BY LESLEY HASTINGS
Gig Of The Year : Ashley McBryde , Glasgow Barrowlands
When it came to country gigs here in UK there was an almost overwhelming amount going on this year…..and 2025 is already shaping up to be another bumper year for those of us who love live music.
There’s not many artists who would entice this Southerner to visit Scotland in January, but Ashley McBryde did just that when she announced two shows on successive nights at Glasgow’s iconic Barrowlands as part of her “Devil I Know” tour, and of course I was there for both. As always Ashley and her talented band, with whom she has an incredible rapport, didn’t disappoint. I just love how she manages to combine being amusing , engaging, humble, energetic and sincere . The all-standing venue, although sold out, was refreshingly spacious compared with my frequent “sardine can” experiences elsewhere, and as I have found in the past the Glaswegian crowd certainly know how to party while still being quiet and respectful when appropriate.
Meeting up with friends from Spain, USA and (naturally!) Scotland was a bonus, a fantastic experience all round.
Honourable Mentions :
Fanny Lumsden, Omera London
The Hello Darlins, Green Note London
Drake Milligan, Islington Assembly Hall London
Album Of The Year : Miranda Lambert “Postcards From Texas”
What a tough choice…..Hence the multiple honourable mentions!!
But ultimately Miranda’s September release, her first album since parting ways with Sony, won through. Recorded in the lone star state, her Texan roots shine loud and clear throughout the lyrics and arrangements of the fourteen tracks . As well as the fun stuff including “Armadillo”, “Wranglers” “Bitch on the Sauce” and “Alimony” there’s some much deeper writes in the mix which appear to draw on Miranda’s personal experiences and for me this is a real ” coming of age” release from her. “No Man’s Land” is probably one of my favourites in this respect, alongside “I Hate Love Songs” and “Run” but top to bottom it’s just a stunning release imho.
Honourable Mentions
Savannah Gardner “Recovering Good Girl”
Sunny Sweeney “Still Provoked”
Jackson Dean “On The Back of My Dreams”
Stephanie Lambring “Hypocrite”
American Aquarium “The Fear of Standing Still”
Carly Pearce “Hummingbird”
Single Of The Year : Jackson Dean “Still Ragin'”
Hmm this was a tough category! Mostly as I decided I didn’t want to include album tracks which were released as singles.
There’s relatively few “stand alone” singles released these days it seems, and my favourite two this year actually both came out on the same day just a few weeks ago. Yes I could have picked either but with Ashley taking my “gig of the year” category I have included her release in my “honourable mentions” here and gone with this energy laden, explosion of a song from Jackson .
And coming just a few months after his critically acclaimed latest album was unleashed to the world it demonstrates that he is not an artist to sit on his laurels. Co-written with Luke Dick and Ryan Tyndell, this is an ode to the rising star’s tenacity, independent spirit and sense of adventure (if that was ever in doubt!). It would definitely not have been out of place on the album and I wonder if it was maybe a contender ….a question for next time we chat! I can only imagine how brilliant it will be when performed live …..something we will hopefully witness when he and his incredible band return to the UK for a string of shows in the Spring.
Honourable Mentions
Ashley McBryde ” Ain’t Enough Cowboy Songs”
Jenny Tolman ” What I Really Wanted”
Brooke Law ” Real”