Country Music People October 2016 | Page 3

12 COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE - OCTOBER 2016

Douglas McPherson talks Elvis , Willie , Waylon and Miley with a singer who ‘ s seen both sides of fame .

as we near the 25th anniversary of that mega-smash , it ’ s apt that his new disc should find the singer and actor taking stock of his life . The release features a mix of classic covers , duets and new material that together explore his past influences and who he is as a man and artist today .

The song Thin Line introduces many of the themes that the album goes on to explore and it ’ s not surprising that Elvis gets a name check , nor that the album revisits Hey Elvis , a song written by Bryan Adams ( who appears as a guest on the track ) and Gretchen Peters , that Cyrus first featured as a bonus track on his album Southern Rain at the turn of the millennium .

Elvis is a big part of Cyrus ’ life at the moment . This summer saw him star as an Elvis impersonator turned preacher in US comedy series , Still The King . Cyrus co-wrote the show , which was successful enough to warrant a second season next year . So , was he always a big Presley fan ? Let ’ s just say he feels a connection ...

“ You can ’ t be from the south and not be influenced by Elvis ,” Cyrus reflects . “ I ’ m from eastern Kentucky and Elvis was everywhere and influenced everybody . But I have to say it really was later in life for me , in 1992 , when I started seeing some of the headlines that read , ‘ Is this man the next Elvis ?’ that I started to realise there were some similarities between his life and mine .”

Before you start thinking Billy Ray is on an ego trip , comparing himself with the King , we better make clear that he ’ s not equating his artistry or influence with Presley ’ s , but noting the punishing

18 COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE - OCTOBER 2016

Music Row George Strait and Alan Jackson

( 1999 )

Town I ’ m not sure they can

Phillip ever really be forgiven

Claypool for having made light of

( 1995 ) the message in the song

The whole circus / but we all know that they relationship analogy works absolutely must agree with Home perfectly and is so moving . every word . The version Mark Chesnutt It ’ s a genius piece of song by writer Larry Cordle ( 1990 ) writing and Claypool ’ s almost eclipses the Strait The song that started it ( who wrote it ) version is and Jackson cut . Cordle all for Mark Chesnutt and far , far better than the embraced the feelings nailed his colours firmly Travis Tritt version . The of country fans with his to the mast as possibly song of the past 30 years wonderful crafted take on the finest singer of a real and one of the greatest the changes in country country song this side of ever . music . Totally prophetic . 1986 .

Me Love Gene Watson

( 2009 ) Watson highlights his ability to pick a song with this John Wiggins and Harley Allen song . Incredible writing . Ken Mellons also recorded an equally good version .

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54 COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE - OCTOBER 2016

Dwight Yoakam ( 1993 ) With its insistent honky Josh Turner tonk piano and a delivery ( 2012 ) that epitomises everything Way more country than Dwight , this Kostaspenned song is the best any major label release in

you ’ d expect to find on

thing that Yoakam ever the modern era . Superb recorded . Still the greatest stone country by a singer song he ever cut , his who we suspect would greatest performance and like to make more records a perfect record . like this .

Toby Keith Matches Living

Nothing Wrong

( 2003 )

Lane Turner Jamey Johnson ( Just Ain ’ t An anthem in every sense ( 2009 )

( 2008 )

Nothing Right ) of the word . So good it If you don ’ t think this Johnson is one of the Vern Gosdin inspired Toby ’ s own chain is one of the greatest best songwriters to ( 1989 ) of eateries . Impossible country songs you ’ ve ever emerge in recent years Absolutely nobody can rip not to sing along to , and heard you don ’ t deserve and his masterful tale of your heart out quite like impossible not to like . to have ears . The kind of hard times steamrollers Vern . On this masterpiece story you ’ d only get in a the listener with grit and he rips it out , jumps on it country song told with flair attitude . As likely to appeal and throws it in the waste and written with aplomb . to Harley riders as it is Kia disposal unit before setting drivers . fire to it and scattering the ashes .

With his Cash-like baritone and his self-released Homemade Hits Shawn Fenner has proved himself one of the most interesting honky tonkers on the block this year . He speaks to Duncan Warwick .

58 COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE - OCTOBER 2016

McPherson digs into the hot duo ’ s new album with lead singer , Tyler Hubbard .

other artists make their bow with a hit as big as Cruise ? Exactly none , actually , because the smash of 2012 was the highest-selling country song ever , and the only one to be certified Diamond for selling 10 million copies during a record 27 weeks at the top of the charts .

Cruise was no fluke , however . More number ones have followed , including Dirt and This Is How We Roll , alongside a slew of top ten songs . And while the chances of FGL - or anyone else - repeating the success of Cruise must be slim , the dynamic duo have just scored the second biggest hit of their career with H . O . L . Y . The piano-led ballad marked a romantic new sound for the bro country party boys and at time of writing in early September , the million-plus seller was enjoying its 17th consecutive week at the top of the country charts .

As if that was not a great enough achievement , the pair have also just premiered an outstanding video for follow-up single May We All .

FGL have a history of making good videos , including the flick for hometown anthem Round Here which cleverly used a split screen to show Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard walking down streets , working at blue collar jobs and sitting in diners , apparently side by side while in fact showing Brian ( or ‘ BK ’ as his partner in rhyme calls him ) in his hometown of Ormond Beach , Florida , and Tyler in Monroe , Georgia , where he grew up .

The video for May We All , however , takes things to a new level . Threeminute movie is a Nashville term for a story-telling song . But the clip for May We All is more literally a three-minute movie , with a cinematic look and as much drama and emotion squeezed into its running time as the average TV miniseries .

Tyler and Brian play a pair of cocky young dirt track racing drivers - a kind of

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Philip Claypool

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hey always say that you should write about what you know , and if what you happen to know is less than domestic bliss it can certainly get the creative juices flowing . When Shawn Fenner sings , “‘ You picked the wrong night to pick a fight ” on his recent album Homemade Hits it could only have been written from personal experience . “ Wrong Night is 100 % true , I can say that ,” says the Virginiabased honky tonker who so impressed with his recent debut .

“ That song is 100 % true . I had recently got married to my first wife , I went out one night - I was invited by my boss who was Welsh by the way - and I went out drinking and I had a really good time . I played open mic and a lot of people liked what I was doing … so I came home , I was really in a good mood , you know , I had really had a lot of accolade , and as soon as I walked in the door she started arguing with me . I was like , ‘ I ’ ll send you down the road .’ We argued about it and the next morning I went to work and that first line popped into my head , ‘ You picked the wrong night to pick a fight .’ And that song wrote itself - within 30 minutes I had written the lines and pretty much nothing has really changed from it since then .”

OCTOBER 2016 - COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE 55

Spencer Leigh shines a light on Billy Bragg and Joe Henry

bout 15 years ago I went into Bound For Glory ”. I hope not , I thought HMV and looked through their – I ’ m only going to London for an new Americana section and I interview , but it was a good omen and an was surprised when I saw Billy Bragg as example as to how the title of Woody ’ s a featured artist . Should an Englishman book has passed into the vernacular . be alongside Guy Clark , John Prine and Lucinda Williams ? Nowadays , several Spencer Leigh : How do you know each Brits are regarded as Americana , despite other ? its name , but I am sure that Billy Bragg Joe Henry : We ’ ve known each other for was the first and it came down to the fact over 25 years . I had been aware of Bill as that he had made an album of Woody an artist and been an admirer but when I Guthrie material with Wilco , Mermaid was first married , my wife was a publicist Avenue . for Warners in New York and was doing

He has maintained his passion international press for Elektra . I was for Woody Guthrie , and Woody and meeting her at the end of her working Leadbelly are the prime inspirations for day to go out to dinner and I walked into Shine A Light , a superb album of songs her office and there was Billy . CDs were about the ‘ railroad ’ ( as the Americans a fairly new phenomenon and she had call it ). He is partnered by Joe Henry and procured for him the entire Van Morrison I reviewed the album in August ’ s CMP . catalogue and we sat and talked about I gave the album four stars and I would Astral Weeks . have nudged it to five if I had seen the BillyBragg : Those were happy days – packaging beforehand . The CD booklet go to the record company and get free is full of information and colourful records ! illustrations , totally in keeping with its Did you ever try to sound like Van historic feel .

Morrison .

I ’ ve met Billy a few times but I had Billy : Sadly , no . In my dreams . not seen Joe Henry before . I regarded But you ’ re singing much better these him as a T Bone Burnett figure . Sure , days . he has his own career and releases solo Billy : I am ! albums but much of his time , he is Have you had some lessons ? working with other artists , writing songs Billy : No , I think I started from a very and producing albums . He is Madonna ’ s low starting point ( laughs ). My voice brother-in-law and his songs include her has dropped in the last ten years , that ’ s 2000 hit , Don ’ t Tell Me . His production the weird thing , and Joe who produced credits include Solomon Burke , Elvis my last album in 2012 noticed this and Costello , Loudon Wainwright , Rodney encouraged me to tune my guitar down Crowell , Hugh Laurie and Bonnie Raitt . a whole tone . So when we made this He produced Billy Bragg ’ s previous album , I have tended to take the low parts album , Tooth & Nail , in 2013 . One of the and Joe has taken the middling parts and tracks , Handyman Blues , can be seen on I am getting into this . I ’ m quite into my YouTube with Billy and a host of familiar new voice . I am singing lower and with comedians looking lost in B & Q . a slight American accent because it is As I boarded a train in Liverpool , a Americana . I have got a bit more control long banner proclaimed , “ Virgin Trains – over my voice too .

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contents

October 2016 cmp

Features

12 Florida Georgia Line

Still the hottest duo around . FGL ’ s Tyler Hubbard speaks to Douglas McPherson .

18 Billy Ray Cyrus

Douglas McPherson discusses Outlaw with the Achy Breaky singer .

25 50 from 30

Duncan Warwick lists the 50 best songs since the dawn of New Country 30 years ago .

54 Shawn Fenner

Duncan Warwick talks to the honky tonker with the impressive baritone .

58 Billy Bragg & Joe Henry

It ’ s all about trains for the duo . Spencer Leigh meets them .

Reviews 34 CD Reviews Regulars

4 News 8 Tour Guide 11 This Month In Country Music 17 The David Allan Page 23 Nashville Skinny 53 Americana Roundup 64 Write to Reply

Charts

64 Americana & UK Country Charts 65 Billboard Country Charts

Courtesy of Billboard Inc .

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

Digging Deeper

Douglas

Walking the Line

BILLY RAY

CYRUS

“ It ’ s a thin line , between Elvis and Jesus ”.

o sings Billy Ray Cyrus on the title track of his new album , Thin Line . Cyrus should know a thing or two about lines ,

Shaving almost single-handedly kicked off the worldwide line dance craze with his debut single in 1992 , Achy Breaky Heart . And

1

Circus Leaving

6

Still They Call

2

Murder On

7

I Love This Bar

3

Too Cold At

8

Little Book Of

4

This Time

9

High Cost Of

5

Cold Shoulder

10

There Ain ’ t

SHAWN FENNER Pure Country to the core

Billy Bragg & Joe Henry

lorida Georgia Line have the Midas

Ftouch at the moment . Then again , maybe they always have . How many

T

A

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TRAINS OF THOUGHT

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