Maverick Country Music Magazine

1 November 2022

It feels like festival season has only just ended and already we are preparing for the next! Country Music Week took place in October and it saw artists such as Caitlyn Smith and Tenille Townes tour the UK but before that the Country 2 Country launch took place. The announcement of the C2C line up has got me excited for 2023 already and it was a pleasure to catch up with Midland and Lainey Wilson who are returning to the UK to play on the main stage at the event in March. Last issue’s cover star, Mitchell Tenpenny will also be taking to the C2C stage for the very first time after he was set to appear at the C2C that was cancelled in 2020. You can find a guide to each artist and a recommended song in our events section. This time of year there is much to celebrate, it’s that time when the CMA awards are announced and also when Christmas albums begin to be released. However, in the country music calendar there’s another special anniversary, the anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry which first aired in November 97 years ago! Eric attended a special celebration in Nashville and we recalled some of the most memorable performances in our Blast from the Past section. It was also an honour to chat to one of the Grand Ole Opry’s longest serving member’s, Jeannie Seely. Seely has been a trailblazer for women within the genre and talked me through what the Opry, dubbed the home of country music, means to her. Another female who is taking a stand and paving the way within the creative industries is actress turned singer Rita Wilson who’s new album features some of her favourite artists and some of country music’s most notable names. From Keith Urban to Willie Nelson, Tim McGraw to Jimmie Allen and Wilson shared her journey from acting, to producing, to becoming a singer/songwriter in what was a truly fascinating conversation. I was delighted to be able to champion Shane Profitt in our One to Watch section this issue, he has a funny story of how he broke onto the scene following a chance meeting with Chris Janson. Meanwhile, we spoke with three up and coming artists from Canada, New Zealand and the UK in our Beyond Nashville section whilst our Encore and Behind the Songwriter artists are also British this time, each at different stages of their careers.