Glen Hansard has announced a solo acoustic UK tour for April 2024 set to include two shows at Union Chapel in London. Tickets are on sale from 10am on Friday December 8th 2023

Tom Heyman will bring a slice of San Francisco to the UK in March when the US singer-songwriter visits our shores for a run of dates opening for Dan Stuart of Green On Red fame that will crisscross the country and include two London shows. Tom is promoting his recent ‘24th Street Blues’ release, an album rooted in the sounds and the people that inhabit the city he calls home. Following on from his run of shows with Dan Stuart, Tom will squeeze in a special in-the-round songwriters show with Our Man In The Field and Michele Stodart at London’s Green Note on March 24th. Tom Heyman is a seasoned performer, and ‘24th Street Blues’ is his sixth solo album while still being an in-demand guitarist and pedal steel player with many artists, including Hiss Golden Messenger and Chuck Prophet. Tour dates and much more about Tom Heyman follow:

Justin Hayward, the voice of The Moody Blues, has announced The Blue World Tour for March 2024. Justin is, once again, joined by guitarist Mike Dawes, Julie Ragins and Karmen Gould. I was lucky enough to catch the quartet on their last UK tour and thoroughly enjoyed the evening despite being a relative newbie to Justin’s work beyond the obvious hits. Please read on for more about Justin, the tour and ticketing details (Updated December 8th 2023).

Connor Selby has enjoyed a terrific 2023 and 2024 looks to be shaping up equally well. The on-the-rise blues singer and guitarist is set to open for Joanne Shaw Taylor on a run of shows through the Netherlands and the UK in February 2024. Connor continues to support his self-titled album voted a Top 10 Blues Album of the Year by Mojo Magazine. More about Connor Selby and Joanne Shaw Taylor follows:

Looking for an opportunity to blow off any lingering seasonal fatigue and get back in the rock n’ roll saddle? Buckcherry return to the UK for a run of dates kicking off tonight, January 23rd, at Thekla in Bristol. The US rockers have UK classic rock act The Treatment and, from Boston, Massachusetts, Rubikon along for the ride. Tour details and more follow:

Alex Ellis, aka Our Man In The Field, released his excellent second album ‘Gold On The Horizon’ in November 2023 to universal acclaim. RGM was lucky enough to get along to a launch show at London’s Slaughtered Lamb to coincide with the release and left highly impressed by a superb set of songs delivered beautifully by Alex and his band with unhurried, understated grace. I’m pleased to report that OMITF will be playing selected shows in January, commencing at London’s Green Note on the 14th, before embarking on a longer run of dates in February. Full tour details follow:

To mark the occasion of the reissue of three albums on vinyl for the first time, as well as 24-page CD book packaging, The Unthanks will perform a pair of one-of-a-kind concerts (two-of-a-kind?) in Gateshead on September 9th and the Barbican in London the following day. Tickets for both shows go on sale at 10 AM on Friday, April 7th, for an event no fan of the duo will want to miss. Full details of the various ticketing possibilities follow, including more about the albums, special guests etc.

Over the last few months, Jill Andrews has been drip-feeding us tracks from her upcoming ‘Modern Age’ album due August 18th On Vulture Vulture/Tone Tree Music. The latest single is the gorgeously melancholic ‘Better Life’. Lush, yet intimate, ‘Better Life’ is probably my favourite of the four singles released from the album thus far, and it had to beat some pretty stiff competition to win that accolade. One listen to the sublime blend of Jill and Becca Mancari’s vocals as the song closes is all you need. Jill will make a flying visit to the UK for The Long Road Festival in August before returning for a full tour in September. More about the single, the tour and Jill follows:

The Long Road Festival returns to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire for an event that is now an essential part of the UK summer for fans of all things Country, Roots and Americana. The first set of artists announced for August 25-27th is an impressive mix of big names, rising stars and a wide range of talented newcomers. Jon Pardi making his UK debut is a coup, while Blackberry Smoke are guaranteed to rock late into the Leicestershire night. Scratching the surface of the initial batch of artists, you will find Breland, Margo Price, Tenille Townes and Nickel Creek, highlighting the sheer range and variety of music waiting to be discovered. Tier 4 Tickets are on sale from Friday, March 3rd, so please read on for more about the festival, the artists and ticketing links.

Tenille Arts will return to the UK in August for a performance at The Long Road festival, but it gets even better for fans of Tenille and country music in general. The Canadian singer-songwriter has also squeezed in a trio of shows co-headlining with Caylee Hammack including a London show at Lafayette. Tickets for the tour will be available to purchase tomorrow (Friday, 14th July) at 10am BST here, and her full UK dates can be found below.

The 2023 edition of the Cambridge Folk Festival features a typically eclectic range of artists. If you’ve a pre-conceived idea of what constitutes “folk”, then Cambridge in late July will surely open your eyes and ears to a wide range of sounds from all parts of the globe. From stalwarts of the festival such as Kate Rusby and Eliza Carthy to progressive rap collective Arrested Development. Not convinced? How about Hollywood actor turned highly impressive singer/songwriter Kiefer Sutherland or the more home-spun silver screen success of Fisherman’s Friends. More info about the festival and the artists follows, including ticketing details:

Australian trio Sons Of The East recently kicked off a European tour in the Faroe Islands with UK dates commencing on July 18th and festival appearances to follow, including The Long Road Festival and Latitude. To coincide with the dates, an excellent new single, ‘Hard To Tell’ is available now, which is sure to please fans of their debut album ‘Palomar Parade’ (40 million streams and counting). More about Sons Of The East, the video for ‘Hard To Tell, and those all-important tour dates follow:

There are plenty of Americana/roots festivals to choose from, but Maverick Festival, returning for its sixteenth year at Easton Farm Park, Suffolk, can justifiably live up to its claim of “Getting it right since 2008”. This year’s offering is shaping up nicely with Tom Russell, Laura Cantrell, Suzie Ungerleider and The Hoth Brothers among the early announcements, alongside such returning favourites as Rich Hall, Carter Sampson, Amelia White and Jon Langford.

Jake Smith aka The White Buffalo, unveiled the most ambitious project of his career with the release of ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’ late last year to impressive reviews. The Jay Joyce produced work ebbs and flows via a series of striking musical diversions, opening up a world of possibilities for the singer-songwriter. If you think you know The White Buffalo, trust me, you don’t until you’ve heard ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’. One of the best ways to appreciate the record is the excellent film of the album linked below. More about The White Buffalo, the film, tour dates and much more follow:

No stranger to the UK, Chastity Brown makes a welcome return to our shores for a run of shows commencing at The Water Rats in London on May 23rd. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that Chastity is fantastic live, one of those rare artists with a story to tell and the ability to communicate that story to everyone in the room. Chastity released her sixth (by my count) album ‘Sing To The Walls’ in 2022. More about Chastity Brown and those dates follow: 

Legendary blues-rock guitarist Walter Trout returns to the UK in May 2023 in support of his recent ‘Ride’ album, available now via Provogue / Mascot Label Group. ‘Ride’ is Trout’s 30th solo album and received some of the best reviews of his career. The guitarist can justifiably claim to have seen and done it all in his solo career that dates back to 1989 after stints in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Canned Heat, amongst others. Much more about Walter Trout and those all-important tour dates follow:

We recently caught up for a chat with Jerry Leger (Baker's Dozen Interview) as the Canadian singer and songwriter had just released an EP of cover tunes. As it turns out, Jerry was keeping busy, as prior to a UK tour which kicks off in High Wycombe on May 8th, he has another EP, this time of self-penned material set for release on April 28th entitled ‘The Time Flew By’. This EP consists of cuts that he couldn’t squeeze onto previous albums for reasons such as the flow and the overall feel of the record, which is a pretty refreshing approach when many artists seem obsessed with single tracks. You can check out the video for the title track from the EP below, where you will also find the tour schedule.

Gareth Dunlop will continue to promote his excellent 2022 album ‘Animal’ with two upcoming tours and a London headline show. The tours are as the special guest of two very different artists, which reinforces the high regard in which Gareth is held as a songwriter and producer. First up, he’ll be playing shows with English singer-songwriter Lucy Spraggan in May before joining blues/Americana legend Bonnie Raitt for her UK ‘Just Like That’ dates with a solo headlining set at Pizza Express in London’s Holborn squeezed in along the way. Full tour details and a little more about Gareth Dunlop follow:

Gretchen Peters returns to the UK in May for a final run of shows following her announcement that she will retire from full-scale touring this year. The singer-songwriter has been incredibly well-received by UK audiences over the years, building a considerable fan base the old-fashioned way by touring regularly and releasing quality records. Speaking from personal experience, I’ve been lucky enough to see Gretchen a couple of times over the years, so I’d highly recommend popping along to a show. More about Gretchen and the tour follows:

When Rivers Meet formed in 2019, the husband-and-wife duo Grace Bond (vocals, mandolin, violin) and Aaron Bond (vocals, guitar) quickly established themselves on the blues-rock scene, winning multiple awards along the way, including Blues Band Of The Year at the UK Blues Awards 2021 and 2022. The duo have a new album ‘Aces Are High’ set for release later this year. The first taster from the record, ‘Play My Game’, is a definite statement of intent and bodes well for the upcoming album. Please read on for more about When Rivers Meet, the video for the new single, tour dates and plenty more.

Fresh from a run of shows opening for Beth Hart, singer and guitarist Connor Selby is now back out on the road playing headline shows, including Manchester and London, plus a string of festival appearances. The deluxe edition of his self-titled album has been getting great reviews while Connor has been picking up awards, including "Young Artist of the Year" at the UK Blues Awards for the last three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022). We have loads more about Connor, including a selection of videos and those upcoming dates: 

No strangers to the UK, Blue October will return to our shores for a run of shows in April 2023. The dates coincide with the epic release schedule for ‘Spinning The Truth Around’. Part one was released in late 2022, with further releases on the horizon. Justin Furstenfeld obviously never sleeps with the singer/songwriter also embarking on an acting career. More about Justin, Blue October and those tour dates follow:

Blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his band will bring their ‘Trouble is…25"‘ tour to the UK in April. The tour marks the 25th Anniversary of the original platinum-certified album release, which the band reinterpreted late last year via a newly recorded multi-format release for the Provogue/Mascot Label Group. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band will perform the album in full at the upcoming shows, plus a selection of live favourites. More about Kenny Wayne Shepherd and the tour follows:

Jenny Don’t and the Spurs will bring their brand of rabble-rousing alt/outlaw country to the UK in April 2023. The dates include two London shows, a spot on the bill at the Ramblin’ Roots Revue in High Wycombe and are in support of their recently released ‘Fire On The Ridge’ album. The band might have roots in a string of punk bands, but ‘Fire On The Ridge’ is the perfect mix of rock n’ roll and western twang, and with over 500 shows under their belts, the live dates should be very cool. More about the Oregon act, including ticket links follow:

My original plan was to mention Chris Shiflett’s March 2023 UK tour. Unsurprisingly, the tour is already Sold Out everywhere, which is hardly a shock considering that Chris’ day job is as a guitarist in Foo Fighters. Older fans will remember Chris from his pre-Foo Fighters days in No Use For A Name and numerous releases with Me First And The Gimme Gimmes. As a solo artist, Chris is ploughing a different field judging by the infectious new single ‘Black Top, White Lines’ produced by Jaren Johnston from The Cadillac Three, and co-penned with Johnston (a writer with multiple No. 1 country hits to his name) and Brothers Osborne guitarist John Osborne. The track is a pretty cool introduction to an album expected to drop later this year via Snakefarm Records.

Marcus King, the hugely acclaimed singer, songwriter and guitarist, returns to the UK for a string of shows this month (March 2023), in support of last year’s stunning album Young Blood, which was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. Part of a European trek, the dates include Marcus’ biggest London show thus far at the Kentish Town Forum. I’d advise getting there early, as support comes from Ida Mae. More about Marcus and those tour dates follow:

Country and folk music is all about the story. This is why the songwriters’ circle (a concept that supposedly comes from Canada rather than Nashville) has become such a popular platform for getting to the heart of the music. How did that song come to be, and what inspired it? Four UK based songwriters: Annie Dressner, Lucy Grubb, Dan Wilde and Luke James Williams, will be hitting the road to share their stories in late March at a selection of intimate UK venues. More about the tour and those all-important dates follow:

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lucy Farrell is well known on the folk scene with a long list of credits that include Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band, Gluepot, Modern Fairies and Carthy, Oates, Farrell & Young. An impressive resume, but on April 21st 2023, Lucy will release ‘We Are Only Sound’ her debut solo album via Hudson Records, recorded in the glorious medieval surrounds of Much Wenlock Abbey, home to Nick Drake’s sister Gabrielle who gifted the recording space – as well as the use of her brother’s instruments – through a mutual friend. Lucy is embarking on a wide-reaching UK tour commencing March 6th at Green Note, London, to support the upcoming record. We’ve more about Lucy, the album and a full list of tour dates, so please read on.

To mark twenty years as a solo artist, singer/songwriter Jesse Malin will embark on a European tour in February 2023 with UK shows in Glasgow, Manchester and London. Jesse will be joined on tour by special guest Tommy Stinson (The Replacements, Bash & Pop). The dates coincide with a deluxe reissue of debut album ‘The Fine Art Of Self Destruction' featuring a bonus disc of the album re-recorded and reimagined (more info to follow). On this run of dates, Jesse will perform the entire 'Self Destruction' album alongside songs from his impressive 2021 release ‘Sad and Beautiful World. Those all-important tour dates and much more about ‘The Fine Art Of Self Destruction’ follows:

Fresh from the success of his recently released ‘I Live Too Fast Too Die Young’ album, which received some of the best reviews of his career, Michael Monroe will be joining Black Star Riders on their 2023 UK tour along with Motörhead’s Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. The tour will kick off on February 13th at Nottingham’s Rock City and conclude at London’s 02 Shepherds Bush Empire on February 26th. In the meantime, Michael has released a cool new video for ‘Derelict Palace’ a standout track from the record. More about the video and those tour dates follow: