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Lyric Magazine | The Country Music Magazine That Features The Writer As Well As The Artist • 2nd December 2021

Rissi Palmer Looks Back at Her Career & Forward To Bringing ‘Color Me Country’ to the UK

Debuting in 2007 with the single “Country Girl”, which made her the first African-American woman to chart a country song since Dona Mason in 1987, Rissi Palmer has gone on to be an artist, an activist and a force for change. It was a pleasure to speak to her about it all.

Lyric Magazine | The Country Music Magazine That Features The Writer As Well As The Artist • 17th September 2021

Carly Pearce Talks New Album, Fiddles, CMA Nominations & Ashley McBryde

Carly Pearce’s last album, ’29: Written in Stone’ was the definition of what Country music should sound like. It’s a raw, evocative and yet incredibly commercial piece of work that tells the story of personal growth and empowerment through trauma. I was thrilled to chat to her all about it.

Entertainment Focus • 6th May 2020

Interview: Desmond Child talks working with Bon Jovi, Meat Loaf, Ricky Martin and his upcoming autobiography

Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated songwriter/producer Desmond Child is one of the music industry’s most revered and prolific hitmakers. With a career that spans over five decades, Desmond has been credited on more than 80 Billboard Top 40 hits including Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name, Aerosmith’s Dude Looks Like A Lady and Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca. He has sold more than 500 million records worldwide. It was a career highlight & an absolute pleasure to chat with him.

LYRIC Magazine • 16th April 2020

A Career Spanning Interview With Shane McAnally

Imagine having interviewed both Lori McKenna and Shane McAnally in the same month! Shane was a funny, thoughtful and effusive interviewee. We spoke about his career, from obscurity through to Songland and everything else in-between. This was a real career-spanning interview and one that I will treasure as my career moves forward.

LYRIC Magazine • 5th March 2020

LYRICinterviews: Lori McKenna Ahead of Her Visit to the UK for The CMA Songwriters Event in London

Lori McKenna. Songwriter supreme. One third of the ‘Love Junkies’ with Hillary Lindsey and Liz Rose. Creator of such classic modern hits as ‘Girl Crush’ and ‘Humble & Kind’ as well as such deep & meaningful songs with the likes of Brandy Clark (‘3 Kids No Husband’), Carrie Underwood (‘Cry Pretty’) and many tracks for Little Big Town aside from ‘Girl Crush’. This was a 'bucket-list' interview for me and so fun to do as well!!

LYRIC Magazine • 4th March 2020

LYRICreviews: 'It All Begins With a Song' - An Intimate Look Behind the Scenes of the Nashville Songwriting Machine

My first ever film review came 24 hours after Nashville was struck by tragedy as a tornado barrelled through many residential areas of the city. Isn't that just SO Country music? The triumph and the tragedy go hand in hand and nowhere is that more in evidence than on this uplifting & beguiling documentary about the art, the craft and the mechanics of the Nashville songwriting machine.

Your Life In A Song • 13th February 2020

ALBUM REVIEW: Carly Pearce (Self-Titled Album)

Country music is a genre ripe, rich and fecund with female voices, hell, a large part of its creation and genesis can be attributed to Sara and Maybelle Carter back in the 1920s. Right down through the decades, female performers have stamped their presence across Country music in bold, bright and expressive ways. Patsy, June, Loretta, Tammy, Dolly, Reba, Trisha, Faith and Shania..............and now Carly Pearce, with this album that is 'of' and 'about' the experience of being a woman.

LYRIC Magazine • 14th January 2020

LYRICinterviews: Brett Eldredge About his Upcoming UK Shows, Songwriting, His New Album & Which of His 'Deep Cuts' Are His Favourites

Kicking 2020 off with a real bucket-list interview. The super-talented and very cool Brett Eldredge. 7 Number one hits and numerous quality albums, including my go-too Christmas album, 'Glow'. Brett has been long on my list of artists I've wanted to speak to and the experience didn't disappoint. We talked in depth about his career, his writing and and his new, upcoming album.

LYRIC Magazine • 25th October 2019

LYRICinterviews: Old Dominion on Album Release Day. Find Out Their Thoughts on the New Album, Track by Track & Why They May Never Make Another Album!

Today, October 25th, Old Dominion release their third album. Self-titled and appearing on the cover of an album for the first time, the reigning Vocal Group of the Year (CMA Awards) have made a number of changes, both cosmetic and with their sound which sees them making progress as songwriters and musicians. We were lucky enough to talk to the band before their recent show in Birmingham, UK about the new album and some of their inspirations & thoughts behind the process that went into making it.

LYRIC Magazine • 29th August 2019

LYRICinterviews: Walker Hayes Goes Deep on Faith & Family And Making Music for the 'Broken'

A great interview with Walker Hayes in which we explore the drivers behind him making music for 'the broken', his journey towards faith and his crazy family situation!

2nd July 2019

Misty River - Press Release & Website Bio - Example of My Work

UK based Americana band Misty River employed me to write their most recent press release. It helped secure them a support slot with Jools Holland!

Your Life In A Song • 4th June 2019

ALBUM REVIEW: Thomas Rhett - 'Center Point Road'

Oh Dan Huff, you beautiful bastard! Sometimes an artist with oodles of talent collides with a producer with vision and a sound, like the Beatles did with George Martin, Michael Jackson with Quincy Jones or even Mutt Lange with AC/DC, Def Leppard and Shania Twain.

Buzzsprout • 4th June 2019

10 Minute Country - Episode 41 - Kip Moore Talks About Acoustic Shows v Electric & Gives a New Album Update and MORE! - 10 Minute Country

James managed to grab 15 minutes with Country rocker and 'adopted British citizen' Kip Moore before his show in Birmingham on May 29th. Kip spoke with his usual openness and honesty about the longevity of previous single, 'Last Shot' and how that was a blessing and a curse, about who he is when playing acoustic shows and the difference between the electric ones and he gives a major update on the writing and delivery of his new album, due later in the year.

LYRIC Magazine • 11th April 2019

LYRICinterviews: Chris Young On Early Chart Failures, Industry Changes Christmas Songs & More

Chris Young is one of the leading artists in Country music right now. As he prepares to release his seventh album, preceded by the awesome song, ‘Raised on Country’, Chris took time to talk to me about his career, from those early chart failures to where he is now and he even managed some chat about Christmas songs along the way too! You can read the transcript of the interview or even listen to it as a podcast. The link to the podcast is at the top of the screen - follow the link to '10 Minute Country', episode 35.

Your Life In A Song • 19th March 2019

ALBUM REVIEW: Maren Morris - 'GIRL'

Texan born, Nashville based ‘pocket-rocket’ Maren Morris set the world ablaze in 2016 with her homage to Country music in ‘My Church’. She burst into tears at the C2C Festival in London when the crowd at the O2 Arena sang the song back to her, unprompted, whilst she performed from the B stage at the back of the hall. This was an early indication for Morris that the song had cross-nation and cross-genre appeal. *Read the rest by clicking on the link*

LYRIC Magazine • 12th March 2019

10 Minute Country - Ep30: In Conversation With Carly Pearce At C2C 2019

I was privileged enough to be able to chat to Carly Pearce backstage at the O2 arena during C2C 2019. We talked about her career, her upcoming wedding to Michael Ray and her plans for her (nearly finished) second album. It was a great interview with a warm and engaging musician who clearly cares about her fans and her music.

LYRIC Magazine • 7th March 2019

LYRICinterviews: Ashley McBryde On Her Grammy Experience, New Music & Her Love Affair With The UK

What a year it’s been for Ashley McBryde since she emerged triumphant from her appearances at last year’s C2C Festival in London. Lauded as the ‘breakout’ artist of the whole festival, she embarked on a whirlwind year that culminated in a Grammy nomination for her debut album, ‘Girl Going Nowhere’ and Vegas shows with George Strait. She’s back again this weekend (March 8th – 10th) in London for C2C BUT on the main stage this time. We were thrilled to speak to her all about it.

LYRIC Magazine • 27th February 2019

LYRICinterviews: Hunter Hayes On Returning To The UK For C2C, New Music & The Ever-Changing Industry

It’s been two years since we last saw Hunter Hayes on a UK stage and four since since he, seemingly, released a musical project although he’s been very busy behind the scenes releasing songs on streaming platforms. 2019 sees Hunter back in the UK with three songs from his upcoming new album and a rejuvenated outlook on life and the music industry. It’s lovely to speak to you today Hunter, thanks for giving up your time. You have a great relationship with the UK crowd, haven’t you? Man, I do! W

LYRIC Magazine • 6th February 2019

LYRICinterviews: Dustin Lynch On His Upcoming UK Shows, New Music, Deep Cuts & The Success Of 'Good Girl'

Now three albums into his career, Dustin Lynch is just beginning to find his feet and understand who he is. 2018 was a great year for him, #1 singles, an Opry induction, appearing on the CMA Christmas show and the announcement that he would be coming to the UK for the first time to appear at next month’s C2C Festival.

LYRIC Magazine • 1st February 2019

LYRICinterviews: Cassadee Pope On New Album 'Stages', Empowerment & New Beginnings

It’s been a couple of years in the making and has tracked Cassadee Pope through some of life’s up and downs, but new album, ‘Stages’ is finally released TODAY (Friday 1st February). We were delighted to talk to Cassadee on a recent visit to the UK to appear with Sam Palladio at his London show.