Nashville Sounds in the Round

Birmingham's premier country songwriter night 'Nashville Sounds In The Round' in partnership with B:Music! Hosted by multi award-winning Gasoline & Matches, artists are invited to tell the stories behind their songs in a Bluebird Café style ‘In The Round’ session, stripping the songs back to their origins and transporting the audience right back to the writing rooms.

Gasoline & Matches

Gasoline & Matches are a high energy, multi-award winning, dual fronted British band combining close harmonies, melodic guitar licks and serious musicianship. Fronted by Birmingham natives Sally Rea Morris and Stephen Marks, they are fierce entertainers known for their tongue-in-cheek and much-loved song "Never Have I Ever" described by Bob Harris as “Clever, funny, totally original…and it’s Country!” They built momentum after multiple spins on BBC Radio 2, and never fail to get festival goers on their feet to participate in the infamous drinking game which inspired the song. As resident hosts of Nashville Sounds in the Round, their Bluebird Cafe style songwriter round at Birmingham Symphony Hall, it’s clear to see their contribution & influence on Country and Americana music in the Midlands.

Kenny Foster

Foster’s unorthodox career has seen him sharing the stage with artists including Buddy Miller, Kacey Musgraves, Patty Griffin, Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris and Old Dominion, and appearing in numerous episodes of ABC’s Nashville and even in Super Bowl commercials alongside Sheryl Crow and Danica Patrick. He was named one of the “Top 10 New Artists You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone and has been highlighted in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Forbes.

The critically acclaimed Deep Cuts (2017) album expanded Kenny's reach further than even he could have imagined. After touring to 18 countries in the following years the release of his newest effort, Somewhere in Middle America (2022), addresses the beauty and the limitations, the experiences and the challenges, facing those Midwesterners who, like him, carry a complicated relationship to their hometowns and the polarizing mindsets that increasingly define our times. Born and raised in Joplin, Missouri, the acclaimed and innovative artist didn’t set out to make this complex and deeply personal territory the focus of the record, but gradually became aware of what was feeling most urgent to him.

The results merge country storytelling, singer/songwriter intimacy, and rock & roll intensity—the place where pedal steel and banjos meet power chords. The first single 'Somewhere In Middle America' had it's World Radio Premier on BBC Radio 2's "The Country Show with Whispering Bob Harris". His second single, 'Poor Kids', a premier on Absolute Radio Country, and his third single 'Copy, Paste, Repeat' earned him a British Country Music Award for 'International Single of the Year'.

Simeon Hammond Dallas

Simeon Hammond Dallas was born and raised in the rich musical and cultural melting pot of Camden Town. Growing up listening to her parent’s eclectic record collection that spanned artists from The Cranberries to Ella Fitzgerald, her own music traverses genres and is described by Holler Country as “a no-f***’s-given distinctly millennial take on Americana and blues, that sounds like Bonnie Raitt would have if her songs had been written by Alanis Morissette”.Through a catalogue filled with intersectional storytelling, hypnotic melodies and poetic lyricism, Simeon Hammond Dallas gives voice to a generation wrangling with the complexities of modern life.

Simeon’s latest single, “Do I Die”, takes her trademark Country-Blues sound in a more commercial direction, “a country-tinged, sun-drenched instant classic… bringing to mind Dreams era Fleetwood Mac or the classy country power pop of Cam” (Holler). Produced by Fred Abbot (Noah and the Whale), “Do I Die” gained Simeon a Top 40 chart position on the UK Country airplay chart as well as radio play on BBC Scotland and Whispering Bob Harris’ Country show on Radio 2.

Her second studio EP, Make It Romantic, was held to high acclaim by the likes of Americana UK, Earmilk, Folk Radio, and more. Simeon’s “star in the making” (Lonesome Highway) only continues to rise with a new project brewing for the upcoming year, armed with “a match for the best voices on the UK scene” (Country Way Of Life), and a blazing lead guitar, Simeon Hammond Dallas continues to prove “she is the whole package” (Neil McCormick, The Telegraph).

After showcasing in Nashville at AmericanaFest, making her BBC Radio 2 live debut, and featuring on BBC 4’s Woman's Hour, 2025 is set to be an exciting year for Simeon with her new EP “Seventeen” scheduled for release in the spring, and a debut headline tour to follow.

Katie Rigby

Katie Rigby is UK singer-songwriter from Manchester, England. Drawing inspiration from artists like Kacey Musgraves, Hailey Whitters and Maren Morris, Rigby explores the internal conflict of being a British native with a country soul.

Nominated for two BCMA (British Country Music Association) awards - UK Best Female and UK Song – Rigby has garnered significant traction this year and now stands up amongst household names in the UK country scene.

Her 2024 release, past life cowgirl, saw Rigby firmly establish her authentic sound. It sits as an ode to her deep connection with country music and has amassed over 100,000 global streams since its release.

This year, Rigby has debuted at festivals across the UK, drawing one of the biggest crowds at her set at Buckle and Boots in May. She’s also supported female power houses Jade Helliwell and Harper O’Neill on their UK tours and has now sold out her own headline show at Forty Five Vinyl Café in York (which is fast becoming the UK’s answer to The Bluebird Café). Katie Rigby’s thoughtful lyrics and detailed melodies bring a fresh twist to the UK country scene. She perfectly captures that classic country sound in a uniquely British way, sharing her experiences of love, loss and becoming comfortable with being unapologetically herself. Her highly anticipated debut EP is set to be released in Spring 2025 and promises to continue Rigby’s fearless cosmic cowgirl story.

Outpost Drive

Outpost Drive, where the American South meets The British Isles, features the talents of Willow Robinson and Mary Bragg Robinson. Mary Bragg, a native of Mobile, Alabama, tells tales of her homeland with honey sweet vocals, while Willow who grew up in the English Countryside, brings his powerful voice and guitar playing to their harmonious blend of American Country and British Folk.