Originally from Carolina Lane is now resident in Nashville and tonight it’s a showcase for her new album the excellent aforementioned ‘Highway Queen’. Its full of great story book songs and the quality of these really puts her in the top echelon of the current very competitive field of female country singer songwriters such as Angaleena Presley, Ashley Monroe, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price and Courtney Marie Andrews to name a few. All of whom are writing real life country whilst putting a contemporary twist to the typical country standards.
Support tonight was from Ruby Boots whom I had not heard before but certainly grabbed the audience’s attention with her strong voice of which we heard a lot more throughout the night accompanying the band on backing vocals in the main set.
Opening the set with the first two songs from the new album ‘Highway Queen’ and ‘700,000 rednecks’ her stall is set from the first note. The three piece band supporting her are excellent. The driving rhythm section never miss a beat and especially nice to see a bass player moving all over his fretboard rather than the usual two banal thrum. Special props to the talented Alex Munoz who I last saw on stage with Margo Price last year. Super guitarist, he’s got the licks without being too showy.
Lane has a great edge to her music which stands here apart from the crowd. Whilst possessing a classic country voice she blends in some light and shade when she lowers it an octave or two.
It’s a beautiful ninety minutes full of great songs played by an accomplished band. The warmth on stage spills out into the audience and is sent back in spades. Difficult to pick out a favourite although ‘Send the sun’ was particularly good as was the cover of Dylan’s ‘you aint going nowhere’. Can’t wait for her return where I will certainly be bringing more of my gig going buddies along.
So it’s four for four of great country gigs in the past month. A big thank you to Andrew Combs, Brent Cobb, Cale Tyson and Nikki Lane for keeping the genre alive and so glad that there’s an audience over here for you. Long may you and your friends keep coming back?
Keep on country rockin y’all.