Tag: ruston kelly

UK Americana Awards Nominations Revealed

Posted on by Editor

The Americana Music Association UK (AMA-UK) has announced its nominees and special award recipients for the fourth annual UK Americana Awards, taking place January 29-31 during AmericanaFest UK 2019 in London.

The following are special award recipients that will be honored during the prestigious ceremony at London’s Hackney Empire on January 31.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Graham Nash
Selected by the AMA-UK board members, their highest honor is awarded to a UK artist, duo or group in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Americana genre over the span of their career and life in music.

Trailblazer Award: Joe Boyd
Selected by the AMA-UK board members, this special award celebrates a UK artist, duo or group that has taken an exceptional path, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps in developing the Americana umbrella.

Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award: Curse of Lono
Selected by Bob Harris OBE, this special award celebrates the breakthrough artist, duo or group that has particularly impressed the legendary music broadcaster throughout the year.

Grass Roots Award: Immy Doman and Risa Tabatznik of The Green Note
Selected by the AMA-UK board members, this special award celebrates the sometimes unsung heroes of the UK Americana scene. It is presented to individuals working in the industry (in a capacity other than as artists) who have made outstanding efforts to support Americana music from the grass roots up.

Additional nominations include:

UK Album of the Year
Shorebound by Ben Glover (produced by Neilson Hubbard and Ben Glover)
All On Red by Orphan Colours (produced by Steve Llewellyn, Fred Abbott and Rupert Christie)
Bennett Wilson Poole by Bennett Wilson Poole (produced by Tony Poole)
Treetop Flyers by Treetop Flyers (produced by Reid Morrison, Sam Beer and Laurie Sherman)

International Album of the Year
May Your Kindness Remain by Courtney Marie Andrews (produced by Mark Howard and Courtney Marie Andrews)
By The Way, I Forgive You by Brandi Carlile (produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings)
Ruins by First Aid Kit (produced by Tucker Martine)
The Tree of Forgiveness by John Prine (produced by Dave Cobb)

UK Song of the Year
“Uh-Huh” by Jade Bird (written by Jade Bird)
“Chicago” by Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker (written by Josienne Clarke)
“Southern Wind” by Dean Owens (written by Dean Owens and Will Kimbrough)
“Be More Kind” by Frank Turner (written by Frank Turner)

International Song of the Year
“The Joke” by Brandi Carlile (written by Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth)
“Hold Your Head Up High” by Darlingside (written by Auyon Mukharji, Caitlin Canty and Donald Mitchell)
“Mockingbird” by Ruston Kelly (written by Ruston Kelly)
“Rolling On” by Israel Nash (written by Israel Nash)

UK Artist of the Year
Ethan Johns
Robert Plant
Bennett Wilson Poole
The Wandering Hearts

International Artist of the Year
Mary Gauthier
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
John Prine
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

UK Instrumentalist of the Year
Martin Harley
CJ Hillman
Seth Lakeman
Gwenifer Raymond

3×3: Ruston Kelly on Reigns, Rains, and Trains

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Artist: Ruston Kelly
Hometown:  Nashville, TN
Latest Album: Halloween
Personal Nicknames: None

 

Thanks WMOT 89.5 for having me out today to play prolly the saddest set list ever to be broadcast. #1000graves

A post shared by Ruston Kelly (@rustonkelly) on

If you could go back (or forward) to live in any decade, when would you choose? 

To be in my 20s or 30s in the late ’50s.

Who would be your dream co-writer?

I had a few. Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Natalie Hemby. I’m lucky to say that not only are they all seriously beautiful souls, but we’re buds now. Natalie and I have a piece of notebook paper officiating our brother/sister bond, actually. 

If a song started playing every time you entered the room, what would you want it to be?

“Reigning Blood” by Slayer

What is the one thing you can’t survive without on tour?

It was cigarettes, now it’s a phone charger and whatever book I’m on at the moment. 

What are you most afraid of?

Being a fucking lunatic.

Who is your celebrity crush?

Nicki Minaj

 

Ay just wait #BLACKMAGIC video coming so soon

A post shared by Ruston Kelly (@rustonkelly) on

Pickles or olives?

Pickles, duh.

Plane, train, or automobile?

Train

Which is worse — rainy days or Mondays?

Rainy days are the best days, so I’m gonna go with Mondays!

Ruston Kelly, ‘Black Magic

Posted on by Editor

On a good day in Tennessee lately, you're lucky to find 80-degree weather in the shade: The South is currently in full-on sticky Summer mode, where being covered in sweat or mosquitos (or both) is a daily occurrence. There are a few remedies out there — good air conditioning, a frozen beverage, a dip in the lake — but one, from Nashville's Ruston Kelly, cools things down in a more unusual way. And that's through the eardrums.

As a successful songwriter for the likes of Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, you might guess that Kelly's solo offerings would be well-suited to parties with pool floats and festivals where a corn-dog grin and jean shorts are the most appropriate uniforms, but that's not his style — or his season. His new debut EP, produced by Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis, says so in the title: It's called Halloween, and is full of tracks that have more in common with Ryan Adams and Butch Walker than any chipper country jam, fully evoking the moody taunt of fickle Fall, when both the people and the leaves change their colors. One of the chilliest moments is "Black Magic," which takes its cues from the likes of Elliott Smith, who could feel the inherent darkness in the hollows of an acoustic guitar, and stretches it through a virulent chorus. "I drank your poison, fell under your spell. Love is hell and nothing more than black magic," he sings. Sure, Kelly could have waited until after Labor Day to unleash this antithesis to the sometimes artificial, ephemeral joy of Summer, but why? It's good to be reminded that everything — from oppressive heat to rapturous romance — ends, eventually.