Maverick Country Music Magazine

1 November 2021

The past couple of months have been a bit of a rollercoaster here at Maverick Magazine, the dreaded Covid caught up with me, whilst Eric was struck down with illness that required a hospital stay - we’re wishing him all the best in his recovery. On the other hand, I was taken back to the moments that first got me interested in country music as I interviewed a couple of my earliest influences in the likes of Lady A and Jason Aldean. I vividly remember being in my early teens, begging for my first iPod. When I finally got one I listened to songs like ‘Run to You’ and ‘Need You Now’, practicing singing along to them in my bedroom. Around the corridors in school I had Jason Aldean’s ‘Relentless’ and ‘She’s Country’ playing in my ears. It was long before I knew what the Grand Ole Opry was or the significance of Nashville, Tennessee, all I knew was this music ignited a fire within me that has been burning ever since. It’s been a pleasure to grow up with their music and to now speak with them about their latest releases was an honour. Once I realised these artists I was enjoying were country artists, I began to delve deeper into the genre and discovered the likes of Toby Keith. His illustrious career began two years before I was born and he’s still got an ear for a good idea when it comes to his songwriting, something which his evident on his latest record. His insight into writing a good song was fascinating for me to hear when I spoke with him a few weeks ago. In previous issues I have said how, once I told everyone in the family that I liked country music, my Gran would tell me of the artists she and my Grandad would listen to and share her vinyl with me. One of those artists was of course the great Johnny Cash. A true legend if ever there was one, his career has fascinated me ever since I first heard his music. From there, I discovered his children’s music, in particular the work of John Carter Cash, an excellent writer, producer and gatekeeper of his mother and father’s musical legacy. As a Johnny Cash live album resurfaced it was a good opportunity to catch up with John about his life and career. As I struggled with my health these past few weeks, the thing that continued to put a smile on my face was family and music. So I hope wherever you are in the world, whatever’s going on in your life, the stories behind the songs in this magazine will bring you comfort and some light relief for an hour or two.