Posts

Showing posts from March, 2021

SINGLE REVIEW - JADE HELLIWELL - IF I WERE YOU

This Friday (2nd April) will see British singer-songwriter,  Jade Helliwell  release her brand new single, If I Were You. If I Were You was written by Laura Oakes, Livy Jeanne, and Joe Fox. If I Were You  has a guitar instrumental which gives a this real insight into the song before any lyrics are sung. The first verse sees Jade's soft vulnerable vocal at the forefront of the single which sees Jade's connecting a lot based on a personal experience to the lyrics which she is singing, that allows the opportunity for listeners to hear this real honest lyrical delivery - this is something I admire from any artist! The chorus of  If I Were You features Jade's classic style, and one I just adore every single time I hear it. There is something so magical about Jade's style within chorus that make me just want to get up, and sing along with her. I love Jade's perspective of If I Were You allowing many listeners the opportunity to hear the many wonderful sides of who Jade is

EP REVIEW - KELSEY BOVEY - XOXO

Image
This Friday (2nd April) will see British singer-songwriter,  Kelsey Bovey  release her brand new EP, XOXO. XOXO is made up of 3 tracks. When speaking about the record, Kelsey states:  “I wanted the music in this record to be a complete extension of who I am as a person. I wanted to incorporate the worst and best parts of my teenage years into 4 songs that I knew I could communicate to an audience because they were autobiographical in nature. I’m so grateful to all the people who continue to support what I do, and I really hope they enjoy these songs which truly represent who I am and what I’m about”. You can read my interview with Kelsey here . Photo Credit: Kelsey Bovey Another Word  has a very slow, and steady instrumental something that got me thinking right from the start about all the possibilities that the song could be about reminding me very much of a Gabby Barrett style song. The first verse sees Kelsey's soft vocal at the forefront allowing the lyrics a stand out moment a

NEXT WEEK ON HOLLYOAKS - A SPECIAL DON'T FILTER FEELINGS EPISODE

During next week's visits to Chester, Hollyoaks viewers will see a special Don't Filter Feelings episode. Don't Filter Feelings is an ongoing campaign which focuses on a range of issue led storylines - this is something many viewers find brings emotional viewing. During the special episode focusing on mental health of some of their residents as they reveal their vulnerable sides as they are forced to confront their pasts leading to some revealing scenes. Cleo McQueen will be seen to be facing up to her step father, Pete Buchanan after a two and a half year absence, after everything that happened to her during her childhood - but what will come out of their chat? Luke Morgan will re-live his teenage issue which leads to fears about his dementia as he tries to persuade his son, Ollie to get the help he needs and go to rehab - but will Luke's words to his so make a difference? Cindy Cunningham will have a heart-to-heart with her step-sister, Mandy Richardson who opens up a

SINGLE REVIEW - MADDIE AND TAE - WOMAN YOU GOT

Today   (Friday 26th March) will see US duo and singer-songwriter,  Maddie and Tae  release their brand new single, Woman You Got. (I love it when you listen to a song for the first time, and instantly want to review it - this is one of those songs.) Woman You Got  starts with an upbeat instrumental which allows the listeners of the song to get a feel for what the song is about before any words have been sung - moments like this are just wonderful. The first verse sees Maddie's vocal starting the song off wonderfully which were this emotional connection with the lyrics. However, towards the end of the verse I caught myself being able to relate with so many of the lyrics that I thought this song is so about me! The chorus throughout Woman You Got are beautifully catchy that I can't help but want to sing along too, despite not knowing the lyrics (I have a feeling, I won't be alone). Maddie and Tae's lyrical ability together is wonderful, and they give each other this fabu

SINGLE REVIEW - EMMA & JOLIE - HOW DO I CHOOSE

Image
Today (Friday 26th March) will see British singer-songwriting duo,  Emma & Jolie  release their brand new single, How Do I Choose. How Do I Choose is their first release of 2021. Artwork Credit: Emily Hackett How Do I Choose   has a guitar instrumental to start which sets the tone of the song off wonderfully. The first verse sees Emma's vocal starting the song off with a pure, and sweetly pure tone that draws you in with the real raw passion for the songs lyrics alongside hearing this incredibly beautiful story within the lyrics. The attention to detail within this song is something I have to praise at this point because I love it. The chorus features Emma and Jolie's wonderfully balanced harmonies which I have to say are stunning, and compliment each other fantastically, whilst also remaining so truthful to who they are as artists. I love how the chorus blends every single verse together wonderfully, and in the most wonderful way every single time. The second verse of How

SINGLE REVIEW - LAUREN HALL - AIN'T GONNA LIE

Image
This Friday (26th March) will see up and coming US singer-songwriter,  Lauren Hall  release her latest single, Ain't Gonna Lie. Photo Taken by Ricky Hartzog Graphics by Port City Media Co Ain't Gonna Lie  has an upbeat guitar instrumental which sets the tone of the song up properly. The first verse of Ain't Gonna Lie sees Lauren's soft crisp vocals at the forefront allowing the song-writing from Lauren to shine through giving the lyrics the opportunity to hear another side of who Lauren is as an artist something that I absolutely I loved it! The chorus features some of the most incredibly beautifully, and honest lyrics allowing the listeners of this single moments to feel like 'yeah, I've felt like that.' songs that allow personal reflection for me are something that makes for beautiful listening. The second verse of Ain't Gonna Lie continues with Lauren's smooth vocal with the most honest lyrics, and how talking to the one you love is something that

MY FAVOURITE HOLLYOAKS CHARACTERS OVER THE YEARS

This is one blog post, I have also wanted to share but never was 100% sure whether too or not, but this weekend I thought why not! I shared an Emmerdale one like this 3 years ago, so I thought why not sure one on Hollyoaks. I have been watching Hollyoaks since I was a little girl, and I have always loved this show so I thought I would share with you my favourite characters from over the years.  I tried to create a Top 10 but instead I have a Top 13. Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies)  is my favourite ever character on the show because the moment she arrived on our screens in 2005 I thought there was something so wonderful about the character as she started off this shy girl that I thought be one of those characters that they would give a 'big' storyline too. Amy's teenage pregnancy in 2006/ 2007 with her daughter, Leah was a storyline that I remember being gripped by thanks to all the twists and turns that came after she had her daughter. The scene that sticks with me was t

SINGLE REVIEW - ELERI ANGHARAD - DELETE IT

Image
Today (Friday 19th March) will see  Swansea based artist singer-songwriter,  Eleri Angharad  release her latest single, Delete It. Delete It was co-written with Beth Keeping. Photography: Lauren Pitson Cover Art: Eleri Angharad Delete It  has a soft sounding instrumental to start which sets the song up wonderfully. The first verse sees Eleri's crisp vocal at the forefront of which sets the tone of the song beautifully as it allows the lyrics there moment to shine which in turn sees another side of Eleri's vocal range. The lyrics throughout Delete It are ones some people will be able to relate too, over the social media side with talking to their partners, and all the mixed messages you can get from the conversations. The attention to detail on this song is brilliant especially leading into the chorus. The chorus features some catchy relatable lyrics that I have to admit, I really enjoy listening too. Eleri's dreamy vocals compliment the song-writing wonderfully. The chorus

SINGLE REVIEW - SYKAMORE - GO EASY ON ME

Tomorrow (Friday 19th March) will see Canadian country singer-songwriter,  Sykamore  release her latest single, Go Easy On Me. Go Easy On Me  has an upbeat guitar instrumental to start that sets the tone for the song wonderfully, I really enjoyed the drumming instrumental as the song progresses. The first verse sees Sykamore's crisp vocal at the forefront which allows Sykamore's beautiful vocal range the opportunity to showcase the wonderful lyrics throughout adding this fantastic layer. The storytelling within the songwriting is something that really had me hooked, whilst also at the same time had me wanting to know more about the situation. Sykamore vocal range is incredible throughout Go Easy On Me. The chorus features many wonderfully catchy lyrics that had me wanting to sing along despite not 100% knowing the lyrics, which for me is something I find really special as these kind of sings have me feeling like I can relate to them. The more I heard the chorus the more, I was

SINGLE REVIEW - KAYLEE BELL - THAT SUMMER

Image
Tomorrow (Friday 19th March) will see New Zealand born singer-songwriter,  Kaylee Bell  release her latest single, That Summer. That Summer is a release with US friend, Josh Mirenda. That Summer was written by Kaylee, Taylor Acorn, Andrew Pacheco, Lepani, and Simon Oscroft. Photo taken by me at C2C 2019 That Summer  has a wonderfully soft, and summery sounding instrumental which blends perfectly with the title of the song. The first verse of That Summer sees Kaylee's softer crisp vocal range at the forefront which in turn allows the lyrics to shine through allowing a beautiful love story to come across as it does throughout all three verses. The attention to detail within the song-writing from Kaylee is magical. I love the summery vibes, and the heartfelt lyrics that I couldn't help but sing along with. The chorus has an up-tempo sound that sees Kaylee's emotional vocal at the centre as it sees another side of who she is as an artist - the perfect blend if you ask me! The l

DEBUT ALBUM REVIEW - MORGAN WADE - RECKLESS

This Friday (19th March) will see U.S. singer-songwriter,  Morgan Wade  who is Virginia based release her debut album, Reckless. Reckless is made up of 10 songs. Reckless is released via Thirty Tigers. Wilder Days  has a guitar instrumental which the sets the tone of this song, and debut album from Morgan wonderfully. The first verse sees Morgan's rockier vocal at the forefront of Wilder Days which sets the tone of the song wonderfully allowing the listeners to get a real feel for who Morgan is as an artist. The lyrics are off a softer tone that gives the song so many amazing moments. The chorus of Wilder Days features many of the songs standout lyrics, and it always catches me thinking about my childhood and all those moments you did those things with your friends when you were young, and careless which is something that makes me appreciate the lyrics a little more. The second verse of Wilder Days continues as the moment of the relationship changes, and those moments that you can&

C2C FESTIVAL VIRTUAL HIGHLIGHTS

With Country 2 Country being cancelled once again, it was wonderful to see BBC Radio 2, Country Music Association, and C2C festival themselves putting on a whole weekend celebrating this wonderful genre of music that many of us know, and love! The 4 day virtual festival started on Thursday Evening at 9pm on BBC Radio 2 in Bob Harris OBE time slot - Ashley McBryde, Shy Carter, Brett Young, and Cam all took part in a mini songwriters round coming to us from Nashville. What a wonderful show this was hearing all 4 of the artists perform a few of their own songs - I caught myself falling in love with Brett Young's music all over again, whilst discovering that Shy Carter had actually co-wrote on two of my favourite songs in Kane Brown's Heaven, and Charlie Puth's One Call Away what a voice, Shy has! Shy is one artist, I can't wait to see live when he comes to the UK one day. Cam, and Ashley McBryde amaze me even more every single time, I got the opportunity to hear them live

INTERVIEW WITH ONE TRICK PONY ABOUT THEIR LATEST SINGLE

Image
Today (12th March) sees British Emerging singing-songwriting duo,  One Trick Pony  made up of Georgia Lennon, and Michael Pickering   release their latest single, Old School which is their first single of 2021. Old School  was written by Georgia and Michael but produced by Tim Prottey-Jones. You can read my review of  Old School  here . Photography: The Headshot Box Artwork: One Trick Pony Good Morning, Georgia, and Michael.  How are you today? Hi Kellie, we're great thank you! Excited to talk to you today about our 'Old School' release and upcoming plans. I am very excited to be talking to you, too.  Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview with me. Thank you for having us! The last time, we spoke was as you were releasing your debut double release in December, how has that been for you? Have the UK Country Music scene accepted your music? Honestly, I think we were shocked and surprised at how much the UK Country Music scene completely embraced us and our music. Th

WHY EMMERDALE'S GABBY AND KIM MOMENT WAS NEEDED!

As you all know I am big fan of Emmerdale, and I will always give credit to the soaps that give the characters such unique, and interesting storylines. This week has been no different with Gabby Thomas. This week's Emmerdale episodes started with Gabby Thomas confronting Jamie Tate, the father of her unborn baby about him, and Dawn Taylor who was up at Home Farm collecting some papers which we all know was just a plot to get to see him. Jamie and Dawn then admitted their feelings for one another that Gabby ended up overhearing as she returned to Home Farm hearing everything! With Jamie then looking for Gabby who was in the kitchen in pain fearing for her unborn baby, she collapsed as Jamie just stood there which had me feeling really annoyed (I know it was filmed socially distanced but really?) Then in Tuesday evenings episode, viewers saw Gabby Thomas in her hospital bed where Kim Tate arrived (you could definitely hear the famous shoes before we saw Kim on TV) which saw the pair

SINGLE REVIEW - HARLEYMOON KEMP - LOVE ON THE RADIO

Tomorrow (Friday 12th March) will see British singer-songwriter,  Harleymoon Kemp  release her latest single, Love On The Radio. Love On The Radio  sees Harleymoon open the track with her soulful vocal which sets the tone of the song wonderfully giving this real soulful sound that I can't help but adore listening hearing with the guitar instrumental backing. The first verse of Love On The Radio sees Harleymoon's song-writing come through in the most beautifully detailed way that got me many times lost in the meaning of the song thanks to it's beautifully timed lyrics. The chorus has a wonderful 90's/ 00's country feel blended with the most recent country feels too, which had me very excited from the moment the instrumental kicked in - reminding me very much of Shania Twain. I caught myself getting lost in this song, and I have a feeling when many of you will too! The up tempo of this part in the song is perfectly timed for every single part of the song - incredible!

SINGLE REVIEW - ONE TRICK PONY - OLD SCHOOL

Image
This Friday (12th March) will see  British Emerging singing-songwriting duo,  One Trick Pony  made up of Georgia Lennon, and Michael Pickering   as they release their third single, Old School which is their first single of 2021, following their double release of their Christmas track, and debut single, You're That Face.  Old School  was written by Georgia and Michael but produced by Tim Prottey-Jones. You can read my interview with Georgia, and Michael here . Photography: The Headshot Box Artwork: One Trick Pony Old School  has a very quirky, and upbeat instrumental that also features a warm country feel. The first verse sees Georgia/ Michael's opening the song together with their wonderful vocals allowing their happy personalities shine through. There is this warm, and crisp country feel to the song which I couldn't help but find myself dancing too as I was listening. This song would be perfect for a C2C dance at the end of a wonderful evening.  The chorus features some in

INTERVIEW WITH EMILIA QUINN AS WE DISCUSS HER LATEST SINGLE AS IT'S INTENTIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Image
Today (8th March) Emilia Quinn is set to release her brand latest single, Girl Talk which is released to celebrate Intentional Women's Day. Girl Talk features many different artists celebrating diversity which I recently spoke to Emilia about, and you can read our chat below. Artwork: Emilia Quinn Morning, Emilia. Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview with me about your latest single, Girl Talk . How are you today? I'm well thank you! That's always good to hear. You are releasing Girl Talk on Women's Intentional Day, how did this decision come about? To be honest, the drive to create and release a song to celebrate and empowerment womxn was the first thought before I actually wrote the song. I'd had a conversation with a friend and I has said to her, 'I'm going to write a song called Girl Talk and release it on International Women’s Day' and that kind of spurred the rest of the project on! It's still a very significant day and I wanted

SINGLE REVIEW - CHEYENNE PARMLEY - I CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM YOU

Image
This Wednesday (10th March) will see upcoming Kentucky native, Cheyenne Parmley release her brand new single, I Can't Stay Away From You. Photo Credit: Erin McCaffrey I Can't Stay Away From You  has an electric guitar instrumental. The first verse sees Cheyenne's softer vocal range at the forefront which sets the tone of the song wonderfully with lyrics that are rather catchy allowing us listeners to get a real sense of what the song is about, alongside its meaning. The chorus features Cheyenne's little higher vocal which sees another side of who Cheyenne is as an artist in turn allows for the songs natural progression with the meaning of the song being revealed. The love story that listeners hear behind the songs lyrics are something, I really love listening too. I love the proper love story which is heard at times, loving it! The second verse of I Can't Stay Away From You continues with Country pop vocal range appearing which makes for fantastic listening as the s

GABBY BARRETT SHINES AS A DOUBLE ACM NOMINEE

Image
Warner Music Nashville powerhouse, Gabby Barrett establishes herself as an artist who “has jumped to another level of stardom” (TIME) with a whirlwind week of news and accolades. Photo Credit: Robby Klein Adding two 2021 ACM Awards nominations to her stacked resume this past Friday with nods for New Female Artist of the Year and Single of the Year with I Hope - the on-fire force shows off her well-rounded talent as “the year’s top new artist” (Country Aircheck) with the honors. Building anticipation for a massive 2021, Gabby announced last month her upcoming, Live From The Goldmine EP dropping Tuesday 16th March. The seven-song concert experience was captured last summer during Gabby’s Live From The Goldmine album launch event, and serves fans with live performance tracks from her critically acclaimed debut, Goldmine. The latest release from the project, Footprints On The Moon (Live From The Goldmine) is available now stream it here . Moving into Country radio’s Top 10 this week, soph