Mon 17 – Sun 23 October 2022 in London, Manchester and Glasgow’s iconic venues CAITLYN SMITH, TENILLE TOWNES, MATT STELL & ELVIE SHANE ALL ANNOUNCED + THREE VERY SPECIAL SHOWS FROM SONG SUFFRAGETTES www.CountryMusicWeek.com
Today, Country to Country is delighted to announce the return of Country Music Week, confirming shows in London, Manchester and Glasgow with a host of stellar names. Country Music Week (CMW) will feature live shows and unique events across select venues in London, Manchester and Glasgow. The events will recognise and celebrate emerging artists within the broad spectrum of country music, give fans another opportunity to discover UK and US acts early in their career and connect fans with the stories behind the songs. Tenille Townes returns to the UK off the back of a main stage triumph at C2C Festival 2022, where she opened up the main arena in style. Expect to hear songs from Tenille’s award-winning Columbia Nashville/RCA Records debut, The Lemonade Stand. Powerhouse vocalist Caitlyn Smith will perform intimate shows following release of her acclaimed new album. Described by Billboard as “one of Nashville’s most versatile creatives,” Smith returns to the UK following memorable performances at this year’s C2C Festival, and continues momentum built last week in Nashville, where she played five shows across CMA Fest, including spots at the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame. Matt Stell and Elvie Shane will take to the stage together throughout Country Music Week, in what will be a unique chance to see two of country’s future superstars perform an electric set filled with their own hits and shared stories. Nashville’s weekly, all-female songwriter round, Song Sufragettes, heads to the UK for the first time. A one-hour, weekly acoustic showcase, Song Sufragettes featuring five up-and-coming female country artists, performing exclusive, stripped-down sets. Song Suffragettes alumni, including Carly Pearce, Tenille Arts, Lainey Wilson, Jillian Jaqueline, have consistently gone on to receive record and publishing deals. Over 300 women have performed at Song Sufragettes, whittled down from 2,000 applications, and 22 have received record deals, with over 45 artists receiving publishing deals off the back of these shows. Made up of US and UK names, it promises to be an incredible line-up and is the best place to witness country music’s next star. Today, we can confirm below concerts, with more names to be announced soon: LONDON Wed 19 Oct | Scala | Tenille Townes Thurs 20 Oct | O2 Academy2 Islington | Caitlyn Smith Sat 22 Oct | Bush Hall | CMW Hub activity | DAY TIME Sat 22 Oct | Bush Hall | Song Suffragettes | EVENING Sun 23 Oct | Bush Hall | CMW hub activity | DAY TIME Sun 23 Oct | Bush Hall | Matt Stell & Elvie Shane | CO-HEADLINE / EVENING MANCHESTER Tues 18 Oct | Deaf Institute | Caitlyn Smith Wed 19 Oct | Deaf Institute | Matt Stell & Elvie Shane Sun 23 Oct | Band on the Wall | Song Suffragettes GLASGOW Wed 19 Oct | Stereo | Caitlyn Smith Thurs 20 Oct | Stereo | Matt Stell & Elvie Shane Fri 21 Oct | Oran Mor | Song Suffragettes Caitlyn Smith After winning a Critics Choice Award and writing songs for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton, Meghan Trainor and John Legend, Garth Brooks, and Jason Aldean, Caitlyn Smith has established herself as one of Nashville’s brightest rising stars. Undeniably one of the best vocalists of this generation, Smith’s 2018 Starfire and 2020’sSupernova saw her in the pages of TIME Magazine and The New York Times, and had her named to Rolling Stone’s 10 country artists to know and Paste’s 10 country artists to watch. Elvie Shane A native of small-town Kentucky, early touchstones like Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle and John Fogerty joined Wheelhouse Records’ Elvie Shane’s Gospel roots to form the bedrock of his taste –along with R&B classics like The Temptations and modern superstars like Eminem. Shane's picture-based lyrics and knack for storytelling lead to his signing with UTA and he has since opened for Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Brothers Osborne Brett Young and Lady A, to name a few. Shane also just wrapped a stint on the road opening for Brooks & Dunn on their 2021 Reboot Tour. Matt Stell In only the last three years, Matt Stell has quickly made his mark on country music, amassing over half a billion music streams across his catalogue, including back-to-back No. 1s “Prayed For You” and “Everywhere But On” along with fan favourites “Boyfriend Season” and “That Ain’t Me No More.” He has since made his Opry debut and performed on Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s #LateShowMeMusic digital series, Bachelor In Paradise and sung the national anthem for NASCAR and NFL events. He launched his Give A Damn Foundation, kicked-off his hugely successful 8-week Instagram-live series, Penned Up, and was the first-ever artist to receive a virtual plaque from the RIAA for “Prayed For You,” which is now approaching double Platinum status, and is an ASCAP Pop and Country most-performed song awards winner. In 2020 he released his new EP, Better Than That, the follow up to 2019’s Everywhere But On, and is prepping a new project for 2022, led by new single “Man Made.” Tenille Townes On her award-winning Columbia Nashville/RCA Records debut, The Lemonade Stand, Tenille Townes established herself as a keen observer, a songwriter who could illuminate the human condition and share universal truths with heartfelt insight. For her new music set to release in 2021, the gifted singer/songwriter goes even deeper with relatable new songs that are exceptionally vulnerable and authentic. A native of Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, Townes has amassed numerous accolades including being named the 2020 ACM Awards New Female Artist of the Year, 2020 ACM Musical Event of the Year, and then to top off her breakout year, Townes’ debut album The Lemonade Stand won the 2021 JUNO Award for Country Album of the Year.