Here’s a useful list of places to go if you are a country fan looking for ways to fill time before your next gig.
Written Media
A Country Way of Life presents…The Country Music Calendar: A daily dose of country music history, with added music from Jonny
Alan Cackett: Sage of country music coverage who is still listening to as much music as he can after 50 years in the business
The Bridge Country: John Finch’s visual radio show Honky Tonk Cabin runs weekly, while you can view the complete set of shows from my UK Country Top 10, which aired over autumn 2023
Country In The UK: Interviews with country stars conducted by Ian and Jamie, who also offer regular Podding Nonsense as an audio accompaniment to their written material
Country Music USA: I can lend you my copy of a book which originally came out in 1968 and has been updated to tell the complete story of country music as social history
Entertainment Focus on Country: Interviews, reviews, features and news from James, Laura, Emma, Mark and site editor Pip
Holler Country: Comprehensive site for country fanatics including playlist recommendations and profiles of new acts
Rolling Stone Country: Interviews, reviews and commentary
Saving Country Music: The man called Trigger spotlights undersung talents, thinks critically about commercial country and offers balanced criticism
w21Music.com: Reviews of music and gigs
Radio
Absolute Radio Country: Launched in April 2019 initially as Country Hits Radio, this is the first fully national country station. DJs include Baylen Leonard, recipient of the CMA International Broadcaster of the Year 2019
CountryLine – The Big 615: The ‘Original Gangsta’ of country broadcasting in the UK, now rebranded as part of Garth Brooks’ radio network, with DJs Matt Spracklen, Sinead Burgess and Storme Warren, as well as Tim Prottey-Jones’ CountryLine Homegrown show on Wednesdays at 8pm
The Country Show with Bob Harris: Sessions and new music, presented the Whisperer himself on Radio 2
Grady Smith on Country: ‘I listen to country and whatever else I want to!’ says the journalist-turned-commentator whose video on the snap track, ‘This Beat is Killing Country Music’, has taken his Youtube channel beyond 200,000 subscribers
Inside Studio G: We await to find where the bodies are buried but in the meantime here is pure, unfiltered Garth
Live In The Living Room: Youtube channel helmed by James Vince, who has been hosting country acts for a decade either in his living room or at the Bedford in Balham
Festivals & Events
Country on the Coast: Hannah Roper’s Southsea jamboree, which returns in 2024 across the weekend of April 13-14
Highways Festival: Weekender at the Royal Albert Hall which returns in 2024 on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 May
Buckle & Boots: The official website of the country festival held at Whitebottom Farm near Manchester which returns in 2024 across the long weekend of May 23-26
The Long Road: The official website of the country festival held at Stanford Hall, Lutterworth which returns in 2024 across the long weekend of August 23-25
The British Country Music Festival: Head to the News tab to read the first two parts in my comprehensive examination of UK country from the nineteenth century to the present day, which was commissioned by the team behind this Blackpool festival which returns in 2024 across the weekend of August 30-September 1 2024
Yeehaw: Jay Rockwell’s country-inspired events which may be coming to a town or festival near you
Organisations
The Americana Music Association UK: Trade body representing the UK Americana movement which puts on a celebration week in London every January
Country Music Attendees: A passionate fan community on Facebook
A Country Way of Life 