The Western Country Band

 

  „It is an awesome journey through my life with my music, my friends, my kids, my wife...“ (“The Journey” by TWCB)

It all started with a van. No, not a fan. Andy M. Veit didn't have a fan back in those days. Except his mother. - God bless all the cheering mothers out there! - He just had a van. It was old, a little bit rusty and slow.

„I'm on the road, have nowhere to go, no hurry, I take it slow...“ (“I'm On The Road” by TWCB)

Andy took all his money from his bank account to buy a guitar, a little PA and this old van. He quit his studies at university. Andy wanted to be a musician. Surely his parents felt really enthusiastic about this well thought out idea of their youngest son.

“At nights I play my guitar in a bar...” (“Family Man” by TWCB)

The following years were filled with little money but with lots of fun. To make your living as a musician is hard work but filled with passion, friendship to impressive people and sound, sound, sound.

In 2017 Andy M. Veit took the chance to found TWCB with his great guitar playing friend Marco Birkner. The very talented bass player Mike Oberhauser and the fabulous drummer Erny Moucka joined them.

“So many people are there, yes they seem to care! With a big wide grin I start to sing...” (“A Good Night's Song” by TWCB)

The first concert was arranged quickly. The band worked hard and had a lot of fun to create their own sound. But the joy in the matter was even greater: The first concert already packed! Incredible.

“Successful on my way, no time for a stay. Too far and further on, too fast on and on...” (“Home” by TWCB)

And how did it continue? Logically with the second concert. And?
The hall was full again. Madness. More and more guests came to the following concerts. The setlist was constantly expanded. Guest musicians invited. Fireworks of fun shared with the audience.

Own songs have been written. The first album "The Journey" was recorded in 2018. The single „Christmas In The Country“ was released in 2019 and in 2020 Corona couldn't stop them. „Little Love Song“ was produced. In 2021 it was released worldwide and reached a great amount of airplay (nearly) all over the world!

And now?
“It's Time To Smile” by TWCB ;-)

  https://www.thewesterncountryband.com/

Stephen Wines

 

Small town musician and songwriter Stephen Wines is quickly making a big impact on the local and national music scene. The release of his first studio single “Country Girl” was an instant success among critics from all backgrounds! You can find Stephen touring all over the continental USA including Alaska and into Canada! 

 https://www.facebook.com/stephen.wines/

 https://www.instagram.com/stephenwinesmusic/

Stacie Collins

 'Darlin' Why?' is the first single off the long awaited DAMN GIRL! album from Nashville roots rocker Stacie Collins.
 
Sporting a slam-bang rock ‘n’ roll band and a hard-core honky- tonk wail, Stacie Collins pushes the boundaries of rock, blues and country. A singer-songwriter and a bad-ass harmonica player in the style of Chicago Blues greats Little Walter and James Cotton, Collins has garnered a reputation for her high energy shows, diverse songwriting and unlike most chick-singers, they are not all about love and heartbreak.
 
Based in Nashville, TN, Stacie is a road warrior having performed countless shows in the USA and Europe over the past few years and has even spawned a Japanese “Stacie Collins” tribute band. In addition to touring, Collins, along with her writing partner, husband, band mate Al Collins (Jason & The Scorchers) have written, recorded and released five records on her own label.
 
 https://staciecollins.com/

The Livesays

  

The Livesays are an accomplished five-piece Heartland/Americana band fronted by the band’s namesake critically acclaimed singer/songwriter/guitarist Billy Livesay, who spent 12 years performing, recording and touring with E-Streeter Clarence Clemons' band "Temple of Soul." During his 12-year tenure with the beloved “Big Man,” Billy recorded and released "Live in Asbury Park" Volumes I & II at The Stone Pony, the second album which features Bruce Springsteen. Billy has shared the stage with so many industry giants, his resume reads like a "Who's Who of Rock n' Roll Hall of Famers."

Drummer Steve Rheingold, was formerly the beat keeper with the legendary Wayne Cochran.

The Livesays' lineup is rounded out with Jorge Laplume on bass, Victor "Cuqui" Berrios on Hammond B-3 organ, and Tim Murphy on piano, all of whom have impressive resumes of their own. Cuqui, who grew up in New York City, offers a touch of the Big Apple to the band with his Hammond B3 and impassioned vocals. Tim brings his ear for harmony and his unique Elton John style piano. Jorge hails from Havana, Cuba; with his Latin roots coupled with a steady diet of the rock groups The Who and Free, he delivers a bass sound that is both funky and thunderous.

The combination of these five seasoned pros, with their versatile backgrounds, incomparable harmonies, energy level, and undeniable chemistry, create real magic on stage together and put on one heck of a dynamic live performance.

The Livesays have created five full length albums that are both memorable and moving with stories ranging from adolescence to adulthood, from battling addiction to conquering depression, from finding love to losing love ... with lyrics that will surely touch your heart and quench your soul. 

 https://www.thelivesaysmusic.com/

Crystal Shawanda

 

JUNO Award-winning powerhouse singer-songwriter Crystal Shawanda is back with a new studio album, Midnight Blues, set for release this September 30th on True North Records. The latest fiery bluesy Americana collection features the first single  “How Bad Do You Want It” — showcasing her full-throttle raspy voice, unmatched in today’s musical landscape, and an authenticity for the genre dating back to her youth.

“Growing up, all of my favorite music had these breadcrumbs that led me to the blues,” Crystal says. “I often quote Willie Dixon: ‘Blues is the roots and everything else is the fruits.’ Even today's pop music, there's all this influence that derives from the blues. I was just always really attracted to the rawness and the realness of the blues.”

Produced and engineered in Nashville by her husband and long-time collaborator Dewayne Strobel, Midnight Blues — her eighth studio album, and fifth since switching from a chart-topping career as a country artist —  is a collection of original songs, such as the seductive-sounding rocker “Midnight Blues,” swampy dance-floor groove “Rumpshaker,” and gentler “Take A Little Walk With The Moon,” as well as covers of the Howlin’ Wolf classic “Evil” and her take on Celine Dion’s hit “That’s Just The Woman In Me.”

 “This is absolutely my favorite album I've ever recorded because I feel like my husband put me in a picture frame,” says Crystal. “He really captured who I am as an artist. He let my vocal shine. He brought out the best in me and all the songs that we wrote really capture my live show and who I am.”

Raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Crystal was introduced to the blues by her eldest brother and to old-time country by her parents. “I was also into other styles of music that led me to the blues,” she says, citing everything from Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog,” written by Big Mama Thornton, to R&B-pop star Monica’s “Misty Blue,” by Dorothy Moore.

 “I was one of those kids who read the liner notes,” Crystal says.  “I wanted to know everything, who are the songwriters, the musicians, the producers, the engineers. I'm always wanting to know who are the originators, who are the mothers of invention, who inspired all of us?  I’m a purist at heart, so I was always diving back to learn from the masters, like Etta James, as far as vocalists; Muddy Waters, as far as feeling; and Buddy Guy, as far as stylists who have a lot of swagger.”

And yet Crystal’s first foray as a professional singer was in country music, not blues.  She was in her early 20s and had immediate success after signing a U.S. record deal with RCA Nashville. 2008’s Dawn of a New Day, featuring the single “You Can Let Go,” reached No. 1 on the Canadian Country Album chart and No. 16 on the Billboard Top Country Albums, the highest charting album by a full-blooded Canadian First Nations country artist (in the SoundScan-era). Her first single, You Can Let Go,”

The following year she left the label and created her own, New Sun Records. Her first release was the holiday album I’ll Be Home For Christmas. Her next country album was 2010’s Just Like You, which won a 2013 Juno Award for Best Aboriginal Album, before she made the change to the blues with 2014’s The Whole World’s Got The Blues.

 “I love all styles of music, but there was just always something drawing me to the blues,” she explains.  “I had a country hit on the radio, and I would show up at country music festivals and I'd do a BB King cover or Buddy Guy or Etta James. Within country music, as much as I loved it, I had to restrain my voice a lot. It's very hard to hold back, and sometimes it was exhausting, whereas with the blues, I could just let it fly.”

While other artists have been embraced when they’ve made the switch to a different genre — Taylor Swift from country to pop; Dallas Smith from hard rock to country; and Darius Rucker from pop/rock to country — Crystal doesn’t mind talking about the difficulties she’s encountered.

“Country music is so excited when anybody from any genre comes to their world, hoping it'll make their world more popular. It'll up the cool factor but switching from country to blues is a lot more difficult because the blues scene is very protective because it's such an original genre. They want it to be respected and preserved.”

She would’ve had an easier time if she had created a blues-influenced sound, like the Black Crowes, Sass Jordan or Alannah Myles, but Crystal can hold her own in any conversation about the blues pioneers. Still, she still likes to cover an iconic Canadian artist in her inimitable way. Last album, it was The Tragically Hip’s “New Orleans Is Sinking” and this time, Celine Dion.

 “Because I had so much friction coming to the blues where people were like, ‘You don't know nothing about the blues,’ I'm trying to show them not to be so close-minded because a lot of people are more inspired by the blues than they may realize. Again, I'm trying to reiterate that quote by Willie Dixon that the blues is roots and everything else is the fruit.” 

 http://crystalshawanda.co/

Joe Bailey

 

British indie-folk outfit 'Joe Bailey' isn't actually just Joe Bailey; it's really two long-time friends and musicians Joe Bailey and Gaz Wilby, wedded by their passion for eclectic, vintage soundscapes. Joe had initially written an acoustic album that his musical soulmate Gaz was going to mix and master for him, but when the opportunity arose for them to work their music magic in tandem, it only seemed right. 

"After getting back the first mixes I thought it sounded like an unfinished album, at which point Gaz said he loved the songs and would be up for adding other instruments and ideas... so that's what we did!"

What Joe and Gaz managed to create is bluesy, folksy and unmistakably retro in its feel. 'Without Love' traverses soft blues tones with jangly guitar riffs, and tom-heavy percussion lifts the energy. Cries of "without love we've got nothing at all" transform the track into something truly rousing. There's modern touches; subtle piano musings underpin the whole thing, yet a definite 60s anthemic feel runs throughout. 

'Without Love' is taken from Joe Bailey's soon-to-be released full length album (a self-titled project) – a collection of tracks close to Joe's heart: "This track and the whole album are the most personal and honest songs I've ever written. I'd not written any music for quite a few years and I did a lot of self-reflection in that time – I just felt like I needed to write some music again so I wrote this album."  

 

The 36-year-old is keen not to tie the Joe Bailey duo to any particular set of artists or genres. Instead, he clarifies that their sound is an all-welcoming vibe: "I don't know who our music is similar to but there's been a few comments saying 'Without Love' reminded them of The Beatles, which is obviously a super cool comparison for people to make. But I don't know, maybe it's for people who dig the kind of 60s/70s sounds and vibe – I'd like to think we've made some songs that almost anyone will enjoy."

The pair worked closely on the creative production of their album, yet Joe remains humble about his own song-writing process: "I'll just get a guitar melody or maybe a line of a song pop into my head and then I'll go find my guitar and just write," he says. "I think a lot of the songs from this album kind of wrote themselves. I know it sounds stupid but sometimes I don't even know where the words I write are coming from." 

Gaz Wilby collaborates on the album in epic style – 'Without Love' in particular; what was supposed to be an acoustic serenade became a powerful song of love through the virtues of innovative instrumentation, production and delicate mixing and mastering. "'Without Love' was just a few guitar chords and some words when I first sent it to him – he's brought the whole thing to life," Joe reflects.

For a musician who hasn't written music for years, 'Without Love' represents a special re-introduction to the scene – one that he's extremely proud of, and should be. The talented song-writer has some way to go to catch Paul McCartney and co. – but backed by the musical prowess and unbounded friendship of Gaz Wilby – can firmly cement his place in the indie-folk arena.

 

 https://linktr.ee/joebaileymusic

Jonathan Williams

 

Jonathan Williams tells powerful stories of faith, love, and family, using his evocative voice and intimate lyricism to build meaningful connections with his listeners. Not confined to a single genre, he combines elements of pop, rock, and folk to create his emotionally stirring sound. He is an artist of rare candor and authenticity, one who puts his entire heart into every song he writes.

Jonathan was born in Canada. He started his life as a musician being taught the songs of Gordon Lightfoot by his mother, on a guitar purchased by his father. As he grew up, his tastes began to expand dramatically. Discovering Joe Satriani was a seminal event in Jonathan’s life, and he quickly became obsessed with the guitar. He became a mainstay on the Victoria rock scene, both as a solo artist and a founding member of iRiS, opening for big name acts and establishing himself as a dynamic performer.

Eventually, Jonathan’s dream led him to Vancouver. That dream, however, would have to be deferred, as he fell in love, started a family, and began a new career as a police officer. For twelve years, Jonathan devoted himself to his work and his children, allowing music to become a thing of the past. However, when his life fell apart a few years later, music was there to save him.

In 2017, Jonathan’s marriage collapsed. He was suffering from severe depression and found himself unable to continue working. With nowhere else to turn too, Jonathan surrendered himself to God. He spent countless hours in prayer, finding hope in the teachings of the Bible. As his broken heart began to heal, Jonathan felt newly inspired, and with guidance from above, he decided to return to his first love - music.

The songs that Jonathan writes are a testament to the power of the human spirit. He explores the depths of his soul, turning his own loss into universally resonant messages of faith. Jonathan’s songs are performed with the conviction of a man who has hit rock bottom and still found the strength to carry on. With new music expected in 2022 and beyond, Jonathan is devoted to using his voice and music to inspire listeners around the world. 

 https://jonathanofficialmusic.com/