I, like many, have watched far too many movies and TV shows growing up to be completely comfortable with the idea of AI. It seems like out of nowhere this all singing and dancing technology is absolutely everywhere and seems to have a (terrifyingly) limitless amount of capability.
 
Of course, I’m not completely set in my ways – and I’m young enough, although I don’t always feel it, to be of a generation that has grown up with a reliance on tech and advancements. Whilst I do remember the crunching noise of dialling up the internet at home – it wouldn’t be long before I was sat in my room on a laptop clogging up the Wi-Fi watching music videos on YouTube.
 
One thing that caught my eye recently though is Spotify’s introduction of AI.
 
When thinking of the potential capabilities for such advanced tech Spotify would probably not be at the forefront of our minds, but realistically the company have been using some form of artificial intelligence for a little while now. I’ve written previously about the features on the streaming platform that utilise such capabilities including generating playlists based on your listening habits, the much loved ‘wrapped’ feature, and even the new shuffle feature that plays your playlist with a couple of juicy extras thrown in the mix for free.
 
I’ve always been a big fan of this and have complimented it in the past for introducing me to many of my most beloved songs of the recent years. After all, if they’re studying what I listen to and giving me similar suggestions chances are it’s going to suit my preferences pretty well.
 
This brings me on to my most recent listening habit – the radio. I must admit recently I’ve become tired of wearing out the poor forward skip button in my car, abusing it constantly as I churn through the same selection of 3000 songs on my absurdly large ‘everything’ playlist, 2996 of which I’m inevitably not in the mood to listen to at that moment in time. With this in mind I decided to free myself from this capability by removing the element of control and trusting my listening to a small rotation of radio stations.
 
Has it worked?
 
Not really. Radio stations are great as you never know what song is coming next and that keeps it interesting, except you do, and it isn’t. Anyone who listens to the radio for more than probably an hour is likely to hear one or two songs at least two or three times. Now I’m not blaming the stations for this. They have to play the favourites, the chart toppers, the trendy tunes of the moment, because that’s what the people want – and ultimately I’d be a bit annoyed if they didn’t. For me though it’s the repetition – it seems almost shameless the way a selection of about ten songs are earmarked at the start of the day and just cycled and recycled through until you’re sick to the back teeth of them, with only the very occasional surprise throwback or new release included. What makes this worse for me is that it actually kills some songs for me. A great example is Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ – a catchy and loveable tune that has been ruined for me just by the sheer frequency at which I’ve had to listen to it over the past month or so.
 
So why bother with radio? Well, for all my ranting and raving, I do enjoy it. As well as not having the element of control over the music, which is as much a curse as it is a blessing, I also like to listen to the DJs and presenters. I like the quirky quizzes, games, artist interviews and features. There’s something warm about it for me, like the difference between a CD and a vinyl – playlists can sometimes feel so cold, just churning out song after song, but with the radio there’s just that extra level of engagement, that extra element to enjoy.
 
Now, I know what you’re thinking – you started writing about AI, then Spotify, then ranted about the radio – so what are you actually getting at?
 
Well, Daft Punk are no longer the world's only robot DJs - as Spotify may have the answer for all of my prayers in their new AI DJ feature.
 
For those who are yet to play with this new toy – it is essentially an upgrade on the recommended listening or made for you playlists. The AI DJ looks at all your likes, listening habits, and even your listening habits from way back when, in order to bring you a selection of songs that you either love, have loved, or are likely to love. Where as the made for you playlists split these into moods or categories, the AI DJ, like a radio station, just cycles through them completely randomly and brings you a full and wide range of songs from all corners of your taste – bringing that element of surprise that the radio gives us (or at least should). It uses it's voiced AI DJ to introduce a theme, such as what you enjoyed in 2022, then plays you three or four songs before the DJ moves on - amazing!
 
The AI DJ's ability to talk does add to the whole experience. Now it hasn’t gone as far as celeb interviews, quizzes or games yet, but it does welcome you to the show at the start and introduces some of the songs really helping to give that authentic radio feel. It even calls you by your name, which to be honest feels both warming and creepy – it’s a nice personal touch but will take me some getting used to that’s for sure.
 
I must admit I’ve sat and listened a few times now and really enjoyed it – the mix and variety of music is exciting and interesting but ultimately it is based on my taste – so we may jump seamlessly from Chris Stapleton to Drake – but that’s fine because I like Chris Stapleton, and I like Drake – win win! This also means that I don’t get the repetition that drives me insane that I usually do when listening to popular radio.
 
So, is it a flash in the pan experiment or the birth of a much-loved feature? I’d like to think the latter. It’s already good, and I genuinely believe that as AI and the technology around it advances it will only get better and the experience will enhance. Maybe in the future more features will be enabled, such as more genre specific radio stations so you can narrow down your selection – and with this maybe the DJ’s will be able to offer juicy facts about some of the songs – they could even maybe have artists record song intros and get them to introduce their own songs. The potential, as with most AI, is vast and I’m looking forward to seeing what next steps they take with it.
 
So I’ll continue to enjoy Spotify’s employment of AI – even if I do have scenes from iRobot or Black Mirror playing through my mind every time someone mentions it to me! If you haven’t given the AI DJ feature a go yet I recommend you give it a try. Don’t get me wrong, it won’t change your life or anything, but I really do believe it can be the birth of a new and interesting way to listen and engage with music in a increasingly AI embedded world.

Well if I've learnt anything about the Long Road it's to expect the unexpected! Of course it's always easy to predict when you anticipate the festival the good food and atmosphere on offer but its not always so easy with the music. With an extensive line up, a variety of styles and flavours, and the unpredictability of live music, it really is anyone's guess who is going to have impressed you by the time you leave.

2024 was no different, but this year brought variety like never before (and I don't just mean the weather). Being my third Long Road I've learned the best approach is to circle some of the favourites in the schedule (now very handily and easily accessible on the official app) to aim to see, but after that leave things completely open. Some of my favourite acts from the past few years (The Ghost of Paul Revere, Chapel Hart etc) have come from simply being near the right stage at the right time. With some of the names being somewhat new to me it's so exciting to keep your schedule free and follow your ear - you'll definitely uncover some gems.

​This year presented me with a first opportunity to hear from The National Parks and Pokey Lafarge through this very method. These remain two of my favourite sets from the whole weekend. Pokey presented a rock and roll, blues, country and Americana blend that I really wasn't expecting or ready for but boy did they entertain. The sheer swagger of the front man, the talent of his band and the joy they had in performing their music could do nothing but surge positive energy on to an appreciative crowd who lapped the whole thing up! The National Parks similarly captivated the crowd, getting everyone singing and dancing along with their charisma, presenting a charmful tone that left you no option but to warm to them.
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Of course The Long Road isn't all about surprises, and those who I had indeed circled in my schedule certainly made themselves worthy of it. Colbie Caillat was professional and entertaining, Don McLean is a living legend, and of course Dasha had a packed out Interstate stage bouncing with her performance of her breakout hit 'Austin'.

The real winner for me however is Wyatt Flores. The young singer brought real talent to the stage, along with a humility, charm and humour that couldn't help but to win you over. There's always someone at Long Road who steals the show away despite not being a headline act and this was once again true in 2024 thanks to Wyatt.
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Well despite the rain, mini heatwaves and gail force wind (sometimes all at the same time) The Long Road crowd were once again in good spirits. I always talk about that intangible energy that the festival brings but only because its so magical. You really do get an enormous sense of joy, belonging and peace from the place and its unlike anything else I've experienced. I always love to hear great music and see great artists but sometimes I think I'd go if a line up of no one was announced, just to be amongst like minded people in the unofficial British home of country music fans once again.

Bring on 2025!

How time flies! It feels like only weeks ago I was fondly reminiscing on 2023’s edition of the Long Road Festival and yet here we are again; excitedly anticipating another weekend of country music heaven!

The Long Road has become a firm circle on my annual calendar since first attending in 2022; having been swept up by the atmosphere and the music I imagined that I had just hit it lucky. I assumed, naively, I’d just picked the right year to attend, surely it can’t get any better, right!?

2023, I am delighted to report, proved me firmly wrong. It hadn’t been a fluke. From the moment I entered the festival site I was once again swept up in the closest the UK has to offer in the authentic country experience. The outfits, the food, the music and the happiness! Everyone joining together in a shared passion and appreciating each other’s company – pure bliss!

This is before I even touch on the music – Cam’s stunning rendition of Burning House was only really topped by the crowd’s stunning rendition of Burning House; the Long Road legend almost being brought to tears as she was sweetly serenaded with the sounds of her own most successful hit.

Another highlight was Chapel Hart, who whipped up such a storm on the Interstate stage that the infatuated crowd proceeded to lose their minds when the set was completed. Seeing their name on the 2024 line up announcement is one of many reasons that The Long Road 2024 has me bursting with excitement.

So, let’s talk Don McLean. Wow! I had to double take when I saw this name on the line up. An absolute bona fide legend who is gracing us lucky lot with a UK exclusive. I can already envision now getting swept up in the moment as, rivalling our 2023 Burning House performance, a faithful Long Road crowd get to sing along to American Pie with the man himself.

As if country legends weren’t enough, this year the line up continues its tradition of bringing the most exciting breakout talent across the pond. Last year Megan Maroney, of Tennessee Orange fame, in the midst of enjoying her major breakthrough came all the way to Leicestershire to captivate crowds in multiple sets on Sunday last year. This year Dasha, of Austin fame, will continue the tradition and I for one cannot wait to see what she has in store for us all. She may have been a late announcement to the festival line up but it was certainly a welcome surprise as we’ve been tapping our cowboy boot laden feet to her catchy hit for the past few months.

For me, The Long Road 2024 also presents the first opportunity I have had to camp at the festival. Having only attended on Sundays in the last two years I have always felt a tinge of sadness at missing out on the festivities of the days previously; hearing people speaking fondly of late night sessions at Buddy’s or the Interstate which a drive home has always prevented me from previously. The thought of being able to soak up the Long Road atmosphere for an extra day, and to really feel like a part of the community is bound to only make it feel even more special this year.
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Once again the long wait for the Long Road is almost over, and once again I can barely contain the exciting anticipation I am feeling. I look forward to writing my festival review in a few weeks’ time with the ability to fondly look back at another great year at Stanford Hall, tinged only with a sense of sadness that it will all be over for another year.

As I made the drive towards the festival this year, with droplets of heavy precipitation bouncing off the windshield and a jumper and coat at the ready on the back seat, I had an awful realisation. Long Road 2022 had been my first attendance at the event, the weather was as glorious as one could ever wish for and I had been swept up by the magic and scale of the whole thing. I’d walked around the whole day in complete wonder taking in every last detail of the site, the sounds and the people.

Would it still be as exciting when it wasn’t all new?

What if Long Road 2022 had been so perfect that 2023 could never match up?

After all I’d spent a year romantically reminiscing and building something up in my head that, it now occurred to me, maybe nothing could ever match. After all the excitement for my return to Long Road I began to feel a sense of dread that maybe I’d spoiled it for myself before it even began, the weather didn’t help either.

Thankfully, and I’m pleased to report, this feeling was subdued on my entry to the festival site. I love that the festival’s tagline is ‘welcome home old friend’, and this feels so fitting when you’re there. Especially when you’re returning. Whilst I was excited to see some new additions to the festival this year, including a ferris wheel no less, what really felt special was the warm familiarity that grips you as you wander round. I was pleased to see the return of some of the food vendors and stalls that had made the previous year feel so special, as well as some of the people. It did really feel like I’d come home. This is what makes the Long Road so special.

Some of my highlights this year include Alana Springsteen and Megan Moroney. I caught both as they performed on the main Rhinetsone stage on Sunday afternoon and haver to say both were as brilliant as they are professional. In fact, they both managed to attract crowds that last year only made their way to the mainstage in time for Locash’s penultimate set. It was of course easy to see why. Megan’s presence at the Long Road this year was particularly impressive as she performed three different sets that day, and whilst I only managed to catch the Rhinestone set and part of the Interstate set I’m told that barring her most famous or requested numbers she played a different set list with each performance. Her hit ‘Tennessee Orange’ was one I was particularly pleased to hear as I’ve been listening to it frequently as of late, as I imagine many have, and it was fantastic to hear an amped up crowd bellowing the lyrics back to her. This was particularly impressive so early in the day before people have had a chance to really get swept up in the atmosphere (and have some whiskey).

I stuck around the mainstage after these two as I was particularly curious to hear the ‘Colour Me Country All Stars’ – a fabulous collection of talented country artists. I had previously been unfamiliar with what this was all about when I saw it on the poster and had to indulge my curiosity, I was very pleased I did. A fantastic initiative offering grants to up and coming country artists of colour it really drove home the message that country music is for everyone. It helped that they had a fantastic line up too. Gabe Lee kicked us off in typical style, being just about the coolest man anywhere in the world at that time. A pleasant surprise was Michael B. Whit with whom I had been previously unfamiliar. When he was introduced as ‘a cross between George Strait and Usher’ I was immediately intrigued but also doubtful but I have to say this was a fair assessment. His beautiful voice, charming style and R&B inspired melisma combined beautifully with the stylistic story telling that we all love in country music and he is definitely one to keep an eye on in the near future. The set was closed out by Chapel Hart, and wow what a group. Sadly, I’d missed the legendary Interstate set the night before, but hearing that fans were so disappointed when Chapel Hart left the stage that the DJs who replaced them were met with boos I was obviously keen to catch a glimpse. Even though they only (initially) performed one song it wasn’t hard to see why, their energy was unmatched and they had everyone dancing, hollering and having a good time. So much so, that when they tried to leave the stage the crowd made such an uproar that they had to come back and sing another!

As I walked away from the bright lights of the Long Road festival in August 2022 and back towards my car I had two thoughts swirling around in my mind. I don’t want to leave, and I definitely don’t want to wait a whole year until I get to come back.
Being a relative newbie to country music, a passion spurred by a joint effort of my girlfriend and best friend who are both fanatics (I guess I’m drawn to them for some reason) I had a distinct feeling of being an outsider as I prepared to go to the festival in 2022. Being unfamiliar with a shamefully high amount of the line up I felt as though I almost didn’t deserve to be a part of the celebration of a genre that inspires so much passion and fandom in so many people. However, those thoughts were quickly washed away as we arrived.

Don’t get me wrong, the 2022 line up presented some amazing moments. Personal highlights include my discovery of The Ghost of Paul Revere (on what unfortunately turned out to be their farewell tour), Locash’s spellbinding set and The Cadillac Three’s headline worthy performance. I also got to see some beautiful acoustic sets at the wonderfully set Front Porch stage and have a boogie in the dancehall.

Despite all of this though my main takeaway from The Long Road was not the amazing artists and country music that I had been lucky enough to take in, it was the atmosphere.

For a genre like country, which in the UK can still be seen as somewhat niche, we don’t get many opportunities to unashamedly don our cowboy hats, trucker caps, boots and dungarees without feeling like somewhat of an outsider. What The Long Road presents is a community for the weekend, in which it feels like you’ve belonged your whole life. Free of judging, worries of work and the stresses of the real world in general there was just an air of contentment that seemed to consume the whole festival. Set within the beautiful grounds of Stanford Hall, a fitting venue, it was amazing to see so many complete strangers brought together by a common love of this genre of music.

So, like time always does, it has moved quickly and once again we look forward to an amazing weekend at the Long Road ahead. I can’t wait. The real beauty of the Long Road is that whilst I did have a gander at the line up it almost doesn’t matter to me. Sure, I’m looking forward to hearing some great artists again but actually I think what excites me the most is being back in that atmosphere, surrounded by like minded people in a place free from negativity.

If they could bottle up that Long Road feeling, it would sell millions!

See you all there!


David Dawson

David Dawson

In the past it has been seen as a cardinal sin of showbiz to cancel a gig. ‘The show must go on’ is the famous saying, and more often than not the show always has gone on. Recently, however, artists have begun to focus more on self care and mental health, and this has become an increasingly common reason for shows to be pulled. While on the surface we might praise the artists for their strength, there's probably more than a few of us bearing a quick thought to the £300 we spent on tickets, travel and hotels for an upcoming chance to see our favourite artist.

I've written in the past about how we often make the mistake of looking at rich and famous pop stars and assuming their lives are perfect. There are plenty of artists who have written in songs and autobiographies or spoken in interviews about how this is far from the truth. The reality is that fame is like a goldfish bowl of pressure, there are eyes constantly dissecting and analysing your every move. Combine that with one of the most notoriously ruthless industries around and you have yourself quite a cocktail. The matter of the fact is that, for record labels, artists are their products. They invest in the development of the product, and then sell it to the world through new music and tours. Some of the more prolific artists spend year after year simply alternating between two states; writing and recording, then touring. The industry runs by artists dedicating their lives in this way.

So is it promising to see artists cancelling shows for mental health?

Well yes, of course it is. We've all witnessed artists clearly suffering from exhaustion, and having read quite a few autobiographies, one of the biggest reasons for addiction for artists is because they have to find a way to keep their energy up for their shows. You can't expect artists to go on stage and give it their all every single night, however artists feel they have a duty to their fans and want every single one to have seen the best they can offer when they attend a gig. This whole 'the show must go on’ thing should take its rightful place next to this 'stiff upper lip' nonsense - it is old fashioned, and when you're dealing with humans, it simply isn't applicable. Amy Winehouse is a tragic example, there are plenty of clips of her stumbling around the stage, clearly in no state to be there. It is obvious she needs help and support, but not wanting to refund tickets or anger thousands of fans, she's clearly been ushered onto the stage to share her suffering publicly. What the industry doesn't realise is that this robs the fans even more, they'd rather reschedule or get a refund and see Amy get well, than see half a show with an artist who can barely talk only to hear tragedy in the news in the following months.

That being said, are we bad people for worrying? Let's face it, we are in a cost of living crisis and concert tickets ain't cheap. I'd be lying if I said that when I started to see this trend occurring, I didn't for a moment think about my concert tickets for next year that I have spent most of my wages on. It is natural, and it doesn't make us bad people - but what can we do? I don't think anyone would have any reservations over an artist cancelling a gig for mental health, however, we'd all feel a sense of disappointment if the thing we'd spent the best part of our savings on and a year looking forward to suddenly got pulled. But is this part of the problem? We can't help it, but sort of, yes. Artists don't want to disappoint their fans, and unfortunately in the past that's what has caused much of the determination to keep the show going regardless.

It seems like a bit of a Catch 22. So what can be done?

​For me, it's a simple answer, but probably one that won't happen. The reality of tours is that they are a cash cow, there's a huge demand for tickets and they usually fetch a premium. It is also still probably the most effective way an artist can promote themselves and their music. Despite all this, the simple answer to me is clearly to slim down tours. In this day and age, we still see artists release tour schedules that cover nearly every single night for the best part of a year. Would it really be a tragedy if artists decided to do one gig every three days, or even one gig a week? Not only would it protect their mental health, it would protect their physical health. All of the health problems Phil Collins is facing now comes from years of steroid injections giving him brittle bones. Having read his autobiography, it became completely common for him to need the injections to fix his vocal chords, having not had enough time to naturally recover from the previous night. It seems crazy to me that the industry is still allowed to push artists in this way, and I think it is time that artists take a stand. Trim down tours, allow more recovery time and in turn reduce last minute cancellations. It's time the industry took responsibility for their artists' wellbeing.  

David Dawson

As someone who is still relatively new to the tight knit community (especially in the UK) that is country music fandom, I’m ashamed to admit that I really wasn’t that familiar with LOCASH heading into the Leicestershire based Long Road country music festival - but I’m definitely familiar with them now.

In fact, heading to the festival, nothing seemed familiar. Winding through country roads, up and down hills and through woodlands I was pretty sure the navigation was letting me down, until a small yellow sign emerged marked ‘Long Road Festival’. Again, naively, I hadn’t done my homework and being new to the genre had little knowledge of the festival. Expecting to turn up to a field with a gazebo and hot dog stand, you can imagine my delight when I rounded a corner and saw a horizon of tents and campervans, backdropped beautifully by the proudly standing Stanford Hall.

The festival was a joy to behold and was one of the sleekest and most well organised that I’ve had the pleasure to experience. The beautiful setting was utilised to the fullest with multiple stages, all capturing their own unique atmosphere. Rhinestone greeted us upon arrival, a large festival style stage primed for atmospheric anthems to get the crowd bouncing. A walk past this stage took you to the Front Porch Stage. This beautiful stage was styled as a small shack with, you guessed it, a front porch where artists would perform acoustic style sets. The porch was opposed by straw bail seating and fire pits to create a real country feel. Further into the grounds was Interstate, an open sided tent styled as a dancehall and giving a much more enclosed feel. Further performance areas included Buddy’s Good Time Bar and the Showground, each offering something different as the day went on.

Having had the chance to speak briefly with LOCASH in the afternoon I was blown away by their energy. I often feel guilty in this role when we speak to artists, as sometimes you can really tell that interviews aren’t their thing, but the duo were more than happy to take the time to speak with us and did so with as much charisma as we could possibly ask for. After this I was keen to make it for their early evening set to see what all the fuss was about.

And boy, did I.

Now The Cadillac Three are a sensational group and were worthy of headlining this event, but I don’t think I’m exaggerating to suggest that LOCASH stole the show. From the moment they stepped on stage to the moment they left it their energy was at the maximum, and the crowd absolutely fed off of it. In a way it almost didn’t matter what song they were playing because everyone was just having the best time dancing, bouncing and partying.

I think the biggest thing is that I enjoyed it despite not being that familiar with the band. We’ve all been there at gigs of bands, even the ones we know and love, but when they start bringing out the new numbers and we all start to get a bit bored; tapping our fingers and waiting for one of our favourites. With LOCASH I didn’t really know any of their songs, but I felt like I did. The set flew by and I was genuinely gutted when they left the stage, as far as I was concerned they could have stayed there for hours.

Interspersing their own songs with a few cheeky covers of old favourites, some hilarious anecdotes as well as giving their appreciation for the crowd, they engaged everyone throughout. It’s another common one isn’t it when we see people live - ‘(insert random city name here) we love you guys!’ But with LOCASH it felt like they meant it, and I hope they did. They seemed to be genuinely taken aback by the energy of the UK crowd and the response they were getting. Roars of approval went up in the air as they began planning their next trip across the pond live on stage, pointing to Stanford Hall in the background with a grin and shouting, ‘We’ll stay there!’ In our interview with LOCASH before the set, they had stated how much they were looking forward to playing, and that their gigs are really for their fans so they aim to bring as much energy as possible - I don’t think anyone can argue that they did just that. Having walked past the main stage plenty of times during the day we saw loads of artists performing to a crowd, the majority of which were enjoying from the comfort of deck chairs or at a distance, but with LOCASH everyone was jumping around. The crowd seemed to grow and grow and everyone who was walking past realised just how damn entertaining these guys are!

I have to also give credit to the touring band that accompanied the two brothers. They brought with them just as much energy and charisma. Even in the soundcheck the lead guitarist had the fans engaged, turning their mimicking of his signals to the sound engineer into a little game and encouraging big cheers from the crowd whenever he had a chance. It’s a little touch but it just helped to generate that extra energy before the music even started.

​I think LOCASH were the perfect encapsulation of the festival as a whole. The atmosphere around the whole place was electric, and for people who love a genre that is perhaps a little niche in this country, it was their chance to don the boots and the cowboy hats and to fit right in. Whilst LOCASH seemed surprised and delighted by the love they were receiving from the UK crowd, I think it meant just as much to the crowd that LOCASH were loving us. It wasn’t just a charismatic performance that got the crowd pumping and it wasn’t just an exceptionally good live rendition of their music; it was all those things and more. I’ll definitely be watching out for when the boys make it back to the UK and booking my tickets, and I encourage you to do the same. Even if you aren’t familiar with the band or don’t even like country music, I can promise you that you will have a good time.