Canada, country, Country and Western, folk, Quebec

CLOUDWATCHERUNO PODCAST S8 EP 3 ~ Geneviève Racette

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Geneviève Racette talks with CloudwatcherUno about her latest album “Satellite” a collection of 9 songs exploring themes of how humans fall in and out of love and finding the courage to do so after heartbreak.

“Satellite” by Geneviève Racette

Québec is the only province in Canada that French is the official language and so being bi-lingual is something that Geneviève has mastered. So much so that she released a purely French album in 2016 “Les Aurores Borèales” The government gives a lot of grants and money to keep the French language alive and protect it from those who speak English.

Geneviève Racette

Geneviève only used to write and sing In French but as a child spoke both languages as her mother wanted her to be able to understand the English language. Geneviève learnt by watching Sesame Street and other kids TV shows and eventually decided to explore this English sensibility that had grown within her to explore different worlds of music.

Geneviève Racette

Song writing for Geneviève begins with words in French and English, and then she will collect them all together to make a finished song. “Satellite” was completely mixed, recorded and produced during the global lockdown. Only in February 2022 did music venues open up again in Québec, it’s been a very long lockdown within Canada.

A whole year was spent exploring new songs, demos and ideas to record these final ideas and then mixed them. Geneviève co produced every note with her Producer sometimes in a studio but mainly from home. Finally after two long years the album was released in March 2022.

Geneviève Racette

Geneviève became friends with Dallas Green from “City and Colour” over Instagram a Canadian musical legend and then sent the demos to Dallas Green and he asked if he could sing on the song “Someone“. Geneviève was over the moon with excitement that her musical hero was going to sing on her song and the album. Geneviève feels proud, joyful and overwhelmed with emotion that her album is now out for the world to hear.

“Someone” – Geneviève Racette (feat. Dallas Green)

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Geneviève Racette. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, bluegrass, country, Country and Western, Honky Tonk, Red Dirt Country

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S8 Ep 2 ~ Jade Brodie

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Jade Brodie is a Cowboy, Songwriter and Musician. Jade speaks to CloudwatcherUno after travelling from a gig at The Western Folk Life Centre in Elko, Nevada after playing eight or nine songs for a round robin set. We speak about her Magnolia Sessions album from Anti-Corp. We talk about the difference between Jade’s diary songs (more personal songs) rather than her attention grabbing songs. Jade has a big motivation to be up there surrounded by people dancing and bringing them a good time. Jade appreciates the shows where people pay attention to her songs whether they be based on the working man or explore issues of love.

We explore the genesis of “Split My Tooth ” it’s one of Jade’s oldest songs and marks a new development in Jades song writing style.

“Split My Tooth” by Jade Brodie

Free spirited and working hard personalities are fully explored in Jade’s ‘Making History’ video. There’s a fairy godmother character within in the video that is just delightful.

“Making History” by Jade Brodie

Jade has been living independently since a young age and working hard for the railroad. Jade was forced to make a difficult decision when the railroad wanted her to move back to California. Jade was wholly deducated 24/7 working 12 hour shifts for the railroad and songwriting was ushed abck for over three years until she was able to buy herself land to build her own house.

Jade was fortunate enough to get a job on a ranch which has allowed her to ride horses, keep dogs and deal with life on a ranch. Jade enjoys being at peace in Nevada and taking the time for self refection and puts things in perspective as to what matters. Jade has written a lot of new songs while living in Nevada. Jade wrote a new song about her horse, it’s the first song she’s written in a while. Jade grew up in New York and being on a ranch and working within this mountain landscape is a deam come true.

We explore Jade’s tattoos and how they are an expression of her personality and how they are atheistically pleasing. While they are not an indication of who Jade is and people do judge her based solely on these which is fine but Jade earns their respect because of the good job that she does.

We talk about “Travelling Man” the epic Western As Fuck video that she collaborated with. Riddy Arman recommended Jade Brodie for WesternAF and when they came through town they met up and musical history was made. Jade is proud of that song and loved recording this song with them and will also be on the new album. Jade should have finished her album last year but the timing has been pushed off for a year.

“Traveling Man” by Jade Brodie with WesternAF

Jade was half way through her tour in 2020 when the pandemic hit and had to go back home. Jade had to take risks on herself, her music and after 2 years later is getting back to where she wants to be in her career. Having a creative side gives Jade a purpose and loves that her songs can bring people joy and it’s fun to be on stage and enjoy her music for an hour or so. John Curtis is the producer who is helping Jade produce her next studio album. We cannot wait for this to come out next year.

Jade will be playing at a few music festivals out of town and especially excited about people reaching out and asking her to perform based solely on hearing her music.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Jade Brodie. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, country, Country and Western, Dirt Wave, folk

CloudwatcherUno Podcast Season 8 Ep 1 ~ Izaak Opatz

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Hello and welcome to Season 8 Episode 1 of the Cloudwatcheruno Podcast. We start this season with Izaak Opatz all the way from Missoula, Minnesota. We talk about the weather we are after all based in London. In conversation we discuss Izaak’s new album “Extra Medium” out on Friday 29th April 2022 and the wealth of songs he hasn’t released, his love of music from high school and college which has shaped his musical journey thus far.

“Extra Medium” by Izaak Opatz

Izaak has a love of music but coming late to the world of touring (in his thirties) he has tried to reach a balance between music, writing and living out of a van while touring. Music became a powerful tool for him when he discovered he could create a song and share with friends and family.

“Chinook Wind” by Izaak Opatz

Izaak has gone back to college (he’s studying journalism) and the transition has been tough but he wanted to find stability in his life and engage with new terrains for his brain and his love of wordplay. In his childhood he kept poems and wrote songs and discovered the country genre and enjoyed the ability to create precise storytelling and the metaphors he could employ to create emotion and a connection with the listener.

110 per cent organic Izaak Opatz. Listen to his new album “Extra Medium” out on 29th April 2022.

“Dirt Wave” is Isaak’s take on old country classics and all the fun stuff musically that you get with indie rock. Izaak talks about the beginnings of country music for him and how huge it is all over the world and it’s connection from the narrow cultural associations it has with poor rural white America.

Taking country to where no man has gone before is ‘Astronaut’ Izaak Opatz

Izaak explains that he loves expressing himself in music and has collaborated with friends from Los Angeles especially his friend Dylan Rodrigue and his ability to produce melodies and music out of the chaos that is Izaak’s songwriting. Izaak has been able to connect with audiences over three albums and still finds the passion to write about break up songs, the difference between the city and the country and likes how the structure of his songs have grown and matured to represent an honest mirror for his feelings musically.

So go listen to this beast of an album and also listen to the majesty of Izaak’s trombone playing. It’s a fun pre pandemic album that celebrates life and catch Izaak when he goes touring later in the summer of 22.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Izaak Opatz. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

american, americana, country, Country and Western, Red Dirt Country

Artist Showcase with Jaret Ray Riddick

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At C2C Festival in London 2022 CloudwatcherUno got an exclusive with Jaret Ray Riddick on his press tour to promote his new country album “Just Woke Up“. The frontman for the pop punk band “Bowling For Soup” Jaret was inspired during lockdown to explore his country roots after speaking with his friend Zac Maloy who also produced the album. The Texan is very familiar with the genre having listened to and grown up with the greats of country music such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, George Jones as a child.

Jaret Ray Riddick at C2C Festival, London. Photograph : CloudwatcherUno © 2022

Jaret was convinced that this is what he needed to produce so much so that he brought his band to play for the first time in Europe’s biggest country festival for the first time. For those who may have doubted whether this was a good idea , I for one can report that when Jaret went onto the Town Square Stage it was completely sold out.

“One Of The Good Ones” by Jaret Ray Riddick

We talk together in his hotel room in Greenwich, London and talk about album and how he wants to showcase red dirt country music, great lyrics and a story to grab fans hearts and minds. Jaret collaborated with artists such as Frank Turner who features on “Drunk As It Takes“. There’s also a cameo for Uncle Kracker on the album opener “Way More Country“, Descendents guitarist Stephen Egerton features on Natalie, and Cody Canada of The Departed appears on “You And Beer“.

With Jaret Ray Riddick

We talk about the inspiration for his songs and in particular “Royal Family” which is based on his real life biological sisters tracking him down four years ago and Jaret connecting to a family he never knew he had. Going forward Jaret is looking to get established as a country singer as well as his more well established pop punk band.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Jaret Ray Riddick. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, bluegrass, blues, country, Country and Western, folk, Honky Tonk, Kentucky

Behind The Song with The Wooks

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The Wooks—CJ Cain on guitar and vocals, Harry Clark on mandolin and vocals, George Guthrie on banjo and vocals, and Allen Cooke on Dobro—release  “Flyin’ High” on Friday 25th February 2022. In an exclusive for Behind The Song we have CJ Cain from The Wooks sing the track “Flying High” solo. The first time that he has performed this track without the rest of the band.

CJ Cain also goes into depth as to the story about the song and and explains the importance of the lyrics and the real life characters who inspired the song and how their lives were weaved into becoming a musical gem. We also talk about the music video for “Flyin High” and how the video has brought the characters to life and thus the song into the field of animation.

The Wooks

Click below to watch the full Behind The Song video from The Wooks on You Tube or listen to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, country, Country and Western

CloudwatcherUno Podcast Season 7 Finale ~ Ep 10 ~ Taylor Glasheen

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Taylor Glasheen is our final guest for Season 7 of the CloudwatcherUno podcast. We catch up with Taylor in her home of Phoenix, Arizona we talk about Taylor’s songs from her album “Tip Me A Dollar” which are a collection of life experiences or stories that have been told to Taylor. We were introduced by Katie Mae and The Lubrications (check out Katie’s podcast ~ Season 6 Ep 9).

“That’s All I wanna Do” by Taylor Glasheen

We discuss the songs “Ten Years Down The Drain“, “Mogolion“, “That’s All I Want To Do” and how the album came to life from a handful of songs and played in the middle of the desert while camping with friends. Then a local bar asked Taylor to play a set which was a first as Taylor hadn’t performed on stage before. From there Taylors confidence grew and she got an amazing bunch of session players to play on the album and produce a stunning musical experience for the ears.

Photo: Joseueo Photography

Taylor’s looking forward to making her sophomore album next and already has a collection of songs ready to record. Country music is like no other genre and how heart-breaking these songs can be and are lyrical perfection. Hopefully in the not too distant future Taylor Glasheen will come to London and the rest of Europe to play her songs.

“Marcella” by Taylor Glasheen

“Sad Songs From A Happy Singer”

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Taylor Glasheen. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

american, americana, country, Country and Western, Dance Hall, Honky Tonk

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S7 Ep 9 ~ David Miner

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When we spoke with David Miner he had just opened up for Charley Crockett, one of the biggest shows that David or anyone in his band had performed at. We talk about David’s three albums so far “The Rules” (2019), “Stand Your Ground” (2020) and “Silver Valley” (2021).

“Silver Valley” by David Miner

David has been playing guitar since he was 10 years old but it wasn’t until recently after playing lots of gigs and the momentum that followed these performances that he realised that he wanted to be a musician and that this was the vocation that he wanted to do.

David Miner is keeping is music Country.

David tries to bring his “A” game to everything that he does whether it be live performances or videos to promote his songs and the band. One of the best songs off the current album is “Too Fast“. David grew up in Washington State with lots of farming communities and in the past 10 to 15 years there has been a lot of big industries coming in and impacting the smaller farming communities and these have become very touristy and kitschy towns to survive and how they are experiencing these changes and what it means to them.

“Too Fast” by David Miner

A deep cut into David’s music is the track “End Of Your Line“. The song came easily to David as more of a journal entry than lyrics that he had crafted. The songs that are directly from David’s life are usually more quicker for him to write. Other songs take more time to ensure that they are historically accurate. Song writing is poetry to David who also prides himself on being able to write good melodies.

“End Of Your Line” by David Miner

Guy Clark has been an inspiration to David for his song writing and it shows in his reverence for the artist and the man in his own lyrical creations. David says that if he could he would change his first two albums as they were recorded out of his bedroom, he played all the instruments and so they lack a diverse range of ideas on how to create the music and the sound that he looks for now in is musical output.

David Miner living life in the moment on stage.

The next album have more of a up-tempo honky tonk sound and the songs for the new record have been honed by countless live performances on the road. The new songs will have a lot more energy than the last three albums. The new songs have been able to cut through a large bar and grab and hold peoples attention. David is enjoying the process of putting in the hard work over the years and seeing it pay off little by little.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring David Miner. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, bluegrass, blues, country, Country and Western, folk

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S7 Ep 8 ~ Sara Jean Kelley

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Sara Jean Kelley sits down with CloudwatcherUno to talk about life, death and everything in-between. We start off our conversation with exploring Sara’s inspiration for one of her fabulous songs “Astronaut” from her EP “The Wild“.

“Astronaut” by Sara Jean Kelley

The song “Astronaut” was written in 2013 and Sara wrote the majority of the song and couldn’t figure out what to do with the last verse and sat on the song for over 3 years. When Sara was about to record “The Wild” and this pushed her into finishing the song. Then Sara sat on the album for 3 years as well until she judged it was the right time to release on the internet.

Sara leans to the macabre in her writing and her songs. One of the songs to listen to on Sara’s new Ep “Black Snake” is “Black Snake” and “Rains In Montana” recounting the singer’s month-long retreat to the mountains of Montana. “The first morning I woke up in my family’s home in Montana, I looked out the window and it was raining. There I was 2,000 miles away from home, trying to escape my sense of loss, and just like it does in Nashville, it was raining in Montana.” Sara wondered why she had travelled so far and nothing had changed.

We talk about relationships, Yellowstone the series and funeral playlists. The whole process of being in a relationships, changing who you are in an atmosphere of compromise and how coming out of that relationship finally enabled her to write and reproduce her stream of consciousness and how Sara was feeling at the time.
  

Sweetheart Country was definitely the kind of sound that Sara was going for in her first EP “The Waiting Place” and then a more muscular, harder edged rock and roll sound broke through for “The Wild” thanks to Atlanta based producer Kyle Dutton. Following on from the more mature, visceral and haunting sound of her latest EP Sara would like to record a full length album for 2023 with some shows regionally and do some touring.



Watch the video for the title track, “Black Snake,” here.


Listen to Black Snake Here.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Sara Jean Kelley. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Disco, Funk, Pop, Pop Music, Soul

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S7 Ep 7 ~ Alessia

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CloudwatcherUno chats with Alessia about her EP “Sugar”. We get together after Alessia was recovering from surgery to help her breathe! The EP came about when Alessia was stuck in her native Switzerland and was based on her experiences of falling in and out of love. Even if something bad happens in life Alessia tries to take these happy moments and puts them into her songs.

“Sugar” by Alessia

One of the ways that Alessia produces music is when she plays on piano and is able to freestyle and use less lyrics and emphasise the chords of her music. “Sugar” the track was born in 2020 when other countries were in lockdown, Switzerland was not. The song is inspired by eighties disco pop funk music. The melody was born first and then the lyrics came afterwards for this track.

Alessia has collaborated with songwriters and producers across the world to show her vision of music . Her music is inspired by the music of Kylie Minogue, Abba and bubble gum pop.

Alessia is a born performer and loves to sing and dance on stage. Alessia is currently studying for her Bachelors degree in song writing from BIMM Institute, London BIMM Institute | Industry Leading Music Colleges and Music Schools

Alessia was touring in summer 2021 even when all the naysayers were saying it cant be done. Alessia proved them all wrong. Alessia goals are to travel around the world making music, getting that adrenaline kick of performing in front of a live audience. She loves it when the audience sings back her lyrics to her when she is on stage. Alessia is planning to play at festivals and making her name as the rising star of music.

Click below to hear more from the podcast with CloudwatcherUno featuring Alessia. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

americana, bluegrass, blues, country, Country and Western, Dance Hall, Honky Tonk, Red Dirt Country

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S7 Ep 6 ~ Ellis Bullard

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Ellis Bullard sits down with CloudwatcherUno to talk about his single “Rollercoaster“, his forthcoming album and his musical influences. Ellis’s vision was to channel John Evan and Jesse Dayton’s music and gathered his friends and band mates Wyatt Langford, Cole Beddingfield and Sam Norris Esq together and bring them together in the studio to lay down the tracks for the forthcoming album.

With their help he began touring for seven or eight years including during the pandemic and earning their reputations as a phenomenal live act.

“Rollercoaster” by Ellis Bullard

“Fortune favours those who are willing to risk, there is no Plan B”

It’s an honest contribution to the pantheon of country music following up from their childhoods in coastal southern Texan towns. Ellis and the band have played at The Broken Spoke and The White Horse where Joe Rogan was in the audience. Joe loved the music so much he posted a video to his 14 million followers on Instagram helping to push Ellis and the band into the spotlight. It’s been a long journey but eventually the ‘No’s’ have turned into ‘Yes’s’ and Ellis is now playing at the sort of venues that can make and break reputations not only within the Texas music scene but beyond.

Ellis Bullard

Ellis is out there because he loves what he does, he loves music there is no elaborate scheme to become famous that is not the focus of Ellis’s energies.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Ellis Bullard. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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