The Long Road Beckons…

Country / Americana acts set to rock Leicestershire as a new festival takes shape for September 2018 We at Just Listen To This love encouraging new artists and bands as well as covering the established heavyweight acts, as amongst them will be the key songwriters, musicians and live performers of the future.

This new roots music festival looks to be a great potential step-up for the roster of acts lined up, as they appear on stages headlined later by the likes of pop group lass-turned country performer Una Healey, veteran singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, America’s Lee Ann Womack, roots duo and festival favourites The Shires, Danielle Bradbery from the US version of The Voice, Angeleena Presley the songstress..not to mention Ferris & Sylvester from London and the impressive Yola Carter. Campers will be welcomed, with full facilities in place. Much more than just a music festival, The Long Road will embrace all aspects of the country and Americana scene and, alongside its live music offerings, will incorporate an array of themed activities including Moonshine and bourbon tasting, instrument and songwriting workshops, wild swimming, a Southern-inspired food & shopping village and much more, providing festival goers with a unique, authentic country music lifestyle experience.

The venue will be Stanford Hall in Leicestershire and the event will run from Friday 7th September to Sunday 9th September 2018.

Curated by Tennessee-born country music specialist and radio presenter Baylen Leonard, The Long Road will present a broad array of artists. Marking the first time the platform has teamed with a country music event, BBC Music Introducing will host their own stage at the festival, which will be fronted by presenter of BBC Radio 2’s weekly country show Bob Harris and will showcase some of the UK’s best unsigned talent. The festival has also partnered with a carefully selected pool of specialist country and Americana organisations including The Birthplace of Country Music, which showcases the role that Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia played in the birth and development of country music, The Bluegrass Situation (BGS), an online music magazine and curator promoting the continued growth of bluegrass, roots, progressive folk rock, Americana music and culture, The Americana Music Association UK, and independent UK label Loose Records, who celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2018. These organisations will all be involved in bringing artists to the festival to showcase a broad array of talent from across the spectrum of country, Americana and roots music.

Just look at this list of acts due to appear:

Angaleena Presley

The Shires

Billy Bragg

Striking Matches

Danielle Bradbery

Una Healy

Ashley Campbell

Brent Cobb

Aaron Watson

Lee Ann Womack

Danny and The Champions of the World

Catherine McGrath

The Wandering Hearts

The Wood Brothers

Megan O’Neill

Two Ways Home

Holloway Road

Kevin McGuire

Twinnie

Laura Oakes

Ruby Boots

Jess and The Bandits

Gary Quinn

Parker Millsap

Yola Carter

Treetop Flyers

William The Conqueror

The Arlenes

Joanna Serrat

Ferris & Sylvester

Kasheena Sampson

Danni Nicholls

Midnight Skyracer

Worry Dolls

The Lone Bellow

Frontier Ruckus

Folk Soul Revival

Amythyst Kiah

Andrew Alli

Day tickets start at £40*, Weekend No Camping tickets at £85* and Weekend Camping tickets start at £99* (*plus booking fees). Tickets go on sale at 9am on Thursday April 12th and are available from www.thelongroadfestival.com.

Stanford Hall is a beautiful stately home set in 700 acres and located in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside, near Stanford on Avon. Avenues of established, majestic trees radiate in all directions from the Hall, most prominently the North Avenue which stretches as far as the eye can see. Woodland, ridge and furrow pasture and ancient remains of buildings of a previous age and the enclosed rose garden nurture an atmosphere of profound tranquility and peace.

Pete Sargeant