The Rising are a Country Rock/Country Pop band with a Pop/Rock influence from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Currently, the band are finishing off work on their sophomore album (Due winter 2016), with recording sessions taking place between the band’s home base of Northern Ireland and also Nashville, TN (USA). The debut single from the upcoming album is “Last First Love”. Written by the band’s principle songwriters Chris Logan/Chantelle McAteer and was recorded in Ireland/Nashville. Mixed by Grammy Nominated Mills Logan (Taylor Swfit, Eric Pasley, Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Kristian Bush) and Mixed by Pete Maher (U2, The Rolling Stones, Katy Perry, Damien Rice).

This single marks the start of a whole new chapter for the band. Firstly, the band continues to grow musically from its debut album, building upon the ground laid down from the album with a glossier production and growth in the songwriting. Most notably however, are the changes in the bands lineup with the addition of Chantelle McAteer on lead vocals.

The band’s debut album ‘Coming Home’ gained extensive airplay throughout Ireland, UK, Europe (Germany, Netherlands) and the USA/Canada. Including support from the likes of BBC Radio, Radio 2 with the likes of Graham Norton, Gaby Roslin and Alex Lester championing the band from their first single.  

The band have toured constantly since its formation including the chance to perform at the Country 2 Country festival in London’s O2 two years in a row, firstly, in 2015 and again in 2016. Constant touring around the UK and Ireland has helped the band build their fan-base with every show. Shows have included their own shows, festivals and also touring alongside the likes of Jess & The Bandits, The Shires, Ward Thomas.

Morganway are introducing their distinctive take on alt-country with their brand new single ‘My Love Ain’t Gonna Save You’, which was released on February 3rd. Originating from North Norfolk’s rural outback, Morganway’s fiery, Americana-influenced style is packed full of powerful riffs, charismatic five-part harmonies and compelling, honest song writing. The band was established by twins Callum (acoustic guitar, lead vocals) and Kieran Morgan(lead guitar), and features Yve Mary B (lead vocals), Matt Brocklehurst (keyboard) and Simon Tinmouth (drums).

The Norfolk five-piece pride themselves on the high standard of their engaging live performances, and they have caught the eye of a range of festivals. Subsequently, they recently headlined The Open's prestigious OH1 festival, in their hometown of Norwich, on the Banking Hall stage. Other early 2017 shows include London gigs at The Troubadour, The Islington and The Bedford, as well as a special headline performance at Cambridge’s muchloved Portland Arms.

Morganway are working towards the release of their second EP ‘The Hurricane EP’ on April 7th, following the glowing reception of their debut EP ‘No Tomorrows’ last year. The lead single ‘My Love Ain’t Gonna Save You’ exposes the band’s diversity with a deeper, grittier sound, whilst still maintaining the familiar roots influence that fans of the band have come to know and love. With its captivating, catchy hook and electric guitar-driven chorus, the band’s sound bends into the pop terrain breaking genre boundaries to craft an irresistible fusion sound.

“Some songs are written exactly as they end up, others go on journeys. ‘My Love Ain’t Gonna Save You’ is definitely a traveler. The guitar riff and main melody came first, other parts were gradually discovered. I really like the vocals at the end, so much is happening all at once it feels like it’s going to explode. I think the song is all about that tension. The lyrics leave room for interpretation, but the idea is simple; you’re on your own. It asks questions but gets no answers… a bit like love really!”

Days Are Done is what could be described as a happy accident. At the helm are singer-songwriter Emmy Kay (from Blackpool) and BAFTA winning TV & film composer Adam Lewis (from South Wales), who are now both based in Kingston-upon-Thames. Brought together through a series of musical coincidences and collaborations, Days Are Done channels their shared passion for composition and storytelling.

Having both played in a series of different bands, both together and individually, they knew that they had a strong chemistry and when they finally sat down together to write as just the two of them, the flow was just natural. Realising that they had something special when they stripped their sound back to just the two of them and a guitar, they decided that this was their musical destiny. Days Are Done was born. The rest if history still in the making.

Over the last 18 months the duo have composed a striking body of songs, mostly written in their front rooms in Kingston. Boasting an ‘old vs. new’ vibe, it is fair to say that their shared influences are married with their own distinctive sound to craft something rather timelessly magical.

One of those key influences is of course Nick Drake, whose song Day IS Done inspired the duo's name. Having formed the duo at what they thought was the end of a musical journey, the name fitted perfectly.

A bit of musical secret, they didn’t share the band with friends ahead of launching at a series of open mics where they road-tested material. Within a few months they had recorded a live EP at a tiny coffee shop Hands Coffee (sadly no more) in their hometown. Armed with a laptop and microphones, they invited friends and family and recorded the whole show to release as two introductory EPs.

The old school formula worked its wonders and soon enough they had clocked up over 180 gigs – including opening for St Paul & The Broken Bones and Michael Kiwanuka.

Having recorded their debut single, Turns To Dust, in Adam’s front room, which involved lots of running around the sofa to press record so that they could record the vocals together, they found themselves surrounded by love for the song. Alongside support from BBC Radio 2, BBC Wales, BBC London, BBC Surrey & South and BBC Introducing, they found themselves invited for sessions with Gaby Roslin and Robert Elms. The love for the duo even spread Stateside and they found themselves invited to perform a session on the world famous WSM in Nashville after a DJ there found a clip of the song on Instagram!

With their rapidly growing fanbase now anticipating their next step, the duo return this summer with their debut studio EP, Closer, which was once again recorded in Adam’s front room. To celebrate the release they hit the festival circuit, with Glastonbury and Hebcelt topping the bill!

One of the finest singer/songwriters to come out of Dublin the past couple of years returns with a stunning new visual about loss, love, pain and eventually, bliss.

Miles Graham's last release, the stunning “I can’t Love You Again”, was received with rapturous critical praise. One of Miles’ biggest supporters was the late Terry Wogan who had Miles on his Radio 2 show. 6Music also had him on the Cerys Matthews show, who even threw him a Pharrell comparison.
 
Since then, Miles has been exploring with collaborations and co-writes on electronic tracks. His collaboration with L’Tric on dance anthem 1994 is now approaching 2 Million plays on Spotify. He’s also duo to feature on the new Don Diablo release which he co-wrote. 
 
The new single “Let It Shine” is a soulful, touching piece of summery, singer-songwriter pop. Sonically, the track flirts with elements of gospel, while sticking firmly in the songwriter-pop camp. Perfect for the summer months to come. The visual is the product of Peter J Cooney and it’s a beautifully down to earth narrative following the pain, anguish and ultimately, elation that we all experience in day to day life. The uplifting tone of the song beautifully juxtaposes the dark tone of the video, until finally, the visual comes in line with the elation of the final crescendo.

Adam Douglas is a playmaker in the best sense of the word. His music is intended to be played to people. He savours every moment on stage and values every opportunity to connect with his audience. 

Raised in Oklahoma, USA, Douglas lived in Chicago and Minneapolis before finding his way to Norway where he has lived for the past decade. Now considered one of the best guitar players in Norway, he made his first stage appearance aged 8 and soon made the stage his home, a place to share his magnificent voice with his honest and revealing songs.

As a musician, Douglas is an unexpectedly shy guy who turns into a firework on stage, drawing inspiration from the celebrated stars of soul music. He lets his big voice compete for attention with his guitar for an electric live show which is never the same twice. Most comfortable when he’s the worst musician on stage, Douglas sought out a band who could keep him on his toes and perform best with them breathing down his neck, preferably with a choir on one side and a horn section on the other.

Since living in Norway, Douglas has found inspiration in the Norwegian mountains and fjords and has released 3 albums to critical acclaim. He has performed extensively across the country on solo tours and supported Sting at Kongsberg Jazz Festival and Bonnie Raitt at Olavsfestdagene in Trondheim. In 2017 he won Stjernekamp (Battle of the Stars) on Norwegian national television and became the first artist to do so with his own original song. Although Douglas had already been a household name with blues fans for some time, he sang his way into peoples’ hearts by remaining true to himself throughout the genre-splitting competition.

“That's what people liked. I am very honest. Always. I try not to be anyone other than me. I'm just Adam Douglas, maybe with a new hat sometimes.”

With his brand new single Joyous We’ll Be, Douglas is now channelling this honesty in a new way. While he has not written about political issues previously, he feels that now he has to. He has observed political unrest in his native country with frustration and felt what he describes as “the world falling to pieces”. Together with Jeff Wesserman, a fellow musician and Norwegian-based American, he wrote Joyous We’ll Be about unity, and resistance, to take a stand against the political and social challenges unfolding in today’s world.

“Joyous We’ll Be is meant to be a musical call-to-arms for all to collectively recognize the current misgivings of today’s society. It reflects a large group of humans, banding together with an array of instruments - to raise our hands and voices together in song. Singing together about the overwhelming need for positive change and rejoicing together upon said change’s eventual arrival”.

With elements of gospel choir, wind sections and American roots music, Douglas hopes to encourage hope, unity and a collective sense of looking ahead for a better future. The track comes as the first taste of his upcoming album, which will be his third studio album. Adam Douglas is in great shape and with a newfound political outspokenness he is ready to stand up for is native country and look ahead towards a, hopefully, brighter future with his forthcoming releases.

Adam Douglas is a playmaker in the best sense of the word. His music is intended to be played to people. He savours every moment on stage and values every opportunity to connect with his audience.

Raised in Oklahoma, USA, Douglas lived in Chicago and Minneapolis before finding his way to Norway where he has lived for the past decade. Now considered one of the best guitar players in Norway, he made his first stage appearance aged 8 and soon made the stage his home, a place to share his magnificent voice with his honest and revealing songs. Drawing influence from Howlin’ Wolf and Ray Charles’ flirt with country, to Tom Petty and Bonnie Raitt, Douglas has found a sound that combines the best of soul, gospel, jazz, rock n’ roll, rhythm n’ blues, and roots music.

As a musician, Douglas is an unexpectedly shy guy who turns into a firework on stage. He lets his big voice compete for attention with his guitar for an electric live show which is never the same twice. Most comfortable when he’s the worst musician on stage, Douglas sought out a band who could keep him on his toes and perform best with them breathing down his neck, preferably with a choir on one side and a horn section on the other.

Since living in Norway, Douglas has found inspiration in the Norwegian mountains and fjords and has released 3 albums to critical acclaim. He has performed extensively across the country on solo tours and supported Sting at Kongsberg Jazz Festival and Bonnie Raitt at Olavsfestdagene in Trondheim. In 2017 he won Stjernekamp (Battle of the Stars) on Norweigian national television and became the first artist to do so with his own original song. Although Douglas had already been a household name with blues fans for some time, he sang his way into peoples’ hearts by remaining true to himself throughout the genre-splitting competition.

Hot on the heels of his 2020 singles Joyous We’ll Be and Change My Mind, Douglas exposes his own vulnerability with his brand new single Into My Life. With his lyrics he rejects society’s idealised vision of masculinity, the expectation that a man should be strong, steady, and most importantly, should not cry. Instead Douglas portrays the real struggle that many men experience with their mental health and how a midlife crisis often goes deeper than they express.

To be a man in a midlife crisis is often underestimated as an identity search and a need to challenge one’s own boundaries, but what is all too often overlooked is the extent to which men’s own mental health can be stretched to breaking point. On his way out of his thirties, Adam Douglas is fast approaching midlife crisis territory himself and insists on drawing attention to the experiences that men can face but don’t always discuss. Douglas wrote Into My Life with fellow artist and friend Cory Chisel to encourage men struggling with pressures of aging to feel more comfortable to speak out about the anxiety and depression that ensue.

“We have both become very aware of our own mental health, how it functions, how it doesn’t function, and how it can affect our lives and the lives of those around us. We’ve gone through a sort of middle aged mental health awakening.”

For both co-writers, Into My Life is about accepting darkness and depression, whilst feeling reassured in the fact that many other people are tackling similar feelings that can manifest at different points of their lives. Having grappled with his own hard times brought on by the pressures of expectations and being overworked, Douglas hopes that Into My Life will go some way in encouraging more men to work on opening up about their feelings and talking about their mental health.

“You have to fight your way through it and it’s fully possible to get back on your feet, even though it doesn’t feel like it when you’re in the middle of the tug of war with yourself. The most important thing is to have people around you who you can talk to, and that’s especially important for men who traditionally don’t talk about their feelings with others.”

Into the Light comes ahead of Douglas’s forthcoming album, which will be his third studio album. He is in great shape and hopes to encourage a brighter future with his music. “I’m not trying to be anybody but myself. I’m just Adam Douglas, maybe with a new hat once in a while.”

The County Affair’s story is that of music, friendship and adventure. Childhood best friends Kevin Brennan and Tony Regan met in Nottingham in the 70s. Travelling together on the same school bus each day, they talked endlessly about music and the ‘country rock’ and ‘outlaw country’ sounds that were emerging from the US at the time. As teenagers they joined The Moonshiners, an Irish country band led by Kevin’s father, and were playing up to three gigs each weekend whilst their schoolmates worked in shops and on paper rounds. Before long they had started their own band, The Rambling Boys (borrowed from a song) and took to the road. Though grounded in the Irish country they had grown to love, they began to introduce their audiences to the country rock of Waylon Jennings, Creedence and Joe Ely in their sets.

The band parted ways as Kevin and Tony left to study at different universities, but their friendship endured. A couple of years later, they found themselves – separately – on the east coast of the US, Tony as part of his studies and Kevin coaching a kids’ soccer team. As if fate had brought them back together, they seized an opportunity to play for a new crowd in Houston and there the real adventure began. Zig-zagging across the US the duo spent extended periods in Texas where they became a household name within the wider local Irish community, receiving glowing reviews from local press and radio. Eventually landing in the thriving music scene of San Francisco, they became sought after by venues across the city sometimes playing up to 4 hour sets, four nights a week. They were approached to sign to management and go pro, but with post-graduate jobs waiting for both of them in the UK, it was time to go home.

30 years later, married with families and successful careers under their belts, the duo are picking up where they left off. Kevin, who recently stepped down from a significant role at a major international brand, had been penning his own songs for the last several years. He would send these onto Tony, who tweaked the vocal and lyrical arrangements, adding in chords here and there… and just like that, The County Affair was born. The band caught the attention of veteran producer Tom Nichols, a partnership was struck and their Abbey Road album soon took shape.

Having grown up entrenched in the traditional sounds of Irish country and being so inspired by the American influences that dominated their youth, it only made sense that their own sound would be crafted on a wealth of Country, Americana and Blues. Their debut single ‘Every Ghost’ is a song of acceptance and taking the time to understand another person’s story. After hearing the experiences of several homeless men a few years ago, Kevin began to notice a common thread. People too often assume homelessness to be the result of poor choices. Often, what this assumption overlooks are the life-changing events that can cause a person’s world to collapse entirely. ‘Every Ghost’ humanises the story of the stranger sleeping in a doorway, and calls for us to stop, ask and have empathy rather than drawing our own conclusions.

“This song is very much about capturing stories of life everyone can relate to, even if it has not happened to them” explains Tony.

The duo recorded ‘Every Ghost’ at the infamous Abbey Road Studios, led by producer Tom Nichols who captured their vision and influence from the likes of Dave Alvin, Steve Earle, and Joe Ely. 40 years of friendship founded on a shared love of music has paved the way for The County Affair’s distinctive sound with a strong Americana band feel and powerful storytelling.

“Having listened to Americana for decades there are lots of songwriting influences. Time and again though the strongest are Joe Ely, John Hiatt and Steve Earle. These for a long time have written songs and had a sound I’ve been inspired by.” - Kevin

Things are just getting started for The County Affair, and with a highly anticipated album due for release later this year, they’re raring to go with their next adventure.