Welcome to Dollywood
(No, sadly, Queen of Country’s not on bill but Buddies will still be Parton with their Johnny Cash to see top stars at festival)
MUSIC STARS WILL DESCEND ON PAISLEY
Some of the world’s best country music stars will travel to Paisley this summer for the inaugural Mill Town Music Festival.
The one-day event at Paisley Town Hall will feature artists such as Flatland Cavalry, Kristian Bush, Morganway, Andrew Combs and Paisley-born Jill Jackson.
The Paisley venue will provide a main stage, acoustic sessions room and Dance Ranch when the event gets underway on August 31.
And, with the recent announcement of the American Country Music Award nomination for group of the year, Flatland Cavalry is one of the standout acts on the ticket.
The Texas sextet, which has released four critically acclaimed albums, is rapidly breaking out in the US, having supported Luke Combs and Willie Nelson at numerous stadium shows and appearing at many prominent festivals.
Kristian Bush is one half of the superstar duo, Sugarland, which has scored over 20 million album sales and five No. 1 hits, as well as many awards.
Kristian will be touring this year in support of the no fewer than four new albums that he has released over the last couple of years while Sugarland have been on a break.
A prodigious songwriter, his solo music blends Nashville country and Georgia R&B, supplemented by his abilities as an on-stage raconteur.
Kaitlin Butts – whom Rolling Stone described as an “exciting talent” – will headline the acoustic stage. She will perform her diverse range of songs from haunting murder ballads through cosmic dancers to her wonderfully fun new single Hunt You Down.
Morganway, the reigning British Country Music Association Group of The Year, have made quite the impression. The band is known for layering rich, six-part vocal harmonies over driving guitar, fiddle and keyboard riffs.
Multi-instrumentalist Alyssa Bonagura has a sound that blurs the boundaries between genres, mixing the storytelling of country music, the free-thinking spirit of rock ‘n’ roll and the cinematic sweep of Brit pop into its own hybrid.
Similarly Raintown offer an attention-grabbing mix of contemporary country and Scottish rock that has produced three critically acclaimed albums.
The festival is being hosted by Cumbrae Promotions, the team that has ran Millport Country Music Festival since 2017.
A spokesperson said: “This will genuinely be the greatest night of country and Americana music that Paisley has ever seen.
“With five artists from the US and the cream of the UK’s country and Americana scene performing, together with line dancing for every level, this going to be quite a night!
“Doors open at 4.30pm to provide live music in the main and acoustic stages plus line dancing in the Dance Ranch.”
They added: “With a capacity of 1,150, standing on the ground floor and seating in the balcony and gallery, together with an extensive food and drink offer, the venue really does represent a state of the art facility.”
And there will be plenty of homegrown talent on offer as Jill Jackson marks her homecoming with tracks from her new album Curse of The Damned. Jackson, a rising star in the Americana scene, is known for her raw talent and honest storytelling.
Fellow Scot Robyn Red is also on the bill and leads the way as one of the most exciting young talents in the UK.
She has already won many accolades including becoming the British Country Music Association’s 2024 Horizon Award winner.
Robyn will be playing not only her hit singles Like A Bullet, Luke Jackson and When The Sun Sets, but also new material likely to feature in her future debut album.
Rodeo Stomp will be hosting the The Dance Ranch – which will provide line dancing for all levels – and the Honky Tonk After Party in the Main Hall following Flatland Cavalry’s performance.
For more information and to book tickets, log on to https://bit. ly/43AMEjk