ELIZABETH COOK

The Ent Shed

Sat 19 July

Tickets £10

Singer/songwriter Elizabeth Cook made her Grand Ole Opry debut on March 17, 2000, appearing repeatedly thereafter -- a remarkable achievement considering that, at the time, she was an indie artist with no radio airplay. But such was the excitement generated by her clear, beautiful voice, strong songwriting ability, and live performances, all of which have drawn comparisons to younger, critically respected artists like Kelly Willis and legends such as Dolly Parton.

EILEEN ROSE

BAND

+ The Whybirds

The Ent Shed

Sat 6 September

Tickets £10

Like Lucinda Williams but with softer edges, Rose fuses country, honky-tonk and smoldering pop into something all her own. She has one of those rough, been-through-a-lot kind of voices, but she's careful not to overplay it. On Wheels Going By, an ode to summer driving and radio listening, and the jokey lover's plea See How I Need You, she positively purrs. When the brooding comes on Good Man, Rose nails it, singing something close to the perfect song as she asks her lover to "jump that hedgerow/I'll jump this bedroom window/Together we'll go and just ride, ride, ride." Only a fool wouldn't take her up on the offer.

~ Time Magazine

VIAROSA

The Ent Shed

Sat 13 September

Tickets £10

Led by singer-songwriter Richard Neuberg, VIAROSA have grown into a formidable act since their inception six years ago. Last year alone they shared tours and shows in the UK and in Europe with the likes of Midlake, Robyn Hitchcock and The Venus 3, Joan As Police Woman, Alejandro Escovedo and Josh T. Pearson. The highlight of 2007 came when, having watched this outstanding band play, REM invited VIAROSA to open for them at The Olympia Theatre in Dublin – REM’s first live outing in two years. As expected, this unique London band went down a storm.

HOMESPUN

The Ent Shed

Sun 21 September

Tickets £12

Cottage industry folk music - written in the kitchen, recorded in the bedroom and passionately argued over in that old cupboard next to the utility room (you know it- the one that smells of moths). No drums, no electric guitars - recorded by candlelight. Sort of.

Homespun were formed in 2002, when Dave Rotheray (The 'Beautiful South' guitarist/writer) decided to record a collection of songs he had written over the previous year. As recording progressed, more musicians got involved and the band were formed. The first album ("Homespun") was released in summer 2003 and the second ("Effortless Cool") in 2005

KIM RICHEY

With William Topley & Max Gilkes

Sat 27 September

The Howard Room

Corn Exchange

Tickets £12.00

“Nashville To Songville Tour”

Kim Richey has been plying her brand of insightful song craft since arriving in Nashville in the early ‘90s.  A tunesmith with a wide stylistic range – she’s written or co-written songs for Mary Chapin Carpenter, Trisha Yearwood and UK pop sensation James Morrison, among others – she’s also made four acclaimed solo albums and had her music featured in films and television shows such as For The Love Of The Game, Angel, Alias and Grey’s Anatomy.

ROD PICOTT

+ Ahab

The Ent Shed

Sat 4 October

Tickets £10

Growing up in the small mill town of South Berwick, Maine, Picott was exposed to a surprising mix of musical influences. His father, a former marine owned a record collection that spanned from the marches of John Philip Sousa to Ray Charles and an older brother, an avid record collector, introduced Rod to the punk poetry of Patti Smith and The Clash, finishing the groundwork of influences that Rod would draw from later in his own music. The seacoast area of southern Maine had an unlikely but thriving local music scene in the 80's and and Picott spent his teenage years in garage cover bands and original bands playing the clubs from Boston, MA to Portland, ME. '94 saw a move to Nashville TN where Rod established himself as one of the better new writers in town and hosted a weekly showcase called Rod Picott's Fireside Whiskey Hour as well as opening shows for Alison Krauss and Union Station and Gillian Welch. His co-write "Broke Down" with Slaid Cleaves was the most played song on Americana radio in 2000.

STEVE FORBERT

Michael Weston King

The Harpur Suite

Sat 22 November

Tickets £15 adv

Nearly 28 years since breaking into pop consciousness with his second album Jackrabbit Slim and its infectious Top Ten single “Romeo’s Tune,” Steve Forbert remains a master of songs offering clear-eyed insight and plain-spoken, heartfelt eloquence. On his 429 Records/SLG debut, the well-traveled Nashville-based troubadour—who maintains a busy touring schedule of over 100 dates a year — explores his ongoing fascination for Strange Names & New Sensations with characteristic wit, a sense of social consciousness and the ever-present romantic optimism that has endeared him to two generations of folk/rock fans.