Tag Archives: bringthebanter

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S3 Ep2 ~ Dalton Mills

Dalton Mills, first amongst equals when it comes to singer songwriters.

Dalton Mills soul sparkles so brightly you’ll need sunglasses to go with a Hazmat suit. An exceptional lyricist he’s captured the lives, loss and heartaches of the disposed. Like a later day Chekov or Tolstoy he sings about the lonely souls in society, those who have fallen through the safety net and then kept falling with no end insight. His self titled album ‘Dalton Mills’ explores the stories of those who don’t register on the mainstream, who aren’t able to voice their pain and longing in a world where increasingly they are becoming ghosts.

‘Tornadoes’ by Dalton Mills

In this podcast we get to listen to two acoustic songs from Dalton they are ‘Tornadoes’ and ‘Mountain Call’ from his majestic album. A labour of love for over a year and a half from taking the songs in lyric form and then with the help of friends, recorded in the back of a record store. The album was recorded just at the cusp of the pandemic, any later and we wouldn’t have such songs out in the world.

Dalton Mills is a bringer of light to those dark areas of the world we all need to see.

Coming from rural Kentucky from the small town of Middlesboro, (a city that’s built in a crater!). Dalton has seen his fair share of those who’ve been affected by drugs, mental health issues and those who’ve been abandoned by their families. Not one for happy songs, Dalton expresses more affinity for songs touched by darkness and damaged people, damaged people are often the most dangerous. They know how to make hell feel like home. Dalton follows in the footsteps of his musical heroes Townes Van Zant, Guy Clark, John Prine in writing and performing songs that matter and connects with an audience who want more than just manufactured pop songs.

Dalton Mills performing live.
‘Last Goodbye’ from Dalton Mills. One of the bleakest songs ever put to music. Magnificent!

Picking up a guitar as a high school student has led Dalton down this path of musical greatness. For the last 5 years Dalton’s been writing songs of a phenomenal calibre. One of the bleakest songs ever put to music is ‘Last Goodbye’ a tale of a bedridden soul, who has lost all hope and waiting to see if he will perish at the hands of his carer. It’s a song that will stay with you hours after you’ve heard it. Go listen to this sensational artist who brings words and stories from the darkest corners of humanity to life.

Dalton Mills from the podcast. Photo: CloudwatcherUno

Click down below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Dalton Mills. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S3 Ep1 ~ J.Tex

J.Tex has an authentic Texas sound that will immerse you in the stories told in his album ‘Neon Signs & Little White Lies.

Born in the USA but brought up in Denmark, J.Tex (Jens Einer Sørensen) grew up listening to Bluegrass music while other children were dancing to Abba. CloudwatcherUno sits down with J.Tex from his home in Copenhagen where we talk about his childhood, travelling to Tennessee as a teenager, his amazing tattoo’s, busking on the streets of Italy, driving trucks on the Faroe Islands and all the while honing his skills and his sound to produce a sumptuous album called ‘Neon Signs & Little White Lies’ from the Heptown Records label.

‘Way Down In The Country’ by J.Tex from the album ‘Neon Signs & Little White Lies’

This is his seventh album and is simply the nest. The album was recorded in Lund, Sweden with the production skills of Tommy Tift. The album was recorded on the same analogue mixing board which produced the hits for ABBA. With this album J.Tex wanted to capture the sound of that live music experience to his audience. Recorded in the studio over three days the music truly captures the electrifying magic that is J.Tex. Jens describes how his songs grow and develop from practice sessions to live performances. Music is his job 24/7, 356 days a year. In this podcast we get to listen to ‘Way Down in The County’ and two acoustic tracks ‘I Told You So’ and ‘Broken Rose’.

J.Tex ‘Neon Signs & Little White Lies’ needs to be in your album collection. It’s the sound that you’ve been looking for.
Cheers to J.Tex for bringing country and western music to life.

J.Tex mixes Americana, Country, Bluegrass and Roots music and influenced by Doc Watson, Norman Blake, Mississippi John Hurt and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Jens music is a melting pot of sound, riffs and melodies that invoke an era of music that is far from the music that comes out of Nashville now. It connects with your soul, mind and body to make you smile and get up and dance.

J.Tex from the podcast. Photo: CloudwatcherUno

Click down below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring J.Tex. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S2 Ep7 ~ Joshua Ray Walker

Joshua Ray Walker

Joshua Ray Walker has the voice that you find only once in a generation. Once you’ve listened to tracks such as ‘Loving County’ where he yodels his heart out and produces a spine chilling effect down your back. Not since Dwight Yoakum and Slim Whitman has there been an artist who can combine the craft of singing, yodelling and lyrics that hit you right between the eyes to such an effect.

‘Loving County’ by Joshua Ray Walker from the album ‘Glad You Made It’

Joshua’s music makes you want to think, cry and dance all at the same time. This is an artist who at his peak did 280 shows a year and only slowed down to release his first album ‘Wish You Were Here’. In the fall of 2019 he started his first Scandinavian where he discovered first hand the European love for all things country and western.

Joshua Ray Walker

Growing up in East Dallas Joshua would spend his time with his grandfather and was inspired for his love for bluegrass, soul funk and afrobeat music. Joshua loves the diversity of where he lives and enjoys the melting pot of cultures especially tejano music that influenced him coming out of backyards and continues to influence his music.

Joshua Ray Walker
‘Voices’ by Joshua Ray Walker from the album ‘Glad You Made It’

Joshua tells the story behind ‘Fondly’ which was the first song he ever wrote. It was important for Joshua to have this song on his first album. The song was inspired by his love for his grandfather and the loss that he felt when he passed away. Without his grandfather teaching Joshua in his workshop and the many instruments that he could pick up as young boy we wouldn’t have the magic of the albums that we have now.

Joshua Ray Walker

Joshua’s songs deal with subjects as diverse as underage sex workers, suicide, heartbreak and other intrinsic emotions that make the human condition. Joshua is inspired by those who feel downtrodden and who have fallen through the cracks of society. Its these characters that Joshua breathes life into through the genius of his music.

Joshua Ray Walker from the podcast. Photo: CloudwatcherUno ©2020

Click down below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Joshua Ray Walker. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict and many other platforms.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S1 Ep4 ~ Ned Roberts

Ned Roberts Photograph ©CloudwatcherUno 2018

Ned Roberts lives and breathes music especially folk music, he’s a phenomenal lyricist and his music makes you transcend this world and travel into a world of acoustic harmonies layered with warmth and soul.

In this podcast Ned and I talk about how he crafts his songs, what inspires him to make to create the music he plays, launching an album in these pandemic times and how he is inspired from the great folk artists of the 60’s and 70’s to produce music that is uniquely his.

With Ned Roberts at The Lexington in 2018

Ned performs two songs acoustically on the podcast ‘The Songbird’ from his latest album ‘Dream Sweetheart’ and ‘Sketch’ from his first self titled album ‘Ned Roberts’

‘The Songbird’ by Ned Roberts. I love this song so much it gives me goose bumps every time I hear it and to have Ned play this live on the podcast was totally amazing.

One of the key influences in Ned’s journey in music has to be friend and producer Luther Russell who brought Ned over to Los Angeles to record his first two albums. Having that support was instrumental in shaping Ned’s music. Bob Dylan has also had a major impact in shaping Ned’s music and its important to recognise how on a cellular level we absorb the way certain artists and albums have lived their music and their lives through the songs they have brought to life.

Ned Roberts from the Podcast ~ Photograph ©CloudwatcherUno 2020

We talk about what makes a song special and how it can resonate with audiences. And his love for performing live and the strange world that artists find themselves in by performing to a virtual audience. Ned’s first livestream is happening on 2nd July 2020 on Facebook at 8.30pm GMT

For Ned Roberts the future is an undiscovered country but one which he is happy to explore.

Click down below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Ned Roberts. Also available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many other platforms.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S1 Ep3 ~ Sara Douga

Sara Douga ~ The Pistol

Sara Douga is The Pistol and The Pistol is Sara Douga. A phenomenal country artist from Southwest Louisiana who moved to Nashville but hasn’t lost her Cajun roots. An artist ready to show the music capitol that this country artist has the blues running through her veins and delivers lyrics with a stunning voice and unique sound. Whispering Bob Harris, legendary country BBC radio host said “Her music defines 3 chords and the truth”.

Collaborating with country heroes such as Jim Lauderdale and Lane Mack has opened up new experiences for Sara with other legendary singers and songwriters. In this podcast Sara sings the acoustic versions of two songs, the first is ‘I’ll Forgive You If You Don’t’ and and an exclusive first performance anywhere of Sara’s collaboration with Jay Knowles of an unreleased song.

With Sara at Bush Hall, October 2018. The first time that I got to see The Pistol perform.

That collaboration with Jim Lauderdale also led to Sara performing on stage at The Grand Ole Opry. Next time she’ll be performing not as a guest but as a star in her own right. We talk about her passion for singing and songwriting from the age of 8 and how in high school Sara had already written all the songs for her debut album ‘Boots, Bras and Drawers’.

Sara on stage at Bush Hall, October 2018 Photograph ©CloudwatcherUno 2018

Before that was released Sara spent time playing with the lead singer from the Cajun Band ‘High Performance’. And it was while playing with Jamie Beard at a private event that she met the love of her life.

Fast forward years later and the whole family have moved to Nashville providing the support and love that lets Sara focus on her music, and this has led her to perform at The Bluebird Cafe.

The first album by Sara ‘Boots, Bras and Drawers’released in 2018

On 26th June 2020 Sara releases her brand new 3 track EP ‘Lines’ with ‘Fair Warning’, Playbook and Lines. For Sara her next goal is to be signed to a bigger label and publishing deals so that she can share her songs with a wider audience.

Sara Douga performing on her livestream.

Sara has many projects, song collaborations and new music coming out towards the end of the year and February 2021. One song. to look out for is Joe and Gin towards October 2020 with back vocals from the one and only legendary Melanie Cannon.

Sara Douga is ready to entertain you with her smokin hot vocals, killer hooks and timeless lyrics. Go do your ears a favour and open your heart and listen.

Sara Douga’s new EP ‘Lines’ is released on 26th June 2020 ~ Photograph @NomadSoulPhoto

Click down below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Sara Douga ~ The Pistol. Also available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many other platforms.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S1 Ep1 ~ Pete Jackson

Pete Jackson

CloudwatcherUno presents the first podcast for this blog with Pete Jackson who weaves his magic with words and guitar to produce something special. This will be the first season of podcasts and in this podcast Pete talks about his passion to tell his stories, whether they be of romance or revolution will make you sit up and take notice of this extraordinary musician.

Pete Jackson

In the conversation that we have we will explore what makes and drives an artist like Pete to make the music that he does and why he continues to strive to release music that matters.

Live in conversation with Pete Jackson

Pete also performs two of his songs live and acoustically ‘With You’ from his album ‘Two Birds’ and his latest release ‘Better Not To’. That first song is what brought Pete’s music onto my radar, I loved the lyrics and have played it on repeat. As Pete says speaking about his songs you’re not sure what songs will connect you with an audience and if listening to an older track brings you to the new music that artist is releasing than thats a great result.

I was over the moon that Pete dedicated this live performance to me during the podcast. His second performance is of ‘Better Not To’ which he dedicates to his friend Phoebe. A word of caution don’t fall in love with your best friend.

In the moment, Pete Jackson singing his latest song ‘Better Not To’

Going forward Pete is looking forward on releasing four to five songs throughout the rest of the year rather than an EP or a dedicated album so that the focus can then be on these songs and they can take can live of their own rather than compete against other songs on an album.

For me this first podcast has been exhilarating and the combination of nervous energy and adrenaline of chatting with Pete was so much fun.

I hope you take the time and enjoy the conversation and songs that make Pete Jackson an extraordinary musical storyteller.

Click down below to hear the first podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Pete Jackson. Also available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many other platforms.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast #1 Pete Jackson
(14th June 2020)