{"id":25446,"date":"2026-05-10T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/?p=25446"},"modified":"2026-05-09T09:45:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T08:45:52","slug":"sidetracks-detours-10th-may-2026-what-do-you-do-when-youre-lonesome-the-life-and-legacy-of-justin-townes-earle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/2026\/05\/10\/sidetracks-detours-10th-may-2026-what-do-you-do-when-youre-lonesome-the-life-and-legacy-of-justin-townes-earle\/","title":{"rendered":"SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS 10th May 2026: What Do You Do When You\u00b4re Lonesome ? The Life and Legacy of Justin Townes Earle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"451\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/What-Do-You-Do-When-Youre-Lonesome.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25451\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/What-Do-You-Do-When-Youre-Lonesome.jpeg 451w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/What-Do-You-Do-When-Youre-Lonesome-199x300.jpeg 199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What Do You Do When You\u00b4re Lonesome?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Life And Legacy Of Justin Townes Earle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The authorised biography by Jonathan Bernstein<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The author and <strong>Rolling Stone<\/strong>&nbsp;journalist speaks with <strong>Grant Sharples,<\/strong> of&nbsp;<strong>Paste<\/strong>&nbsp;Magazine\u00b4s <strong>Audio Books Column<\/strong> about the art of fact-checking and handling sensitive stories with care, when authoring a biography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Grant Sharples<\/strong>:<strong>My column, Audio Books,<\/strong>&nbsp;<em><strong>is a column focused on the latest books about music. Every month, I sit down with authors, journalists, and poets to discuss the latest music memoirs, biographies, essay collections, and more.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"185\" height=\"148\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/download.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25456\" style=\"width:455px;height:auto\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Many artists go under-appreciated in their lifetimes. When their stories go untold, it can feel like an integral part of cultural history is lost, which makes preserving their legacy all the more important. Justin Townes Earle died in August 2020 at the age of 38, and he released eight studio albums under his name, but it wasn\u2019t until after his death that his music seemed to embody a life of its own. From a 2023 tribute concert featuring&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/music\/emmylou-harris\/emmylou-harris-wrecking-ball-spyboy-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Emmylou Harris<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/music\/jason-isbell\/artist-of-the-year-jason-isbell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jason Isbell<\/a>&nbsp;at the Ryman to modern-day torchbearers like Sierra Ferrell and Charley Crockett, Earle\u2019s music is already deeply imprinted in contemporary folk, country, and its sundry offshoots. Last year,&nbsp;<em>Paste<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/music\/greatest-albums\/the-250-greatest-albums-of-the-21st-century-so-far-part-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">named&nbsp;<em>Harlem River Blues<\/em>&nbsp;the 23rd greatest album of the 21st century so far<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jonathan Bernstein, a senior research editor for&nbsp;<em>Rolling Stone<\/em>&nbsp;and author of&nbsp;<em>What Do You Do When You\u2019re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle&nbsp;<\/em>(out now via Da Capo), initially got the idea to write a biography of the Nashville artist when he worked on a piece that memorialized him, speaking with many of his loved ones and peers in the process. But Bernstein didn\u2019t feel like everything had wrapped up once the article went live. As he tells it, a proper, full-length book felt more befitting to Earle\u2019s charismatic, larger-than-life presence. Bernstein\u2019s biography is a carefully considered, thoroughly researched book that captures Earle in all his complexity. It\u2019s a heavy read, filled with tales of addiction, self-destruction, and tumult, but also beauty, craftsmanship, and camaraderie. Even if Earle wasn\u2019t properly appreciated in his life, Bernstein\u2019s book does the late songwriter justice, solidifying the impact of his art to ensure it doesn\u2019t fade into the firmament. Earle may not be with us anymore, but Bernstein\u2019s book reminds us that his music still is.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>F<strong>or the latest edition of&nbsp;<em>Audio Books<\/em>, I talked to Bernstein about his background as a fact-checker, how that aided his research, how he pursued the book\u2019s more sensitive material with care, where he first encountered Earle\u2019s music, and how he sees the songwriter\u2019s legacy reflected in the music of today. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Paste Magazine<\/strong><\/em><strong>: How did you first encounter Justin\u2019s music? Where do you remember first hearing it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jonathan Bernstein:<\/strong>&nbsp;I can remember it very vividly. My introduction to Justin was actually seeing him perform on stage at a venue called the <strong>Turf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota<\/strong>. I was a sophomore in college, it was April 2009, and Justin had just released his second record. I\u2019d probably heard a song or two. I\u2019d probably heard his cover of <strong>Can\u2019t Hardly Wait<\/strong>, and I\u2019d probably heard his song <strong>Mama\u2019s Eyes<\/strong>. But I didn\u2019t know all that much about him and decided to go to see him on a whim. He was opening for  <strong>Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.<\/strong> I can still remember the feeling of seeing him perform for the first time. It was not like anything I\u2019d ever seen before. He was doing this live act at the time that was almost like time-traveling, kind of like a <strong>Hank Williams<\/strong>, Grand Ole Opry, Depression-era act. He talked really fast, and he talked really old-fashioned in between songs. He introduced every song, and every time before he spoke, he would say, \u201cladies and gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2009 was the very beginning of a moment in music where this old-fashioned, almost proto-<strong>Mumford and Sons<\/strong> era, like this roots-inspired moment that looked back on a much earlier time in American music. It was just starting to happen and travel out in the country. I had certainly never seen anything like that before. So I was just blown away. I couldn\u2019t believe this guy. He was seven years older than me, but he felt like he was roughly my age and my generation, and he was singing these songs. Some were very intimate and personal, about his parents, and very relatable. Some seemed like they were songs from the 1870s about freight trains in Georgia, or whatever. But they all were imbued with this energy and this excitement that felt like a punk kind of an attitude and very current. It felt very thrilling to me at 19, and he won me over as a huge fan that night. I started buying all his records and seeing him whenever I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>So you had no idea who he was, going into this, like you went mostly for Jason Isbell, and came out a fan?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/082223_SteveEarle@TheOpry@EmmaDelevante_-182-1030x684.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25458\" style=\"width:458px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/082223_SteveEarle@TheOpry@EmmaDelevante_-182-1030x684.webp 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/082223_SteveEarle@TheOpry@EmmaDelevante_-182-300x199.webp 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/082223_SteveEarle@TheOpry@EmmaDelevante_-182-768x510.webp 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/082223_SteveEarle@TheOpry@EmmaDelevante_-182-1536x1019.webp 1536w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/082223_SteveEarle@TheOpry@EmmaDelevante_-182-2048x1359.webp 2048w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/082223_SteveEarle@TheOpry@EmmaDelevante_-182-1500x995.webp 1500w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/082223_SteveEarle@TheOpry@EmmaDelevante_-182-705x468.webp 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>I did not know much about him. I probably knew his dad was <strong>Steve Earle<\/strong> <strong>(left),<\/strong> but I probably didn\u2019t care all that much because I wasn\u2019t a Steve Earle superfan. But the reason I went to that show is because my friend was working at the college radio station, and he got a free ticket to go. He was, at the last minute, unable to go, and he asked me if I wanted to go because this was roughly in the genre of music that he and I were getting into at the time. I didn\u2019t even know that much about Jason. I remember listening to a couple of his songs on his MySpace page from his self-released, self-titled album. So I don\u2019t even really know who I was going for, but I was blown away. That was one of my Big Bang concert moments for me as a young person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When did you first get the idea to write this book?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The seeds of actually spending several years writing a book about <strong>Justin<\/strong> came after Justin died in August 2020. I spent that fall interviewing people in his life, his bandmates, his ex, his widow, and his loved ones for a story for&nbsp;<em><strong>Rolling Stone<\/strong><\/em>&nbsp;about Justin\u2019s life. That story was a big deal to me. It was like one of my first larger pieces for them. I interviewed more people for that story than I\u2019d ever interviewed for a story I\u2019d ever done. I was really proud of the subsequent story, and I also got more feedback for that story than anything I\u2019d ever done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when I finished it, I had this feeling that I had never had before as a journalist: I felt like I knew less about Justin than what I thought going into it. I didn\u2019t feel much of a sense of finality or achievement. I felt like there was so much more to say, so much more to learn on my part about this incredibly charismatic, complicated, vivid, larger-than-life person. I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about it, so that story sparked my interest and my sense that there is so much more to say about him. It made me really think that he deserved to have a proper book written about him. For the first time in my career, I felt less imposter syndrome about the idea that maybe I could be the person to write it. I felt at least semi-qualified, &nbsp;having written that story, to start diving in. So that\u2019s what started it. I thought about him and thought about the idea of it for about a year after writing that article without doing anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You have a history of fact-checking and verifying sources, and it seems like Justin loved spinning a tall tale. How did you go about discerning fact from fiction?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Great question. I joked with a lot of people while I was doing interviews for this book that my ten years as a fact-checker\u2014and I\u2019m still a fact-checker\u2014had trained me for the job of biographer of <strong>Justin Townes Earle<\/strong>. Justin loved to tell tall tales. He loved to be a deep mythologizer, like his father. He believed deeply in the saying that you should never let truth get in the way of a good story. One of the biggest challenges and one of the biggest opportunities, in a way, was to try to let Justin\u2019s version of his life have oxygen because I don\u2019t think you can understand him without understanding the way he told the story of his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But [I wanted to] be very militant, almost too much so at times, about writing the story grounded in truth and making it very clear that when there are things that if I didn\u2019t know if it were true, and make it clear that it\u2019s just a story, but be very careful in the way that I worded everything and corroborated everything. This is such a recent history. Going into it, I almost thought it would be easier to pin down, like, what year was Justin hospitalized? What year did Justin record this and these demos that never saw the light of day? These things that happened in the early 2000s are only 20-some-odd years ago. A lot of people involved in them, not just Justin, were a little bit fucked up at the time. [They] were drinking and using some drugs, and memories are pretty foggy, and the internet in the early 2000s is not well-preserved. There aren\u2019t that many letters written in a Victorian biography sense, to back up some of this stuff. So it was actually a really big challenge figuring out, literally, just when this stuff happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of the work that I did was, frankly, going the extra mile to make sure that we\u2019re not just telling a bunch of stories that we don\u2019t know if they\u2019re true. But what I found is that comparing and contrasting Justin\u2019s version of events with the literal, usually more boring truth, is that the space between those two things is where the emotional meaning and deeper truth in Justin\u2019s story lies. Justin loved to talk about how hardscrabble his childhood was. In the story he told about his childhood, growing up with his mother, he really emphasized how poor they were, how materially that they lacked, and was told no when he asked for milk one day from his mom. This is a story he tells and how his mom was never around because she was working three jobs to support them as a single mother. The truth, the reality there, is certainly more complex than that. Justin\u2019s mom was receiving child support from his father every month, very reliably. Justin also had access to things, in some part through his father. Justin was the first kid in his group of friends in Nashville in the \u201890s to have a computer. That\u2019s not something that a lot of kids had in 1994, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First you take Justin\u2019s story. You understand what it is. You ask people about it in his life that grew up with him, you learn that the truth is much more complicated than that, and that he and his class position, for example, were pretty confusing and specific and not in some ways. He had a lot of resources, and in some ways not. Justin\u2019s way of talking about how much he and his mom didn\u2019t have materially was a safe way for him to talk about all the more painful stuff that he didn\u2019t have, like his mom wasn\u2019t very present for him in other ways, emotionally, and that was not something he really talked about. He was not receiving from either parent a really stable degree of supervision, structure, care, support, and love. Those things were a little bit harder for him to talk about. That\u2019s just one example, but there are hundreds of examples of that where I really wanted Justin\u2019s truth to be shown and given its oxygen, and I wanted to also figure out the more nuanced and less interesting reality of everything. The space between those two things shows what Justin\u2019s friend <strong>Scotty Melton<\/strong> described as a deeper truth. In Justin\u2019s half-truths, there\u2019s often a deeper truth. I found that to be true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It seems like even his tall tales, as apocryphal as they are, hint at something deeper about how he really felt about something. And so there is a truth to be gleaned from that, like you say, like more of an emotional truth.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His friend Scotty put it better than anyone else. Multiple people would tell me that the experience of meeting Justin Townes Earle was to be bombarded with him telling you his life story in five minutes. He was telling these fanciful, too-crazy-to-believe tales. And so what a lot of people would tell me is, like, \u201cJustin would tell me this crazy shit about his past, and I honestly didn\u2019t believe him. And then it turns out that he was often telling the truth; there was more truth to it than I thought.\u201d And that was my experience, too. I went into the book not trusting some of the stories Justin told about his life, and pretty much always there was a more literal and emotional truth contained in them than I could have imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Obviously, this book deals with some pretty heavy and sensitive topics like addiction and domestic violence at some points. How did you go about navigating that with care and caution?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a fact-checker in my day job, when a story is sensitive\u2014legally, ethically and morally, addiction being a pretty good example\u2014the stakes are always higher. The standard of rigor for a journalist, whether you\u2019re fact-checking or editing or writing, there\u2019s more responsibility involved. The requirement to go about your job to the highest possible standard is raised. There are many sections that deal with addiction, substance use, mental illness, and violence in this book. Those are, certainly on an emotional level, very hard to write and hard to talk with people about and the pain and harm and illness contained therein. I took more time pinning down those sections. For example, in instances of violence documented in the book, you have to do the work of getting the police records, if they exist. Sometimes that involves sending out letters with money orders, and that can be cumbersome, and it\u2019s absolutely required to even begin to be able to responsibly write about these things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would say that in telling those parts of the story, I knew I needed to be honest and tell Justin\u2019s story, and I knew that would require navigating some pretty gnarly parts of the book and parts of Justin\u2019s life. And there are things that I don\u2019t know about Justin\u2019s life. Justin is a public figure, but most people in his life are fairly private people, and there are things that folks shared with me about his life that ended up in the book, and there are probably things that people did not share about his life. I wanted to be careful to not push people to talk about things that they weren\u2019t willing to speak about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You wanted to respect their comfort levels.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everybody had different comfort levels. There are plenty of people with pretty brutal stories to tell that did not speak with me. Perhaps, and this is only speculation, it\u2019s because they have some pretty hard memories, and there are people who spoke with me who definitely drew their own lines about how much they were going to share and how much they were not going to share. Oftentimes they told me, like, \u201cThere are some things I\u2019m not going to tell you,\u201d and your job as a journalist, of course, is to always create an environment where people are feeling as comfortable, relaxed, and trusted as possible, that they\u2019re going to be more forthcoming, like in the way that I\u2019m being very forthcoming with you right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I did not see it as my job to press people on their boundaries. But yeah, to go back to your original question, you just take those things a lot more seriously. You want to make sure that everyone is on the record and that they\u2019re comfortable with stuff being in the book. You go back to people, and you fact-check these things. In a more pragmatic sense, I was very careful to do that if someone talked to me about a really tense moment in their life that involved Justin, involved violence, or involved substance use. Going back and fact-checking that stuff with them is a way to make sure that they\u2019re actually comfortable with it being in the book, and it\u2019s a way to make sure that when you\u2019re speaking off the cuff that you\u2019re actually telling the truth, and that the journalist who\u2019s receiving that has all the details. So I was going through all the procedures in that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>On a lighter note, what parts of this book did you get the most joy out of writing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Approaching this book as a fan, in some ways, was the biggest fan\u2019s gift. Hearing stories that I\u2019ve heard was fun, but honestly, the moments that just flipped me out with just childlike glee were the moments when people sent me music of his that no one\u2019s ever heard before. I think back to a few treasure-trove Dropbox dumps of recordings. A lot of it was early recording, before Justin\u2019s official career started and he released&nbsp;<em>Yuma<\/em>&nbsp;in 2007. He never released anything before&nbsp;<em>Yuma<\/em>, but he recorded a lot of stuff in a lot of different forms around Nashville for the better part of a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I even tried to make a biographer\u2019s sense of what it means and why it\u2019s important, but just listening to it as a fan and hearing electric versions of songs that I knew on his later records, like <strong>Rogers Park<\/strong>. The first time I heard the electric, full-band, almost-Replacements-[meets]-<strong>Elvis-Costello<\/strong> version of \u201cRogers Park,\u201d I went nuts. The first time I heard the <strong>Swindlers\u2019 Chicken Shack<\/strong> recording of that same song and more of an almost bluegrassy, acoustic version, I went nuts hearing the harmonies that are being sung on that recording. Those were the biggest thrills for me, and they led to me having such a deeper appreciation for his art and his songwriting and how it progressed, developed, and matured<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those were some of the moments of the purest joy. Getting to hear those unreleased recordings and digging through the Internet Archive, through all the live recordings that existed of Justin\u2019s career. I had dabbled as a fan, but I\u2019d never systematically listened to every show, doing nerdy superfan stuff as part of my research process. There are a lot of things in this book that were emotionally complex for me and more challenging. But that stuff was just pure joy as a music fan.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Malcolm-Holcombe-April-13-2015-Photo-credit-Andrea-Furlan.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25511\" style=\"width:467px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Malcolm-Holcombe-April-13-2015-Photo-credit-Andrea-Furlan.webp 500w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Malcolm-Holcombe-April-13-2015-Photo-credit-Andrea-Furlan-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>One of the best parts of just being a music journalist is that the research process includes listening to a lot of music, so you just get to be a nerd and embrace the nerd in you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through Justin\u2019s story, I also discovered a lot of artists that I frankly did not really know much of anything about through this process. Pretty early on, a lot of Justin\u2019s teenage and early-20-something friends, they all started talking to me about how everyone in this scene in <strong>Nashville<\/strong> in the early 2000s late \u201890s idolized the singer named <strong>Malcolm Holcombe<\/strong>, <strong>(right)<\/strong> who was a western North Carolina singer-songwriter who never got his due but was regionally important and influential. I didn\u2019t know anything about Malcolm Holcombe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Neither did I!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His song <strong>Who Carried You<\/strong>, one Justin loved and covered late into his career, is one of my favorite songs that I\u2019ve heard in the last 5-10 years now, so that was a really rewarding thing, too, just as a fan and as a music journalist to discover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do you see some parallels between people like Malcolm Holcombe and Justin, where, in their time, they weren\u2019t properly appreciated, but now they have a legacy that\u2019s taken a bit more seriously?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"120\" height=\"183\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/download-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25464\" style=\"width:340px;height:auto\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Definitely. The clearest example of that is Justin\u2019s middle namesake, <strong>Townes Van Zandt<\/strong>, <strong>(left<\/strong>) who in the last few years of his life, was playing clubs to a couple dozen people. He was not the avatar of country-folk genius that he is now. It was almost crazy researching this book and realizing how much that was almost recent. I started listening to Townes Van Zandt in college in the late 2000s. He had only died ten years prior to that. In a larger sense, I do believe that Justin\u2019s going to become an artist that is appreciated, revered, and respected in the canon and as a great songwriter in a way that he never fully was during his lifetime. Something that I learned about Justin is that he really identified as a working musician, and he really wanted to be seen as and associate himself with musicians who really cared about the art that they made. It was in many cases, the most central part of their identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But oftentimes, not always, but oftentimes they did not care whether or not that resulted in great fame or notoriety. Writing this book about Justin and getting to know his community introduced me to so many people, even just in Nashville today, who are musicians that, like Malcolm Holcombe, I just didn\u2019t know about. They\u2019ve never become nationally famous, but someone like <strong>Steve Poulton<\/strong>, who I got to really know through this process and who produced Justin\u2019s first two records. He makes really great music under the moniker <strong>Altered Statesman in Nashville<\/strong>. Music heads in Nashville all know who this guy is. I don\u2019t know that Steve Poulton has any kind of national profile, but he is the type of musician that Justin surrounded himself with and felt most comfortable and a kinship with. Though Justin would go on to have a national profile, sell out mid-sized clubs all over the country, and attain a level of success that a lot of his peers did not. He always associated himself and identified with the type of musician who doesn\u2019t totally care about that stuff, and that may be one of many reasons why he often self-sabotaged his many opportunities to achieve even wider success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It almost reminds me a little bit of the Replacements and Bob Mehr\u2019s book&nbsp;<\/strong><em><strong>Trouble Boys<\/strong><\/em><strong>. I got hints of that while I was reading your book. Everyone thought the Replacements should\u2019ve been bigger. And it didn\u2019t seem like they were really that interested. They almost were happy to occupy the space that they did.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Justin idolized&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/music\/the-replacements\/the-replacements-stop-caring-and-start-growing-up-let-it-be-at-40\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>the Replacements<\/strong><\/a>. Justin was such a student of musical history and American music history and knew everything about it. But he was also a real student of music and rock mythology and the stories that are told about it. Justin took in a lot of stories told about artists like the Replacements or Billie Holiday or <strong>Gram Parsons<\/strong>, or these stories about artists that often ended in tragedy and ended in artists being broke or not really achieving the level that they should have. For Justin, there was some glamor and beauty, and he had a real reverence for that story of the person of the genius band that doesn\u2019t care about stepping on its own foot and will continue to do so. He was very self-conscious in the way that he was acting out some of those tropes that he had ingested as a kid. I mean, his father was Steve Earle, like he just knew. He knew all these histories, and he was very aware of what he was doing, and when he did stuff that completely shot his career in the foot and switched sounds or rejected certain parts of the industry, he knew the lineage that he was being placed in. He loved&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/music\/big-star\/music-so-loud-cant-tell-a-thing-big-stars-radio-city-at-50\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Big Star<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> He loved the Replacements. He loved these stories of art. A lot of his favorite artists were quite obscure, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do you see Justin\u2019s legacy today? How do you see his imprint on music being made right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"92\" height=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/images.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25467\" style=\"width:337px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/images.jpg 92w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/images-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/images-36x36.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 92px) 100vw, 92px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>I think Justin\u2019s legacy is only beginning to be fully appreciated and discovered for later generations. But I think his influence has never been in some ways more pronounced, even if it\u2019s sometimes still quiet. He was ahead of his time in many ways commercially, and the type of music that he made is today receiving the types of commercial opportunities and spotlights that were almost unimaginable 10-15 years ago. People like <strong>Sierra Ferrell<\/strong> <strong>(right)<\/strong> and Charley Crockett, both of whom cover Harlem River Blues, Justin\u2019s biggest song, are playing stages 5x bigger than any stage Justin ever played. There are people who are selling out stadiums like <strong>Tyler Childers<\/strong> and <strong>Zach Bryan<\/strong> and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/music\/noah-kahan\/cover-story-the-wild-wonderful-year-of-noah-kahan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Noah Kahan<\/strong><\/a><strong>. <\/strong>You can trace their influence several degrees back, and you arrive at Justin pretty quickly, even if they\u2019re not explicitly talking about how they\u2019re Justin Townes Earle superfans in the way that Charley Crockett is. Justin came up at a time when he was in this Mumford moment, and he influenced a lot of those guys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mumford and Sons <\/strong>have this great quote where they say that, once people discover Justin, they\u2019ll realize what frauds they are, which I love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>15 years later, that music has this huge resurgence in our culture with the <strong>Lumineers<\/strong> being as big as they are. Of course, I\u2019m looking for it as Justin\u2019s biographer, but in these past few years since his death, I see new artists popping up all the time, whether they\u2019re releasing records like <strong>Margo Cilker<\/strong>, who\u2019s this phenomenal artist who has a song about Justin on her most recent album, or just people on YouTube, or people in bars playing <strong>Harlem River Blues<\/strong> or bluegrass bands adding that to the repertoire. The process of Justin\u2019s full cultural influence is in early bloom. I think that it\u2019s going to continue to reverberate for many, many generations of artists who never got to see him perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Grant Sharples is a writer, journalist and critic. His work has also appeared in<\/em><\/strong><strong>&nbsp;Interview, Uproxx, Pitchfork, Stereogum, The Ringer, Los Angeles Review of Books,&nbsp;<em>and other publications. He lives in Kansas City.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"249\" height=\"203\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/pointiung-the-way.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25507\" style=\"width:143px;height:auto\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>All Points Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BITS AND PIECES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>by<\/strong> <strong>Peter Pearson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"425\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/81ZqlJsxdUL._SX425_-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25525\" style=\"width:235px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/81ZqlJsxdUL._SX425_-4.jpg 425w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/81ZqlJsxdUL._SX425_-4-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/81ZqlJsxdUL._SX425_-4-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/81ZqlJsxdUL._SX425_-4-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/81ZqlJsxdUL._SX425_-4-180x180.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have also read the authorised biography of <strong>Justin Townes Earle.<\/strong> In the course of reading it I discovered, as did <strong>Norm<\/strong>, that Justin was a big fan of the late singer songwriter <strong>Malcolm Holcombe<\/strong> <strong>(right).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I went to see Malcolm Holcombe at <strong>Bury Met<\/strong> circa 2016, and our mutual friend <strong>Stuart Warburton<\/strong> was the promoter. At the time I felt <strong>Holcombe<\/strong> was a bit too much in the <strong>Tom Waits<\/strong> vocal range for me but after reading the book I have revisited Holcombe\u00b4s catalogue and now, sadly too late, I am a big fan. He is something of an acquired taste but his albums are perfectly produced and feature the likes of&nbsp; <strong>Iris Dement<\/strong> and <strong>Greg Brown<\/strong> and other stalwarts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The RCA Sessions<\/strong> is a good place to start. But here is a little ditty that might tickle your fancy. Its called <strong>Bury England<\/strong> and Holcombe wrote&nbsp;it at that Bury Met gig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I only found out about it when going through his catalogue. It is on his <strong>Pretty Little Troubles <\/strong>album, released in 2017. You need to read the lyrics, in which he refers to Stuart as <strong>Mr. W<\/strong>, to fully appreciate his wry sense of humour..&nbsp;Holcombe has a very interesting back story and was I thinking of writing a profile of him for the blog&#8230;&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-1030x1030.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25527\" style=\"width:270px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-1030x1030.webp 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-80x80.webp 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-1536x1536.webp 1536w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-36x36.webp 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-180x180.webp 180w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-1500x1500.webp 1500w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ-705x705.webp 705w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ.webp 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, amongst other news, <strong>Thomm Jutz<\/strong> has heavily promoted his new solo album-out next month. I have had a substack and e-mail from him promoting the album. I suspect that\u00b4s why <strong>Circle \u00c1nd Square, by Brace &amp; Jutz <\/strong>was not toured to any extent earlier this year. Nevertheless, Jutz and his new album are now both in my collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thomm says of <strong>Ring-A-Bellin\u00b4<\/strong>, the new album recently reviewed on 5th April, 2026 that he had been <strong> \u201c thinking about making another solo record for some time, something sonically and thematically different from what I\u2019d done before, different in instrumentation and approach to recording as well.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I wanted to start recording every song with the smallest musical unit appropriate to the song and only add what felt necessary and relevant, keeping everything in the realm of acoustic instruments. Some songs started and ended with just me singing and playing, others with me and bass player extraordinaire Mark Fain, or as a trio with Tim O\u2019Brien and Michael Rinne. All the main ingredients are live, especially all the lead vocals.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It was extremely liberating to record like this, in the moment, with almost no premeditation, no direction to the players, not even much, or any, direction to myself. It felt immensely freeing to my guitar playing and reconnected me with an energy I wasn\u2019t sure I still had. It takes players that you trust 100% to record like that, like all the players on this album &#8211; and engineers like my old friend Andy Kern, and my new friend Finn Goodwin-Bain, who are willing to move fast and with confidence to capture the moment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, it goes without saying that <strong>Norm<\/strong> will tell me he\u00b4d now like to include a review of the album in <strong>Sidetracks &amp; Detours<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I also appreciate the fine catalogue of work <strong>Eric Bibb<\/strong> has created over the years, I should also include, perhaps, a review his current album. . Sadly, though, it doesn\u00b4t quite sit comfortably in my collection of his best works. Nevertheless, I saw him in concert a few weeks ago, so I\u00b4ll maybe let Norm have a review of that !?<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"220\" height=\"229\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/editors-note-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/editors-note-1.jpg 220w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/editors-note-1-36x36.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 220px) 100vw, 220px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Editor\u00b4s Note<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks, Peter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That story about <strong>Stuart Warburton<\/strong> has some uncanny coincidences for me. I knew Stuart at about the time you did, I suppose, and I thought of him as an enthusuastic promoters of the Americana associates who undertook short <strong>UK<\/strong> tours, to complement their growing fan base in America. I know that you and I both remember the likes of <strong>Tom Pacheco, Tom Russell<\/strong> and of course,<strong> John Stewart.<\/strong> Throughout that period of several years I was unaware that Stuart was also an aomcplished musician, and because we lost touch as those tours became more scarce I remained unaware until long after we arrived here to live on Lanzarote some eleven years ago. I was speaking to my son on a Watts App link to South Korea when je told me he had been speaking on line with Stuart Warburton, who was oned of his favourite guitarists !! Wierd, because i had never known that Andrew knew Stuart. Its a kind of Invisible Angels sOtry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyways, please feel free to send any previews, reviews or interviews. I always look forward to them ! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"798\" height=\"391\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FOLK-IMAGE-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26032\" style=\"width:466px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FOLK-IMAGE-2.png 798w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FOLK-IMAGE-2-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FOLK-IMAGE-2-768x376.png 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/FOLK-IMAGE-2-705x345.png 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>English Folk Expo 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER OUTSTANDING YEAR&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>From <strong>English Folk Expo 2026<\/strong> it is incredibly heartening to hear that delegates and artists had such a positive experience through our post-event survey.<br><br>We were delighted to learn that you continue to see such clear and sustained value in returning and that, from survey respondents alone, prospective showcase artist bookings reached a staggering 459 shows.<br><br>Thank you to every one of you who made EFEx 2026 such a remarkable edition. Your feedback has been invaluable as we work to make our folk, roots and acoustic music showcase even better for 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>GIGS COMING UP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lal &amp; Mike Waterson&#8217;s &nbsp;Bright Phoebus Revisited<\/strong><strong><br>Featuring&nbsp;Marry Waterson \u2022 Eliza Carthy \u2022 Daragh Lynch (Lankum) \u2022 Matt Deighton \u2022 Martyn Barker \u2022 Ben Nicholls<\/strong><br><strong>Sat 12 Sept | The Stoller Hall; Manchester<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bright Phoebus<\/strong>, <strong>Lal and Mike Waterson<\/strong>\u2019s 1972 folk-noir masterpiece, has long been recognised as one of British music&#8217;s legendary lost records. Following the parting of ways of The Watersons, Lal and Mike Waterson\u2019s love of words allowed them to serve the needs of their songs in ways that weren\u2019t possible when singing already written songs.<br><br>Featuring performances from <strong>Lal, Mike and Norma Waterson, Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Mattacks, Tim Hart and Maddy Prior<\/strong>, amongst others, the album is now recognised as a forward-thinking benchmark for the genre.&nbsp;<br><br><strong>Bright Phoebus Revisited<\/strong> celebrates the cult folk album, featuring family members <strong>Marry Waterson and Eliza Carthy<\/strong> performing the songs alongside special guests.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COLIN-BLUNSTONE-1030x1030.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26034\" style=\"width:182px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COLIN-BLUNSTONE-1030x1030.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COLIN-BLUNSTONE-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COLIN-BLUNSTONE-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COLIN-BLUNSTONE-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COLIN-BLUNSTONE-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COLIN-BLUNSTONE-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COLIN-BLUNSTONE-705x705.jpg 705w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COLIN-BLUNSTONE.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><br><br><strong>COLIN BLUNSTONE<br>Wed 13 May | The Stoller Hall, Manchester<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next week, <strong>Colin Blunstone<\/strong>, lead singer of Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame inductees and \u201cBritish Invasion\u201d pioneers The Zombies, brings his Believe In Miracles tour to Stoller Hall for his first solo outing in seven years.<br><br>Blunstone has enjoyed a career spanning more than six decades and is celebrated for his uniquely silky, emotive vocal style.<br><br>With The Zombies\u2019 touring era now concluded, don\u2019t miss one of England\u2019s most distinctive voices as he performs timeless hits like <em>She\u2019s Not There<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>Tell Her No<\/em>&nbsp;and <em>Time of the Season<\/em>,&nbsp;along with select cuts from his forthcoming studio album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RYAN-YOUNG-1030x1030.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26036\" style=\"width:176px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RYAN-YOUNG-1030x1030.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RYAN-YOUNG-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RYAN-YOUNG-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RYAN-YOUNG-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RYAN-YOUNG-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RYAN-YOUNG-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RYAN-YOUNG-705x705.jpg 705w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RYAN-YOUNG.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ryan Young<br>Sun&nbsp;22&nbsp;Nov (Matin\u00e9e)&nbsp;| Band on the Wall<\/strong><br>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After his jaw-dropping set at this year\u2019s festival, virtuosic Scottish fiddle player <strong>Ryan Young<\/strong> will be making his triumphant return. Young will be joined by guitarist Louis Campbell (Sam Lee, Sam Sweeney) and together they will offer&nbsp;masterfully detailed explorations of their traditional repertoire, alongside highlights from Young&#8217;s eagerly anticipated new album<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>GOING UP IN THE FOLK UK ALBUM CHARTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Mumford And Sons still at number 1 with Prize Fighter there is a queue behind them ready to dethreone them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Deluxe Edition of <strong>Laura Marling\u2019s <\/strong><em><strong>Patterns In Repeat<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/em>kicks off this month\u2019s new entries at<strong> No. 3<\/strong>. Lauded for its artistic maturity, the album was originally released in 2024 and this new edition features a full live show recorded at Manchester\u2019s Albert Hall, where Marling was joined by a string section and London\u2019s Deep Throat Choir<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUTLER-BLAKE-AND-GRANT-1030x1030.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26037\" style=\"width:172px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUTLER-BLAKE-AND-GRANT-1030x1030.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUTLER-BLAKE-AND-GRANT-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUTLER-BLAKE-AND-GRANT-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUTLER-BLAKE-AND-GRANT-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUTLER-BLAKE-AND-GRANT-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUTLER-BLAKE-AND-GRANT-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUTLER-BLAKE-AND-GRANT-705x705.jpg 705w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BUTLER-BLAKE-AND-GRANT.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A year on from their debut album, <strong>Butler, Blake &amp; Grant<\/strong> return with <strong><em>Murmurs<\/em><\/strong> at <strong>No. 5<\/strong>, which sees the trio reimagining songs from their respective back catalogues. Online blog, Say It With Garage Flowers wrote that the sophomore album \u201cmanages to evoke the same intimate and rootsy atmosphere as the group\u2019s debut: it\u2019s a cosy, inviting and warm-sounding record, conjuring up images of log fires, gazing out at stormy seas and walking under overcast skies in wintertime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7SEAFRET.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26038\" style=\"width:179px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7SEAFRET.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7SEAFRET-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7SEAFRET-80x80.jpeg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7SEAFRET-36x36.jpeg 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7SEAFRET-180x180.jpeg 180w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yorkshire duo <strong>Seafret\u2019s <\/strong>fourth studio album <strong><em>Fear Of Emotion <\/em><\/strong>comes in at <strong>No. 10<\/strong>. A decade on from their breakthrough debut, the record, featuring James Morrison and KT Tunstall, marks a bold new chapter for Jack Sedman and Harry Draper, balancing intimate lyricism with masterfully textured, cinematic production that swells with quiet intensity into a cathartic release<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KRIS-DREVER-1030x1030.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26039\" style=\"width:177px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KRIS-DREVER-1030x1030.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KRIS-DREVER-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KRIS-DREVER-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KRIS-DREVER-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KRIS-DREVER-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KRIS-DREVER-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KRIS-DREVER-705x705.jpg 705w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KRIS-DREVER.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Kris Drever&#8217;s <\/strong><em><strong>Doing This For Love <\/strong><\/em>arrives at <strong>No. 11<\/strong> with the wisdom of someone who&#8217;s spent years listening as much as playing. Featuring Rachel Sermanni, Cahalen Morrison, Louis <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abbott and more, these ten songs are guitar-led meditations on the unglamorous heroism of everyday life: the 4am alarm clocks, the tedious shifts, the quiet sacrifices made in the name of keeping others whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPENCER-CULLUM-1030x1030.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26040\" style=\"width:181px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPENCER-CULLUM-1030x1030.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPENCER-CULLUM-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPENCER-CULLUM-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPENCER-CULLUM-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPENCER-CULLUM-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPENCER-CULLUM-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPENCER-CULLUM-705x705.jpg 705w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPENCER-CULLUM.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Spencer Cullum\u2019s Coin Collection <\/strong><em><strong>Volume 3<\/strong><\/em><strong> <\/strong>enters at <strong>No. 15<\/strong>. As a way to make sense of everything from the climate crisis to late-stage capitalism, the British-born, Nashville-based singer, songwriter and pedal steel savant turns to the folklore of his native England on this record. He finds comfort in the occult-tinged tales of ancient relics and midnight rites rather than in the extreme Christian views that tend to warp his adopted home in the American South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PICTISH-TRAIL-1030x1030.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26041\" style=\"width:180px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PICTISH-TRAIL-1030x1030.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PICTISH-TRAIL-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PICTISH-TRAIL-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PICTISH-TRAIL-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PICTISH-TRAIL-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PICTISH-TRAIL-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PICTISH-TRAIL-705x705.jpg 705w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PICTISH-TRAIL.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arriving at a time of immense personal tumult and featuring some of his warmest, most generous and emotionally intelligent songwriting yet, <strong>Pictish Trail\u2019s <\/strong><em><strong>Life Slime<\/strong><\/em> slithers in at <strong>No. 16<\/strong>. It is, in essence, \u201ca breakup record,\u201d says Johnny, moulded together with a love of wyrd folk, lo-fi alt-pop, kaleidoscopic world-building, suitably squelching analogue synths and a genuine obsession with gunge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/THE-MARSH-FAMILY-1030x1030.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26042\" style=\"width:178px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/THE-MARSH-FAMILY-1030x1030.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/THE-MARSH-FAMILY-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/THE-MARSH-FAMILY-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/THE-MARSH-FAMILY-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/THE-MARSH-FAMILY-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/THE-MARSH-FAMILY-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/THE-MARSH-FAMILY-705x705.jpg 705w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/THE-MARSH-FAMILY.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Marsh Family,<\/strong> a multi-instrumentalist family who first became global viral sensations six years ago, close out this month\u2019s new entries at <strong>No. 20<\/strong> with their debut album <strong><em>Hollow Chapters<\/em><\/strong>. Known for their quick-witted musical parodies and rich vocal harmonies, the record finds the six-piece delivering songs inspired by Greek mythology, nostalgia for traditions and modern-day heroes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"261\" height=\"193\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/pass-it-on-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26013\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/listings-jir-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26009\" style=\"width:285px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/listings-jir-2.jpg 110w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/listings-jir-2-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/listings-jir-2-36x36.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 110px) 100vw, 110px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What A Wonderful Weekend Is Planned<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>JAZZ LEGEND ALAN GRAHAME<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>99th Birthday Concert <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><br><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"483\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/crooked-billet-1030x483.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26010\" style=\"width:466px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/crooked-billet-1030x483.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/crooked-billet-300x141.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/crooked-billet-768x360.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/crooked-billet-705x331.jpg 705w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/crooked-billet.jpg 1258w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>The Crooked Billet<\/strong>, Stoke Row,&nbsp; Henley-on-Thames, RG9 5PU<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Saturday 18 July<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Arrive 7pm latest, music from 8:30 PM<br>\u00a335 music cover<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"636\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jazzin-may-in-readiong.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26011\" style=\"width:469px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jazzin-may-in-readiong.jpeg 636w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jazzin-may-in-readiong-248x300.jpeg 248w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/jazzin-may-in-readiong-584x705.jpeg 584w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><br>This is news of a very special All-Star event coming up at <strong>The Crooked Billet<\/strong> in <strong>Stoke Row on Saturday 18 July. <\/strong>&nbsp;<br><br>It\u2019s to celebrate the 99th birthday of Henley-based multi-instrumentalist <strong>Alan Grahame <\/strong>who has been part of the UK\u2019s evolving music scene for nearly a century. &nbsp; We can\u2019t show here every detail of the whole of Alan\u2019s sparkling career, but these snippets will give you a flavour\u2026<br><br>He first took to the stage at just 6 years old with his father\u2019s seaside concert party, performing as an entertainer long before television, when music and drama thrived in theatres, variety halls, and show bands.<br>&nbsp;<br>He played in gangster-run Soho jazz clubs in the 1940s and made&nbsp;many appearance on live TV in the 50s and 60s alongside popular American singers, including regular performances on BBC\u2019s <strong>Sunday Night at the Palladium.<\/strong> <br><strong><br><\/strong>He was <strong>Principal Percussionist with the BBC<\/strong>. Any artist, band, or record label needing <strong>xylophone, glockenspiel, tubular bells, timpani, tuba, or vibraphone<\/strong> would book <strong>Alan Grahame<\/strong>. He can be heard on over 1,000 recordings and contributed to hundreds of commercials and jingles.<br><br>During &nbsp;the late 1960s and 70s &nbsp;he supported artists of the calibre of <strong>Shirley Bassey, Ken Dodd, Tom Jones, Perry Como, Sammy Davis Jr., Count Basie, Engelbert Humperdinck,<\/strong> and many others<br>&nbsp;<br>The rise of pop, disco, and orchestral pop in the 1970s opened new avenues. Alan became part of the <strong>Top of the Pops Orchestra<\/strong>, recording and filming with artists such as <strong>Gladys Knight &amp; The Pips, Frankie Laine <\/strong>and <strong>Dionne Warwick<\/strong>.<br>&nbsp;<br>In <strong>1973<\/strong>, Alan had a massive No.1 hit single with <strong>The Simon Park Orchestra\u2019s \u201cEye Level,\u201d<\/strong> which sold over two million copies and remained in the charts for 22 weeks. It became the theme tune for the TV detective series <strong>Van der Valk.<\/strong><br>&nbsp;<br>As well as being a presenter on the BBC children\u2019s programme <strong>Play School<\/strong>, Alan performed on virtually all the major TV variety shows including <strong>Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies, The Benny Hill Show, Des O\u2019Connor Tonight, Bruce Forsyth\u2019s Big Night,<\/strong> and <em>Parkinson.<\/em> In one remarkable moment on Parkinson, he performed live, unrehearsed, with <strong>Duke Ellington<\/strong>. &nbsp;<br><br>By the millennium, technological changes &#8211; synthesised and computer-generated music &#8211; reduced opportunities for live musicians. By then in his 70s, Alan returned to his love of jazz, forming and touring with his <strong>Alan Grahame Big Band<\/strong>. He also became deeply involved in teaching, , mentoring, and nurturing young aspiring talent. &nbsp;<br><br>At 98, Alan finally chose to slow down a little. <em>\u201cWhat\u2019s kept me going is my innate love for music. Music is in my blood. It is my life.\u201d<\/em><br>&nbsp;<br>Alan continues to receive royalties from the many recordings and film scores he performed on, including <strong>Star Wars, Life of Brian, Elephant Man and The Full Monty<\/strong>. &nbsp;<br>He has maintained his passion for live performance, jazz, and recording, with residencies at leading venues such as <strong>Duc des Lombards, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Epicurus in Copenhagen<\/strong>, and <strong>Ronnie Scott\u2019s.<br><\/strong>&nbsp;<br>Alan Grahame remains a shining diamond, still with enough breath to blow out 99 candles.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"261\" height=\"193\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/pass-it-on-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26167\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>A SPRING FESTIVAL IN THE COTSWOLDS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>previewed on OCMF newsletter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>shared by Norman Warwick<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For twenty-six years, the <strong>Oxford Chamber Music Foundation<\/strong> has stood at the forefront of artistic ambition, world-class musicianship, and groundbreaking programming. The OCMF festival experience has become the heartbeat of a global community of musicians and music-lovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Founded in 2000, OCMF has grown from an ambitious gathering of classical musicians into what <strong>Time Out <\/strong>calls a <strong>&#8220;world class&#8221; festiv<\/strong>al by any standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>OCMF<\/strong>  invite passionate partners to join us in shaping the future of a festival that combines friendship, heritage, and idealism \u2014 and whose impact reaches far beyond its concert halls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Oxford Chamber Music Foundaton <\/strong>remind us that their 2026 Festival is fast approaching,s promising exceptional concerts with inspired repertoires<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With deep gratitude to all of their early birds who make this festival possible, and in recognition of their eager music lovers who narrowly missed out on Asthall Manor tickets (fully booked), Oxford Chamber Music Foundation would like to extend a 20% discount code for General Admission tickets to our remaining concerts, shareable with friends and family.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>World-Class Artistic Excellence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OCMF creates a uniquely collaborative environment where legendary musicians convene at the forefront of artistry. Spontaneous, heart-felt music-making has become our unmistakable signature \u2014 performances described as &#8220;unforgettable&#8221; across generations of festival-goers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Oxford&#8217;s Intellectual &amp; Cultural Capital<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The community surrounding Oxford&#8217;s OCMF is historically significant to the city&#8217;s cultural identity. With over 3,000 annual attendees, OCMF is a fixture in the fabric of a city renowned as one of the world&#8217;s leading intellectual and cultural centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Real and Measurable Social Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to the generous support of the Cavatina Trust, OCMF has been able to offer free tickets to under-25s in previous editions. This commitment continues: we remain dedicated to providing reduced-price and free tickets to students, Ukrainian refugees, and those who need financial assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>National &amp; International Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OCMF is regularly featured by BBC Music Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, and International media. A festival with growing national and international visibility \u2014 sponsors enjoy amplified exposure across classic and digital ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"719\" height=\"1030\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ocmf-priya-719x1030.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26177\" style=\"width:464px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ocmf-priya-719x1030.jpg 719w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ocmf-priya-209x300.jpg 209w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ocmf-priya-768x1101.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ocmf-priya-1072x1536.jpg 1072w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ocmf-priya-1047x1500.jpg 1047w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ocmf-priya-492x705.jpg 492w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ocmf-priya.jpg 1124w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 719px) 100vw, 719px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Priya Mitchell, (left) the Founder and Artistic Director <\/strong>of <strong>OCMF<\/strong> grew up in Oxford and studied with <strong>David Takeno<\/strong> at the <strong>Yehudi Menuhin School<\/strong> and with <strong>Zachar Bron <\/strong>in Germany. She was chosen as the British <strong>representative of the European Concert Halls Organisation&#8217;s &#8216;Rising Stars&#8217; series<\/strong>, which led to tours and performances with the <strong>Royal Philharmonic Orchestr<\/strong>a, <strong>BBC Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra<\/strong>, and the <strong>Philharmonia.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a recitalist and chamber musician, Priya has performed extensively at international festivals including<strong> Schleswig-Holstein, Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, Kuhmo, Lockenhaus, Ris\u00f8r, Heimbach, Ravinia, Lugano, Cheltenham, Bath, Stavanger, <\/strong>and <strong>Trondheim.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under her visionary artistic direction, OCMF has been described as\u00a0<em>&#8220;<\/em><strong><em>a musical miracle&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 gathering beloved friends and artists from across the globe year after year for a unique week of celebration in Oxford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the concerts previewed below we would advise any  <strong>Sidetracks &amp; Detours<\/strong> readers who wish to attend  to check out ticket availability on the <strong>Oxford Chamber Music Foundation web site,<\/strong> by simply  typing <strong>Oxford Chamber Music Foundation <\/strong>into <strong>Google<\/strong>..We note from the programme previews below that <strong>Joni Mitchell<\/strong> has <strong>Faure<\/strong> and <strong>Bach<\/strong> on <strong>Both Sides Now<\/strong> in a gathering that also includes <strong>Scumann, Debussy, Part,  Bloch<\/strong> in an adventurous and eclectic offering of <strong>Dreams and Prayers.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The concert on 31st May undertakes a look at our cardiac condition , and how emotions affect us. IOndee4d, .. be still my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/celebration-1030x686.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26178\" style=\"width:464px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/celebration-1030x686.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/celebration-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/celebration-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/celebration-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/celebration-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/celebration-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/celebration-705x470.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Friday 29 May | 7.30pm | Burford Church<\/strong><br><strong>DREAMS AND PRAYERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>World-class musicians bring transcendent beauty and compelling storytelling to the mellow stones of this historic sanctuary.&nbsp;<br><br>Schumann | from Kinderszenen<br>Debussy | Clair de Lune<br>P\u00e4rt | My heart is in the Highlands<br>Bloch | Prayer<br>Faur\u00e9 | Apr\u00e8s un r\u00eave<br>Joni Mitchell | Both Sides Now<br>~ Interval ~<br>Bach | Goldberg Variations arr. string trio<br><br>Tickets: \u00a330 (limited restricted view seats from \u00a315)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why not make your evening in Burford extra special with a pre-concert dinner? We&#8217;ve partnered with the Michelin-trained team at Thyme &amp; Lovage Riverside Cafe to offer an exclusive seasonal dinner for our patrons. Email&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/cfcbcb91e654\/ocmfs-spring-celebration-in-the-cotswolds-14058516?e=6662d4ef6e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hello@thymeandlovage.com<\/a>&nbsp;to reserve your table for 6pm.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sunday 31 May | 3.00pm | Swinbrook Church<\/strong><br><strong>BE STILL MY HEART<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the lyrical warmth of Borodin\u2019s Notturno to the spirited elegance of Mozart, this intimate programme embraces the depth and power of the human heart. Family-friendly concert with complimentary tea and cake.<br><br>Schubert \u2014 String Trio in B\u266d major, D471<br>Rebecca Clarke \u2014 I Bid My Heart Be Still<br>Mozart \u2014 Duo for Violin and Viola in G major<br>Borodin \u2014 Notturno from String Quartet No.2<br><br>Tickets: from \u00a330 (children free with accompanying adult)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>OCMF<\/strong> look forward to welcoming you to an exceptional weekend of music in the Cotswolds.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"340\" height=\"340\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/whats-next-1462747__340-3.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/whats-next-1462747__340-3.webp 340w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/whats-next-1462747__340-3-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/whats-next-1462747__340-3-80x80.webp 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/whats-next-1462747__340-3-36x36.webp 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/whats-next-1462747__340-3-180x180.webp 180w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY MAY 17<sup>TH<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Sophie Rose Music, r.i.p&nbsp; Chip Taylor, Jazz Samba<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/coming-soon-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26045\" style=\"width:182px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/coming-soon-1.png 512w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/coming-soon-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/coming-soon-1-80x80.png 80w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/coming-soon-1-36x36.png 36w, https:\/\/aata.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/coming-soon-1-180x180.png 180w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRFACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY MAY 24<sup>TH<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Poets and rhyme, Rochdale Music Society<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY &nbsp;MAY 31<sup>st<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Choosin\u00b4 Texas,\u2026or Country,\u2026or Americana?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY JUNE 7<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>A Town With A Feel Good Factor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY JUNE 14<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Music In Portsmouth, Alexandra Peel profile<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY 21<sup>st<\/sup>&nbsp;JUNE 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Town Of Culture creative awards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS AND DETOURS SUNDAY 28<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;JUNE 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>In Search Of Where Truth Lies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY JULY 5<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>The Radio Ballad Of The Miners\u00b4Strike<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>featuring<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>John Tams, Barry Coope, Sally Ward, Rube Leonard, Julie Matthews, Jez Lowe &amp; Ray Hearne<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY JULY 12<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Lendanear to Songs Of Old King Coal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY JULY 19<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Working In A Coal Mine with Lee Dorsey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY JULY 26<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp; 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>jazz and classical music explore themes of unity and social progress<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>featurng<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Wynton Marsalis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS&amp; DETOURS SUNDAY AUGUST 2<sup>nd<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Songwriters &amp; Invisible Angels chapter 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">by Peter Pearson and Norman Warwick<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">featuring<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Kate Wolf and Julie Matthews<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY 9<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;AUGUST<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>a year as poet laureate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>featuring<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u00b4<strong>\u00b4Sammy Weaver<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY 16<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;AUGUST 2<sup>nd<\/sup>&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em><strong>Michael:<\/strong><\/em><strong>&nbsp;a film about art for arts\u00b4sake ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY 23<sup>rd<\/sup>&nbsp;august 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Buddy Mondlock is a songwriter !<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY 30<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;AUGUST 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Too Darn Hot: live jazz<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY 6<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;SEPTEMBER 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Canary Cruising,\u2026cool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY 13<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;SEPTEMBER 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>secretly recorded live gigs legitimised on line?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY 20<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;SEPTEMBER 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Waiting For Godot and Music At Lunchtomes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">SIDETRACKS &amp; DETOURS SUNDAY 27<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;SEPTEMBER 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>r.i.p. David Alan Coe, songwriter and unreliable narrator<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Do You Do When You\u00b4re Lonesome? The Life And Legacy Of Justin Townes Earle The authorised biography by Jonathan Bernstein The author and Rolling Stone&nbsp;journalist speaks with Grant Sharples, of&nbsp;Paste&nbsp;Magazine\u00b4s Audio Books Column about the art of fact-checking and handling sensitive stories with care, when authoring a biography. Grant Sharples:My column, Audio Books,&nbsp;is a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25446"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26179,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25446\/revisions\/26179"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}