Maverick Country Music Magazine

1 September 2023

It's an issue close to home this time around, featuring some of the artists closest to my own heart. Tim McGraw was one of the first country artists I got to know as a teenager – minus the older country stars who punctuated my childhood car rides, of course! He talks about parenthood, letting go and moving on, all parts of life that people navigate in their own way and on their own terms. After many years of being the artist who people turn to when they’re looking for some light in their darkness, there’s no one better to talk you through a rough patch than Tim McGraw. We’ve taken a trip to both the Shrewsbury Folk Festival and the British Country Music Festival in this issue too, seeing artists like Robbie Cavanagh and Billy Bragg giving their all onstage has been an absolute privilege and pleasure. A special mention has to go to the homecoming show of Graham Nash, who showed us that no matter how long it’s been since you came home, it always hits at the heart. For our feature on Shania Twain, we took a look at her inspirational life story, back catalogue of hits and how, no matter what she faces, she always comes back with some of the greatest country/rock anthems out there. We explored Orville Peck’s unstoppable rise to fame, too. Peck is an artist that speaks to me in particular as a visual artist, with his focus on not only creating incredibly popular country music, but also an individual that carries on the tradition of country music stars curating a persona for the stage. Ashley McBryde is a true champion of country music. A rebellious and mischievous artist that doesn’t stray from writing unrelentingly honest and sometimes even brutal lyrics that keep people listening. I can’t wait to get the chance to see her perform live (although I’ll probably have to wait until next year). As for our top picks, we’ve examined some of the best country music from this year so far. I found Mickey Jupp fascinating and immediately dived into his discography, I listened to a boygenius folk track for perhaps the millionth time and discovered some new music by Jessica Lynn and Little Lore that I think everyone can agree is truly wonderful artistry. This issue is packed full of features and our Spotlight section is full of interviews with intriguing, knowledgeable artists that really made us think about country music differently. Happy reading and catch you in the next one!