26 May 2023 (gig)
03 June 2023
You’ve probably already heard of C2C and The Long Road, but this is another you really do need to know if you're a fan of country music. At the moment, it’s still a bit of a secret on the UK festival scene. However, with another successful year under its belt, it's boots seem to be well-and-truly under the table...
“There’s something about being in the sun and kicking back on a bail of hay”, my partner remarks. She’s right, there is. Whiskey in hand, cowboy hats atop our heads, we’re taking five after the opening performance at Lancashire’s first country music festival of the season. It’s a bloody glorious moment.
The smell of smoke from the smoker nearby accompanies the sounds of Dolly in the air, while the sun beams down and everybody is smiling and saying “Hi” to everybody else. This area, just outside of Manchester, is bloody gorgeous (nearest station is Marple Bridge) and is a perfect spot to recreate the rural roots of the USA’s fastest growing musical export.
That first performance came from up-and-coming UK artists Chloe Jones, Lisa T. and Katie O’Malley. Each had their own timbre and style, telling stories about their songs and having a nice old time while doing so. It was a Nashville-style songwriters round, where, if you don’t know, each performer takes it in turn to play a song and explain where it came from and what it means.
The standout here, for us, was Katie O’Malley. Her songs have a rootsy blues underpinning, while her voice was probably the most unique we witnessed at the festival. It’s rich, raspy in places and, at times, downright haunting. In part, this has to come down to the fact her songs are very personal. They’re painfully honest, which is always a precursor to genuine emotion.
After stocking up on tacos and a quick visit to the onsite milliner (and more), Vera Black, we were back at the mainstage — which, by the way is housed in the side of a barn — to catch a trio of Nashville songwriting legends do their thing. This was a really special moment, as they talked us through the songs they’d written for household name country artists.
Grammy Award nominee Blue Foley had the cheeky, playful tunes up his sleeve (well-penned, might I add), while Trick Savage followed with tracks like ‘Bible and a ‘44’ (a song written for country music legend Ashley McBryde, whom Foley also writes for), and crowd sing-a-long ‘I’m Gonna Be’. Both artists took the quality of songs to the next level. They’re serious songwriters.
But it was their buddy D. Vincent Williams that knocked us for six. He told the story of nearly giving-up on his songwriting journey and how, at the 11th hour, one of his tracks got picked-up and cut by no-less-than Rascal Flatts, changing his life in an instant. That track, ‘I’m Movin On’, was one of the tunes he played for us. But the standout was a song he wrote for The Kinleys, ‘You’re Still Here’. A tear was shed. Beautiful track.
Perhaps the biggest, and most welcome surprise of the day, came from New Zealand-born singer songwriter Grace Kelly. She was on the festival’s second stage and, from song-to-song, she’s got a raft of tunes just a few removes from being hits. I’m certain of it. In fact, one of them, ‘My Boyfriend Hates Country Music’, is already there. As is ‘Carry On’.
Her effervescent personality and confidence on stage is impressive. It’s like she’s been doing it for a decade. Yet, she's only just in her 20s. Genuinely, Grace is one to watch out for. Of that, I’ve no doubt. Lainey Wilson was the last country artist to give me that feeling. I saw her on one of the smaller stages at Country 2 Country. Now look at her, racking up accolades, left, right and centre.
Back on the mainstage it was the turn of Yorkshire lad Matt Hodges. After a stuttering start due to a power cut, we got hit with an onslaught of piss-and-vinegar-soaked, outlaw country tunes. And while the songs were hard-hitting, for me, they need a bit more work. Mostly in the phrasing of the lyrics. But the band comes with a ton of swagger, and the crowd lapped it up. Matt and his well-honed thousand-mile-stare belongs out there, up onstage, having it.
Last-up, before a darting dash to get a train back to Manchester, we caught British artist Katy Hurt. She seemed a little nervous when she walked out, but she’d no reason to be. She looks the part, sounds authentic and has an incredibly Dolly infused tone to her voice. It’s addictive. The band is tight, but I'd have liked to hear more supporting vocals to bolster the sound.
Katy's standout track, though, and largely because it’s so well written, is ‘Sounds Good in a Bar’. It was on repeat on our Spotify playlist for days before the festival, and it still is now. But live, the hooky and addictive ‘See Ya Later’ really stands out. For me, Katy’s like the aforementioned Grace Kelly: one to keep an eye on. The best is undoubtedly to come.
Ultimately, it’s a shame we couldn’t make a weekend of it, as Buckle & Boots is the country music festival the UK needs. It’s hay bails and barns, and whiskey and barbecue food, all in the countryside, and with an atmosphere that feels like home. The billing is fantastic, with artists from all across the UK scene and the world beyond.
Here’s the best bit: the people behind it love what they do. Here’s to next year.
