THOSE of us unable to venture up the New England Highway this week to Tamworth were given a sample of the country music mecca's delights last Friday at the Stag and Hunter Hotel.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Alabama Americana songstress Hannah Aldridge was back to kick-start her third Australian tour in 12 months and to iron out the jet lag before heading to Tamworth.
But rather than a full Aldridge band set of raucous southern rock, the 33-year-old was in acoustic mode and joined on stage by emerging Kiwi singer-songwriter Jenny Mitchell and Newcastle duo Natalie Henry and Emily A. Smith for the Song Collectors showcase.
The gig was all about intimacy. The four women sat together on stage and traded stories and songs about what inspires them as artists.
It quickly became apparent Aldridge was the star and on a different level. Her voice hasn't just been flavoured by whiskey, but marinated in a peaty single malt.
Aldridge's cover of The Allman Brothers Band's classic Whipping Post was particularly transfixing. Coupled with the Stag's southern American decor, Aldridge could have been performing to her native Muscle Shoals.
Mitchell is the 2019 New Zealand country artist of the year and has been nominated for Alt-Country Album of the Year for her second record Wildfires at the forthcoming Golden Guitars.
She proved at the Stag she's a serious talent. Her style was more reserved than Aldridge, with obvious folk influences from Norah Jones and Gillian Welch rising to the surface.
Smith, who usually plays guitar for Henry, even had an opportunity to shine out front when she performed her original Beaumont Street, about feeling lost when she moved to Newcastle from the Adelaide Hills. It was a definite crowd-pleaser.
As a concept, however, Song Collectors had issues. Being a free acoustic show, loud and drunken chatter from disinterested punters was an annoyance for both listeners and performers.
At one stage Henry told a group "there's plenty of room out back if you're not interested." Seemingly the earlier death stares went unnoticed.
Aldridge was obviously the main attraction and the constant swapping between artists did limit the amount of songs she performed.
But there was plenty happening to whet the appetite for alt-country and Americana fans headed to Tamworth.