Category Archives: Ags Connolly

Two Steppin’ Heaven

In a hidden gem in the city of London, you’ll find yourself transported to an Austin dancefloor like the legendary White Horse Tavern except it’s the– Jamboree – Kings Cross a glorious little venue full of character and atmosphere.

Jamboree Kings Cross, with Dom Glynn and Laurence Kingston doing their signature guitar battle, while Dylan Earl dances with Rosita one half of Gimme Two Steps.

Do you like fun, want to learn how to do two step dancing Austin style by Gimme Two Steps, do you want to dance like no-one is looking while listening to a live band like Dom Glynn and His Sunday Best. Then follow that with the adopted son of Arkansas, Dylan Earl and his band of Northern Cowboys then this is the place for all of this magic to happen in one night.

Dom Glynn and His Sunday Best on stage at Jamboree, Kings Cross

Rosita and Rebekka from Gimme Two Steps are the perfect teachers of the Austin two step dancing, they make it all look so easy, graceful and fun, fun, fun. It’s a great way to meet and dance with people of all ages and abilities.

#singhselfie with Rosita at Jamboree, Kings Cross

The Jamboree, Kings Cross has enough space for a dancefloor, stage and tables for those who only want to join along by tapping their feet. Filled my cynical heart with joy to see so many strangers with smiles and laughter and all in tune to country music.

Two Steppin’ Heaven from Rosita and Rebekka from Gimme Two Steps at Jamboree, Kings Cross.

Hanging out with Dom Glynn and His Sunday Best outside of the venue before they played was like seeing old friends you’ve not seen in a while, the band are a tight knit of ultra professional honky tonkers who bring that electric energy to their live performances. Laurence Kingston says that rehearsals are like a gig with no people.

The coolest of cats Dom Glynn and His Sunday Best outside the Jamboree, Kings Cross

The benefits though where shown by Glynn’s vocal delivery and the band not missing a beat in making music that truly moves you. It’s in the non verbal contract you’ve signed you must move your feet, while Glynn sings modern classics like ‘Gin Makes Me Cry (And Whiskey Makes Me Cry), ‘Do It All Again‘ and ‘I Loved You Cigarettes‘.

Dom Glynn and His Sunday Best on stage at Jamboree, Kings Cross

I’ll let you in a secret if you want to see Dom Glynn and His Sunday Best live then click the link below for the album release show at the Hootenanny, Brixton on September 10th 2026

Between sets I caught up with that glorious raconteur and disciple of James Hand, Ags Connolly who was also there to enjoy the revelry. Ags is a musicians musician whose albums are pure gold, go listen to ‘Your Pal Slim: Songs of James Hand‘ and ‘Siempre‘ Not only does Connolly provide the intro music to the CloudwatcherUno podcast he’s an author releasing his first novel in 2024 with ‘Outside The Light‘.

Connolly is releasing new music with Yesterday’s Man his latest album Join him for launch gigs in the following venues on 21st OCTOBER – LONDON, The Water Rats (full band) and 22nd October – WITNEY, Fat Lil’s (duo show w/ SARAH JORY) link below.

#singhselfie with Ags Connolly at Jamboree, Kings Cross

The spotlight then turned to Dylan Earl, the minstrel from the Ozarks, the bard who goes to fight the corruption of the big man, the troubadour who battles against the numbness of modern slavery to our robot overloads with songs like ‘Outlaw Country‘, ‘Level-Headed Even Smile‘ and ‘Lawn Chair‘.

Dylan Earl on stage at Jamboree, Kings Cross

Earl took to the dancefloor himself with microphone in hand and showed off his dancing repertoire with Rebekka (one half of Gimme Two Steps). At times filled with pathos and a reverence for the human condition and at others filling the dance floor with his silky smooth voice reverberating throughout the venue. This whole evening took many months to organise and was the pilot for hopefully many more nights like this. London you need to wake up and get yourself down to nights like this, they are few and far between with it’s perfect ingredients of dance, live music and saving you a few thousand dollars by transporting you into the beating heart of a Honky Tonkin’, Two Steppin’ world.

Dylan Earl holding court at Jamboree, Kings Cross

You can catch Earl as he travels across the UK by clicking the following link:

Happiness is lifting Dylan Earl on the stage of the Jamboree, Kings Cross.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S12 Ep 4 ~ Ags Connolly

Ags Connolly is the honkiest tonkin’ homegrown outlaw we’ve had on the CloudwatcherUno podcast. Ags Connolly is a traditional country singer-songwriter from Oxfordshire but in his soul beats the heart of a native Texan artist. His debut album ‘How About Now’ was released in February 2014 and received fantastic reviews, Maverick magazine hailed it as a ‘masterpiece’.

Ags talks about how vitally important it is for investment in the arts to support UK artists and how that differs for musicians in mainland Europe. We’ve lost so many venues over the last couple of years which impacts music in the UK including the iconic ‘Borderline‘ in London where so many legends of country played but sadly no longer exists.

Ags explains the importance of having a producer such as ‘Dean Owens‘ who is as passionate and whose skill and experience transforms an ordinary album into a modern masterpiece. Dean worked with Ags on his first two albums and his legacy can be heard on Ag’s self produced third and fourth album.

On ‘Siempre‘, Spanish for ‘always’, his latest album he fully embraces the border country Tex-Mex sound, Ags wanted a completely authentic sound and that meant learning to play bajo quinto, the instrument is similar to a guitar but infinitely harder to learn how to play. Ags even sings in Spanish, no mean feat for this British artist.

If you resonate with the sound of Texas-style music, flawlessly sung and exquisitely played, then Ags is the artist for you. The seamless fusion of captivating melodies and heartfelt lyrics creates a mesmerizing musical journey that’s perfect for a summer evening spent on your porch, in your garden, or anywhere you can unwind.

‘Siempre’ is not just an album; it’s a mesmerizing journey through time and space, a sonic exploration that captures the essence of longing and wanderlust. From the first note to the closing melody, this masterpiece weaves a captivating tapestry of emotions that resonate deep within the soul, drawing on the nostalgia of distant places and heartfelt stories. Each track in this musical opus is an indispensable addition to your collection, enriching your playlist with its enchanting melodies and evocative harmonies.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Ags Connolly. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S12 Ep 3 ~ Chasen Wayne

Celebrating the best of independent country music Chasen Wayne out on New Year’s Day. Chasen and I get talking about his life as a travelling musician with his seven piece band playing White Horse Texas, Sage Brush Texas and Sam’s Town Point Texas his EP ‘ High Horse’, his album ‘King Cowboy’ and his latest releases ‘No Stranger’. Chase has released even more new music with singles ‘Cocaine Katy’ and ‘Sober Seymour’ paving the way for his next album release.

Listen to Chasen Wayne’s episode on Spotify

Chasen Wayne, is an emerging artist hailing from Austin, Texas, he ignites the spirit of country music with his 6-piece band, the Honky Tonk Machine. Influenced by icons like Waylon Jennings, Bob Wills, and the Sir Doug Quintet, Wayne infuses each note with an authentic and soul-stirring sound that pays homage to the very essence of country music. His original compositions are a testament to his deep love for storytelling, mirroring the timeless narratives found in classic country tunes.

Chasen Wayne’s song No Stranger

We talk about life in Austin, Texas, becoming a father, the music scene with his peers Nick Garza’s Get Along South Texas Tweek Billy Hartman Charley Crockett and his day job as the resident talent buyer for Sagebrush where he’s had Vincent Neil Emerson Summer Dean and Zach Bryan

And then this happened on Tuesday 9th January 2024, the legend that is Zach Bryan announced a surprise gig at the Sagebrush. Zach posted on X “9pm I’m playin’ a 40 minute set at Sagebrush in Austin, Texas. First 100 people to show up; first come, first serve.” The surprise concert, attracted hundreds of people queuing to form a line down the block.

Zach Bryan had originally hired the Sagebrush for a music video shoot which also featured Matthew McConaughey. Zach shot his video, played his pop up show and played Chasen’s guitar on stage.

Zach Bryan and Chasen Wayne (Courtesy of Zach Bryan’s Instagram)

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Chasen Wayne. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.