmas and spending time with your loved one. I also love the fact that Emily sings about expecting snow at Christmas along with the magical things you associate with Christmas which I absolute love. The chorus of Your Christmas Eve features some incredibly stunning lyrics that are catchy and get you thinking. Emily Ann's vocal ability is incredibl...

Vocal powerhouse,  Danielle Bradbery  is joined by Thomas Rhett on the shores of Rosemary Beach, FL in the official music video for their Goodbye Summer collaboration, bringing to life the song’s bittersweet story of short-lived romance with a seaside video directed by Shaun Silva. Watch Goodbye Summer   video here . “It has been amazing to see the storyline of Goodbye Summer played out,” reflects Danielle. “The video shares the emotions that come with a summer love. Shaun Silva had such a beautiful vision for this video and really brought it to life. It was a lot of fun to have Thomas Rhett join me for the shoot in one of my favorite places, 30A.” Described by Taste of Country as a “pop-infused song tinged with heartbreak [which] paints a romantic picture of the ups and downs of love that comes with an expiration date” and by Rolling Stone as a “wistful” story of “an intense, fleeting relationship that evaporates like a mirage...

This Friday (16th November) will see British singer-songwriter,  Jade Helliwell is set to release her brand new single, Drive and here are my thoughts on the single. Drive is a song with a soft instrumental which works amazingly with Jade's softer vocals. You can hear from Jade's vocal tone that Drive is based on a personal experience because of the vulnerability you can hear in from her voice at times which is moving to see. The chorus features some wonderful lyrics and you can really picture what Jade is singing and it allows you decide for yourself! And I often caught myself trying to singing along which is just amazing especially with such a wonderfully catchy song like this. The three verses are just amazing and tell such a lovely story that it so upbeat and positive and songs like this are magical. I love the bridge because it breaks the song up and you can have a little clap along or even a little dance if you wish. This song will definitely be going on repeat on...

On Sunday (28th October), I saw Cassadee Pope perform at The Borderline as part of London's Country Music Week and what a set it was. It was the first time I've seen Cassadee live having supporting her for so long and it was well worth the wait as Cassadee is one incredibly special artist. Cassadee was the final artist of Country Music Week’s Daytime Hubs of 2018 and what a finale it was - I was actually memorised by her! Cassadee opened her 30 minute set with a fan favourite and one that got a massive cheer from the audience  I Wish I Could Break Your Heart which had everyone singing along with right from the start leaving the audience memorised by her stunning vocal and guitar playing skills. Cassadee sounded amazing and it blew me away having waited so long to see her. The second song on Cassadee’s set was Take You Home which showcased her amazing guitar playing skills. Take You Home was one song that had the audience singing along with every single ...

On Sunday (28th October), I saw Fairground Saints perform at The Borderline as part of London's Country Music Week which was their debut UK performance and what a wonderful debut set it was for this trio which is made up of Elijah Edwards, Meg McAllister, and Mason Van Valin who are a California-bred band signed to Sony Music Nashville. The first song from Fairground Saints debut UK debut was a new song from them called  Mary which was amazing and had the audience gripped from the moment that they stepped out and I don't think anyone in the audience expected this. California was one song that I loved from the moment that Megan opened with her wonderful vocals she can definitely hold herself, the moment that Elijah and Mason joined I was blown away there is something about this trio. I liked the fact that you could instantly feel the connection to the lyrics they were singing. The smile on their faces during this performance said a lot about how happy they are to ...

I wasn't going to do a blog on tonight's special four-handler Coronation Street episode but how could I not with the emotion of that episode with Sinead Tinker and Daniel Osborne talking about everything and what's next for the pair after Sinead's Cervical Cancer diagnosis was revealed in the first episode of the evening. Tonight's special episode was written by Chris Fewtrell who I have nothing by praise for with an incredibly moving script writing/ dialogue and there was something so magical about the camera angles and skill from Mickey Jones. The opening scene of the episode was when Daniel entered Sinead's hospital room after having been told about her devastating cancer news  this scene absolutely broke by heart and there was something about the silence and powerful for the hug at the start leading to Daniel asking all the why questions  which made me swell up because Sinead was only doing what she thought was right and asking Ken B...

On Saturday (27th October), I saw US singer-songwriter,  Sarah Darling  who performed at The Borderline as part of London's Country Music Week's Daytime Hub. What a fabulous set it was! I am also amazed by Sarah's set. Photo by Me Sarah opened her set by saying that she will be playing a few songs which I was personally very excited about and she kicked her set of with Call Me which is amazing song with very relatable lyrics. I felt myself listening to every word of this song and I adored the fact that the audience were amazed by her on the first song. Call me also demonstrated her musical growth from the past few years which makes me excited for her new album to be released on March 1st, 2019. Fire is another brand new song which Sarah sang and I have to admit at the start was a little confused but by the chorus Sarah had totally changed my mind. Fire showed off her amazing vocal tone right from the start and their is no one...

Earlier this afternoon (Saturday 27th October), I had the opportunity to see US singer-songwriter, Lainey Wilson perform at The Borderline as part of London's Country Music Week's Daytime Hub sessions. And my god what wonderful second performance it was for Lainey in London. Photo By Me Lainey opened her set with a song which is on her debut EP called Working Overtime which featured Lainey showing off her amazing guitar playing skills which was just incredible along with the way that Lainey interacted with us fans. Lainey then spoke to the audience introducing herself which was just lovely! What an amazing artist she is - one of my ones to watch in 2019!! Lainey then sang another one of her songs called Rolling Stone which is another amazing song and there is something so special about Lainey! Lainey has an a wonderful song writing ability which was demonstrated within this song. Lainey then spoke to the audience about the next track sh...

Tomorrow (Friday 26th October) will see Channel Islands based Jersey girl, Frankie Davies release her debut album, Wherever I Go. Wherever I Go is made up of 11 songs. Having been a fan of Frankie since I saw her at Jersey Live, I am thrilled that she is finally releasing an album, it's been a long time coming! High On Love has a very funky and happy vibe from the start. The simple instrumental backing is so cleverly used and makes me smile from the start of the song to the very end. The lyrics are super catchy throughout and with the tone in Frankie's vocal gives them so much life. The chorus features some wonderful lyrics and compliments the verses lyrical amazingly. The verses are very fun and there is something so magical about Frankie's lyrical ability. You can definitely hear that this song represents Frankie as a person and I adore this! I love that Frankie decided to film the video for High On Love in one of my favourite places in her hometown of Jersey...

I recently had the fantastic opportunity of getting to interview US singer-songwriter,  Danielle Bradbery about her latest single and her up and coming London date with Thomas Rhett. Hello Danielle. Thank you for agreeing to this interview with me. How are you? I’m great! That's wonderful to hear, Danielle. Going back to March when you performed for the first time in the UK, h ow was it performing at C2C? It was amazing.   I was so surprised when the fans started singing my lyrics back to me.   They even knew songs that weren’t singles! It was a magical experience, I have to admit. The atmosphere was one of my favourites from the whole festival weekend. Because for me it was such an incredible experience seeing you perform (twice in one day in fact) having been a fan from your The Voice days and it's amazing to see how far you have come. Thank you! You performed songs from your album, I Don't Believe We've Met Yet wh...

Today (Friday 19th October) will see US singer-songwriter duo,  Maddie & Tae  release their latest single, Die From A Broken Heart. Die From A Broken Heart starts with beautiful and soft instrumental which stays throughout giving the song such a different feel from what we would except giving us an insight into the different sides of Maddie and Tae as artists and how much they have grown throughout the years! The chorus of Die From A Broken Heart features some rather heartfelt, very meaningful lyrics which I instantly connected with and it blew me away! I also loved how catchy the chorus is. The three verses are very heartfelt and show us a wonderful vulnerability which is just incredible to see. These ladies definitely have a wonderful future ahead of them. The first verse opens Die From A Broken Heart off wonderful and I love how honest Maddie and Tae are straight off. Maddie and Tae have once again shown us w...

Last night (17th October), I had the privilege of seeing Royal South made up of 3 wonderful singers - Sara Beth, Glen Mitchell and Vickie Vaughn. Royal South played The Stables in Milton Keynes and what a wonderful venue it is! (The songs are not in order) Royal South started their set of with the single they are set to release on Friday 18th January 2019 Cry, Cry which started the set of amazingly and their harmonies were perfectly stunning. I loved how wonderful Sara Beth, Glen and Vickie sounded as a trio and that we were definitely in for a treat that weekend. Rearview was a new song to me last night and I completely adored it and I loved the audience participation from the start with their clapping which made the song even more magical. Seeing Sara Beth, Vickie and Glen's faces as we continued the clapping was magical - the facial expressions said it all. I loved the vibes throughout this song very magical. Song About You was a song that showed of Sa...

This Friday (19th October) will see Liv Austen release her debut album, A Moment Of Your Time. A Moment Of Your Time is made up of 12 songs which Liv has written/ co-written all expect one which shows us what an amazing singer/ songwriter she is. 'There is something rather special and unique about Liv and this album.' Miss Nobody is the perfect song to open Liv's debut album with, with it's funky upbeat instrumental with Liv's softer vocal tone with a lot of meaning. The lyrics which Liv has chosen for this song are very personally and based on a past experience. The chorus is very funky and catchy that you can't help but sing a lot with. Adore the fact that Liv is determined to bring the fun out within this song which I am very excited for people to hear this song and hear Liv's meaningful side. I can't help but also think that this song will relate with so many people. Miss Nobody was co-written with Jessica Sharman. The Next Time is one o...

Earlier this afternoon (13th October), I got the chance to once again visit The Emmerdale Studio Experience with one of good friends who I have met within the Robron fandom to have a look at their fantastic Aaron and Robert wedding costume memorabilia from their on-screen wedding which happened last Friday (5th October) and what a wonderful opportunity it was. No matter how many times I go on The Emmerdale Studio Experience tour I love it and I learn so much more about my favourite show! With them deciding to add the costume of one of the soap's much loved characters you could see from our tour alone how many were purely there for the Robert and Aaron costumes. Haven't been a fan of Robron and their relationship right from the start nearly 4 years ago with that kiss in that country lane, to now being where they are MARRIED (still can't believe I am writing this) I can't quiet believe that I actually got the opportunity to see their wedding costum...

Sara Beth is one artist that I am very excited about interviewing and I have finally been able to do it. I have seen Sara Beth perform twice before and I am in awe of her talent. I hope you enjoy of chat my chat with Sara Beth about what we can expect about her UK tour with Glen Mitchell and Vickie Vaughn. Hello Sara Beth. Thank you for agreeing to this interview with me. You have 11 tour dates in the UK, are you glad to be coming back? What made you decide on the venues? We are SO excited to be coming back! The UK has become like a second home. We’ve made not only fans, but friends who speak to on a regular basis. We look forward to these tours every year.  I only wish we could do more cities! With you having a UK tour coming up in October with Glen Mitchell and Vickie Vaughn as a trio, how excited are you about this? This project has been in the works for over a year now. Our first meeting with our producer was in late spring of 2017. To finally have finish...

This Friday (12th October) sees Australian singer-songwriter, Morgan Evans release his second studio album Things That We Drink To and I was kindly given the opportunity to review it. Things That We Drink To is being released via Warner Music Nashville. Things That We Drink To is made up of 11 songs. Photo credit Joseph Llanes I love the fact that Morgan's worn his heart on his sleeve when his written this album. American has such a wonderful funky instrumental solo at the start before Morgan's wonderful vocals join in. The lyrics within the chorus are very catchy and very country which I just love. I love the story behind Morgan's song American from the lyrics its all about her journey growing up and falling in love with Kelsea who happens to be American. I can't help but sing along from the start to finish. Morgan's vocal tone is perfect and his ability shines throughout. Kiss Somebody is another one of my favourite songs and I love the meaning o...