Nashville UK
As part of Radio 2's coverage of the second C2C (Country To Country) Festival at London's 02 Arena, Paul Sexton takes the pulse of country music in the UK.
As part of Radio 2's coverage of the second C2C (Country To Country) Festival at London's 02 Arena, Paul Sexton takes the pulse of country music in the U.K. with the help of Nashville stars, writers and executives who are frequent visitors to our shores. He also talks to some British artists who are taking country music across the Atlantic in the other direction.
The documentary assesses exactly where country music is in the U.K. in 2014, as the genre enjoys its highest profile here for years. That's thanks in no small part to the C2C event itself (which last year starred major names like Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and LeAnn Rimes and this year features Brad Paisley, The Band Perry, the Dixie Chicks and more) and the huge popularity of the 'Nashville' TV series. Many viewers who thought themselves to be country agnostics have professed the show to be their "guilty pleasure."
So, what are the reasons behind the new country upswing, and can the genre shed the old-fashioned image it's always fought against in Britain without becoming pop music in disguise? Contributors will include artists such as The Band Perry, Brad Paisley, Chris Young and Brantley Gilbert; the man who signed Taylor Swift when she was a 15-year-old unknown, Big Machine Label Group President Scott Borchetta, Tennessee native and country music observer Laura Cantrell and 'Nashville' soundtrack songwriter Trent Dabbs, who penned the song 'Undermine' for the first series with country's hottest new property of the last year, Grammy-winning Kacey Musgraves.
The show will also include an exclusive live session performance by a new British duo who have been the subject of huge label attention in recent weeks, The Shires, one of several promising artists determined to export their English country roots to their American counterparts.
Paul Sexton is a frequent visitor to Nashville who's written and broadcast about country music for many years and presented Radio 2's live coverage of the CMA Awards in 2007. He has deputised on Bob Harris Country as well as presenting previous country-themed documentaries for the network such as 'Roots, Rappers & Rednecks.'.
Last on
Country Nights
Find out more about the Country Music season on Radio 2 and 麻豆社 Four
Music Played
-
Johnny Cash
Ring Of Fire
- Johnny Cash - Man In Black.
- Columbia.
-
Jim Reeves
Distant Drums
- Acuff-Rose Opryland Music: 50th Anniv.
- Acuff-Rose Opryland.
-
Dolly Parton
Jolene
- Million Sellers Vol.15 - The Seventie.
- Disky.
-
Shania Twain
That Don't Impress Me Much
- Now 44 (Various Artists).
- Virgin.
-
Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
- (CD Single).
- BMG.
-
Lady A
Need You Now
- Need You Now.
- Capitol Nashville.
- 1.
-
Florida Georgia Line & Nelly
Cruise
- (CD Single).
- Island.
- 1.
-
Brad Paisley
Outstanding In Our Field
- Wheelhouse.
- SME.
- 4.
-
Pitbull & Kesha
Timber
- HItDisc: HA201341 (PG Advisory).
- SME.
- 8.
-
Avicii
Hey Brother
- (CD Single).
- Universal.
-
The Band Perry
End Of Time
- Pioneer.
- Republic Nashville.
- 12.
-
The Band Perry
Better Dig Two
- Pioneer.
- Universal Republic Nashville Records.
- 1.
-
Chris Young
Text Me Texas
- A.M..
- RCA Nashville.
- 8.
-
Chris Young
Aw Naw
- HitDisc: HC201318 (PG Advisory).
- SME.
- 6.
-
Chris Young
Who I Am With You
- HItDisc: HC201401 (PG Advisory).
- SME.
- 6.
-
Sam Palladio
Shine
- The Music of Nashville: Season 1.
- Lions Gate.
- 16.
-
Hayden Panettiere & Charles Esten
Undermine
- The Music of Nashville: Season 1.
- Lions Gate.
- 3.
-
Kacey Musgraves
Merry Go Round
- Same Trailer Different Park.
- WARNERS.
- 3.
-
Brad Paisley
Southern Comfort Zone
-
Brad Paisley
We Danced
- Who Needs Pictures.
- Arista Nashville.
- 9.
-
Brad Paisley
The World
-
The Band Perry
Independence
- The Band Perry.
- Universal.
- 9.
-
Brantley Gilbert
Country Must Be Country Wide
- Now That's What I Call Country Volume 5.
- 15.
-
Taylor Swift
Red
- Red.
- Mercury.
-
Taylor Swift
Begin Again
- Begin Again (Single).
- WARNERS.
- 1.
-
Thomas Rhett
It Goes Like This
- HitDisc: HC201317 (PG Advisory).
- WRASSE.
- 2.
-
The Shires
Nashville Grey Skies [Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park]
-
Ward Thomas
Footnotes
- WTW.
-
Ward Thomas
The Good And The Right
- (CD Single).
- WTW.
- 001.
-
The Black Feathers
10,000 Times
- Strangers We Meet EP.
- Bird in the Hand Records.
- 2.
Broadcasts
- Thu 20 Mar 2014 22:00麻豆社 Radio 2
- Thu 6 Nov 2014 22:00麻豆社 Radio 2
Featured in...
Country Nights—Country Nights
Clips and programmes from Radio 2 and 麻豆社 Four