The Round Up is already going on tour around the UK later in the year with some truly exceptional line up's announced already - For the Long Road Festival we have the prospect of a showdown between two of UK Americana's top Male/Female duos, in Two Ways Home and Gasoline & Matches, each of course who run similar events, with Two Ways Home normally to be found curating the Round Up in London while Gasoline & Matches host a similar event Nashville Sounds In The Round in Birmingham.
It promises to be a fascinating event, both have established back catalogues and both are preparing for campaigns of new material.
Despite both being duo's they seem as distinctly different from each other as they are similar. Both can bulk up to become formidable bands - as anyone who has seen them at Buckle & Boots can testify to with G&M even adding a trumpet player to their live ensemble.
As duo's they both have the ability to create a natural rapport with their audiences, each have their own set pieces whether it be the TWH singalong of "Push & Pull" or the linguistic tour de force of G&M's "Never Have I Ever".
With an array of guitarists and vocalists between them the prospects for interaction with the other acts seem tantalising. .
It all seems set to be one of the highlights of the first day of the festival.
As if this was not enough we also have the presence of premier UK Singer/Songwriter - Joe Martin - who's natural ability to tell stories makes him ideal for such an event - Like the previous acts he has a rich back catalogue, "Letters Of Regret",, "Money For The Needy" are just two tracks that we constantly go back to - both of which we first heard at a previous Round Up many years ago.The last time we saw Joe at The Green Note, he also had a strong batch of new songs that boded well for the future.
Having followed his career since he burst into out conscience with the mighty Fitzwallace, he is one artist who consistently seems to get better across the years
Closing out what is already a quite stellar bill is Dolly Mavies, a folk rock singer from Oxford, who is a new name to us but who has already clocked up an appearance at Glastonbury this year, so is unlikely to be daunted by playing Long Road. Her latest album "Slowed & Reverb" is an intriguing listen, full of atmospherics with Dolly possessing a vocal much deeper than you might think on some tracks. Her songs come rich in harmonies and a chance to hear those songs stripped back we think should be something special to witness.
Lines like these below from "Drown Me" should fit right in at a Round Up.
"I learned how to swim -
So you could never drown me out"
Exact timings to be confirmed but The Round Up will be on Buddy's Good Time Bar Stage on Friday.