2018 Upcoming Events
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Sat27Jun2020
POSTPONED | DENNIS ELLSWORTH w full band
POSTPONED | Doors 18:45 Live 19:15
DENNIS ELLSWORTH | FULL BAND SHOW | Saturday 27 June 2020
In 2017, Dennis Ellsworth needed to make a new album. And it was an emergency.
So, who better to call for assistance than Joel Plaskett, who assumed production duties and enlisted his friends, Charles Austin and Dave Marsh, to fully participate. The result IS Ellsworth’s fifth solo LP, Things Change, a brilliant convergence of his irresistible power pop songwriting chops with Plaskett and co.’s trademark vintage guitar-driven sound.
In the past, Prince Edward Island native Ellsworth has never hesitated to seek out the right people for specific projects. It’s led him to build an impressive body of work in conjunction with producer David Barbe (Drive-By Truckers, Sugar), along with CanRock heroes such as Josh Finlayson (Skydiggers, Gord Downie), Hugh Christopher Brown, and Tim Bovaconti (Ron Sexsmith). However, teaming up WITH Plaskett at Joel’s New Scotland Yard studio in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia became a totally immersive experience for Ellsworth that opened up many new creative possibilities.
Ellsworth certainly came more prepared than he ever had before, having spent a considerable amount of time crafting home demos, which he says allowed him to conceive an overall framework for the album rather than viewing it as 12 individual songs. It also gave Plaskett plenty of opportunities to offer his ideas and build on the hooks Ellsworth had already devised.
After two decades of making music in various incarnations, Ellsworth chalks up what he’s accomplished on Things Change in large part to simply being older and wiser. “For years I wrote dark, smooth, romantic alt-country-ish type songs,” he says. “I don’t know how I ever got there but I stuck with it for a while. I love those records, but I knew it was time I switched things up just to keep myself interested.
“So, now that it’s happened, I feel like I’ve entered into this new land of possibility and I’m gonna ride that wave for a bit. I also think my songwriting is getting stronger with every album. I feel like I’ve found a way to get a message across with the perfect balance. It’s still poetic but does a much better job of drawing a listener in with clear messages and some great combinations of words.”
That’s evident right from the new album’s opening track, “The Bottom,” which captures the raw energy of Ellsworth and the band playing essentially live in the studio. It was a conscious choice to leave in a snippet of studio chatter at the beginning since it underscores the magical moment when all of the musicians click and the song takes off in a rush of ‘90s-influenced guitars. That chemistry is also wonderfully captured on the title track, the third of four takes.
However, Ellsworth points to the songs “Absent Mind” and “Caught In The Waves” as clearer examples of how his writing process evolved in the year leading up to the sessions for Things Change. “I went through a period of confusion, complacency and procrastination,” he says. “It was almost like I was frozen in my tracks. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be a part of the music industry anymore in 2016 and I had no idea what I wanted to write about anymore. All I knew was I wanted to turn the volume. ‘Absent Mind’ is a lighthearted take on knowing that you’ve let things slide and dealing with the consequences.
“‘Caught in the Waves’ is an extension of that state of confusion. I also stopped drinking in 2017 and getting sober has been an interesting journey. I think parts of this song are about knowing you’re sinking from alcohol consumption and acknowledging that you need to make a change for your health. It deals with being off balance in a relationship, whether its love or booze.”
But while Ellsworth may have cut alcohol out of his routine, his support for a certain soon-to-be-legalized substance is displayed on “Stoned,” a song poised to become an unofficial new Canadian anthem starting July 1, 2018. It beautifully ties a bow on an album that, in total, echoes the blissful era of Big Star and Cheap Trick and their later acolytes Teenage Fanclub, The Lemonheads and Matthew Sweet…. not to mention the Joel Plaskett Emergency.
“When I set out to make this record I instinctively felt it would be with Joel,” Ellsworth says. “I knew that we had a lot of similar tastes, and when we started sifting through the songs he picked up on a lot of the influences, which was great. I got nostalgic in my listening patterns and it naturally started to inform my writing because I’m basically a music sponge. It comes to me from so many angles and I return it back to the ether all twisted up.”
Things indeed change, most often when we least expect them to. But sometimes when we know change is necessary, it can force us to finally go places we’ve long put off. Dennis Ellsworth has reached a place he’s always meant to be with Things Change, and thankfully he’s welcomed the rest of us to join him there.
NEW album “Common Senseless
'common senseless is a 13 track album. it was recorded over the past one and a half years with adam gallant at the hill sound in charlottetown, pei. that’s where we live. it’s got a lot to offer. a beautiful variety of songs of love, cynicism, doubt, current affairs, fortune and mental health.'
The Little Rabbit Barn music evenings are private invitation-only gigs.
Contact us if you'd like to be on the guest list and we will get back to you to confirm.There will be complimentary food and we are suggesting an artist donation from £15.
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Sat22Aug2020
RESCHEDULED | THE WANDERING HEARTS | FULL
Doors 19:00 | Live 19:30 | Finish 10:45
THE WANDERING HEARTS | ROSEANNE REID | SATURDAY 22 AUGUST 2020
ANNOUNCEMENT! In Harmony - An Intimate Tour. An evening of songs old and new, and the stories behind them. In April 2020, we’ll be travelling to some towns and cities we’ve never visited before - & some we have - to try and reach as many of you as possible. 2020, here we come!
The Little Rabbit Barn music evenings are private invitation-only gigs.
Contact us if you'd like to be on the guest list and we will get back to you to confirm.There will be complimentary food and we are suggesting an artist donation from £15.
GUEST PLACES FULL
RESERVED LIST FOR CANCELLATIONS FULLAll guest list places confirmed and artist donations received for the April 25th postponed show have been transferred to the rescheduled date.
If you are unable to switch to the new date, please contact us as soon as possible so we can offer your place(s) to guests on the reserve list.
Where you are unable to transfer to the rescheduled date, we will be happy to process a refund of your artist donation if requested.
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Sat26Sep2020
MORGANWAY |
Doors 19:00 Live 19:30
MORGANWAY
A six-piece from East Anglia founded by twin brothers Callum (vocals, guitar, bass) and Kieran Morgan (lead guitar, backing vocals). Throughout their early years the boys played in various bands but struggled to find a box to fit into. Too rock for folk, too pop for indie, too indie for country, or so it seemed. Choosing to follow their instincts rather than convention, they became Morganway and suddenly people started listening.
Joined by SJ Mortimer (vocals), Nicole Terry (fiddle), Matthew Brocklehurst (keys) and Ed Bullinger (drums), the band has developed a sound built on a love for multi-layered vocal harmonies, driven guitar riffs and distinctive fiddle flourishes, bound by raw, honest songwriting. They've built this into a live show that in one moment is classic rock and the next mystical folk, catching the attention of Whispering Bob Harris and many others in the rising British Americana scene. Their collective obsession with ‘70s West Coast rock is also met with a love of Brit Rock, folk and modern Americana.
Described as “One of Britain’s most exciting unsigned bands...they are going places.”Anyone fortunate enough to have been in the audience when LRB hosted the band last September 2019 will know what a truly awesome experience Morganway are live.
Paul Carr, revPACman, picked Frozen in Our Time, filmed and recorded live at Little Rabbit Barn last September as his top song of 2019. Paul wrote "Frozen in Our Time is an instant classic, has an anthemic mystery attached to it and is such a mature song for a young band, S.J. Mortimer's vocal are sensational too!"
Here is the video of the award winning song and performance.
"This band are truly something special and surely destined for much bigger, they generate such electricity and atmosphere and tonight was
an absolute pleasure to watch.”
Chris Farlie (W21 Music, Buckle & Boots 2018 review)"Heralding euphoric choruses and electric riffs Fleetwood Mac and The Strokes, the harmonies of icons ELO meeting The Magic Numbers somewhere along the way, and the modern female vocal of Haim, Morganway are quite the tour de force soup, but let’s be frank here: this Norfolk outfit doesn’t sound like anyone else."
- Never Enough NotesThe Little Rabbit Barn music evenings are private invitation-only gigs.
Contact us if you'd like to be on the guest list and we will get back to you to confirm.There will be complimentary food and we are suggesting an artist donation from £15.
PLEASE CONTACT US FIRST BEFORE USING THE PAYPAL LINK BELOW...UNLESS YOU HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL CONFIRMING YOUR GUEST PLACE(s)
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Sat31Oct2020
SEAN TAYLOR TRIO | When Rivers Meet
Doors 18:45 Live 19:00
END OF YEAR SHOWDOWN at LRB |Saturday 31 October 2020 | LRB favourite SEAN TAYLOR with guests
WHEN RIVERS MEETSean Taylor’s unique songwriting is a late night cocktail of Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Jack Kerouac; with a voice that is a cross between John Martyn and Van Morrison and a guitar style that sounds like an acoustic Stevie Ray Vaughan jamming with JJ Cale…His live shows fuse world class songwriting with stories from the road.
Here is a reminder from an earlier show at LRB
Since launching onto the Blues scene with their debut record ‘The Uprising EP’ in April 2019 ‘When Rivers Meet’ have been going from strength to strength. The British husband and wife duo have an ever-growing online fan base and have gained the attention of The Blues Show (BBC Radio 2) as well as national blues publications including Blues Matters & Blues In Britain.
Their unique vocal-led approach to songwriting, dirty electric guitar and slide resonator mandolin create a minimalistic, contemporary Blues/Rock sound that echos 1970s classic rock with hints of the 1930s blues that inspire them. With an unconventional duo format for live shows, gutsy musicianship and powerful, fused vocal harmonies, they create an intense wall of sound.
Whilst travelling the UK in their self-converted VW camper with an impressive tour schedule, the duo have penned their eagerly anticipated EP ‘Innocence Of Youth’ which is due to be released in May '20 followed by a full-length studio album in September '20.
The Little Rabbit Barn music evenings are private invitation-only gigs.
Contact us if you'd like to be on the guest list and we will get back to you to confirm.There will be complimentary food and we are suggesting an artist donation from £15.
This is our last show of 2020. While the rabbits hibernate we will be busy booking an exciting series of music evenings for 2021.
We can already confirm Lynne Hanson and band will be stopping off at LRB on Saturday 10th April 2021.
Thank you all for your support for independent live music.
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Sat10Apr2021
LYNNE HANSON and THE GOOD INTENTIONS | Saturday 10 April 2021
Doors 19:00 | Live 19:30 | Finish 10:45
LYNNE HANSON and THE GOOD INTENTIONS | Saturday 10 April 2021 | Too tough for folk and too blues influenced for country, LYNNE HANSON's brand of "porch music with a little red dirt" can turn on a dime from a sunshine, blue sky ballad to a full-on thunderstorm of gritty Americana swamp from one song to the next. She's known for her high-energy, roots guitar driven live performances.
RESCHEDULED FROM 2020LYNNE HANSON & THE GOOD INTENTIONS| Saturday 10 April 2021
Too tough for folk and too blues influenced for country, LYNNE HANSON's brand of "porch music with a little red dirt" can turn on a dime from a sunshine, blue sky ballad to a full-on thunderstorm of gritty Americana swamp from one song to the next. She's known for her high-energy, roots guitar driven live performances, whether playing solo or with her band the Good Intentions. A closet stand-up comedian, Lynne often leaves the audience howling with laughter with her between-song-banter.
Lynne is a two-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner (2018 English Songwriter, Ensemble of the Year with The LYNNeS), a two-time Indie Acoustic Project Alt-Country album of the year winner (River of Sand 2014, Uneven Ground 2017), a past winner of the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award, and a two-time finalist in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk competition in Texas.
Lynne has performed in venues and festivals across Canada, parts of the United States, and in Europe, had official showcases in Memphis, TN and Austin TX, has toured in support of Grammy nominated songwriters (Gretchen Peters, Steve Forbert), and opened for guitar legend Albert Lee in the UK and Canada.
"Somewhere in the heartlands, in a town called 'Americana USA,' nestles a particular variety of singer songwriter. Someone who views a melodic sensibility through the bottom of a whiskey glass. Canadian songstress Lynne Hanson could run for mayor of that town." - Trevor Raggatt - R2 Magazine - 5 stars
LITTLE RABBIT BARN VIDEO filmed on The LYNNeS duo show with LYNN MILES
OFFICIAL VIDEO
The Little Rabbit Barn music evenings are private invitation-only gigs.
Contact us if you'd like to be on the guest list and we will get back to you to confirm.There will be complimentary food and we are suggesting an artist donation from £15.
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Sat29May2021
DANNI NICHOLLS Trio Show | Saturday 29 May 2021
Doors 19:00 | Live 19:30 | Finish 10:45
DANNI NICHOLLS Saturday 29 May 2021 | Danni's music slips effortlessly between smoky soul, folk-pop and heart-wrenching alt-country. 4 out of 5 stars, Q Magazine | The Melted Morning 5 stars Maverick Magazine
The LRB team is delighted to welcome Danni Nicholls back, an LRB favourite artist, for what will be a record breaking seventh appearance in the barn (just confirmed on the artist boards).
With the wind in her sails from receiving three consecutive Americana Music Association UK award nominations (2017 ‘UK Album of the Year’ for Mockingbird Lane, 2018 and 2019 ‘UK Artist of the Year’), singer-songwriter Danni Nicholls has been enjoying an incredible ride. From supporting the legendary Shakin' Stevens on his 28 date major UK tour to opening for the mighty Lucinda Williams and The Secret Sisters plus being invited to perform at prestigious events such as Folk Alliance International, Cambridge Folk Festival, Tonder Festival, Denmark and AmericanaFest in Nashville….2019 is set to be just as exciting.
Following her first two critically acclaimed studio albums, A Little Redemption (2013) and Mockingbird Lane (2015), 2019 saw the release of her third - The Melted Morning - produced by Jordan Brooke Hamlin (The Indigo Girls, Lucy Wainwright-Roche) at the idyllic woodland studio MOXE, Nashville TN.
Closely personal yet widely relatable, the themes of this album span an array of life’s takeaways from the pain and darkness of rejection, the fear of losing yourself and the power of human connection to offering up hope and new perspectives in the face of adversities.
“I needed a new challenge, a new landscape to work in sonically, physically and viscerally. Collaborating with Jordan and this incredible team of musicians gave me that opportunity and I have come away with a delicate, vibey, honest and vulnerable collection of songs that we dove deep into to find out who they wanted to become”
Her vibrant, spell binding performances are guaranteed to melt your heart into the soles of your boots. Danni’s passionate delivery, captivating velvet voice and charmingly engaging between-song banter compel you to fall under her spell.
“An artist with the elegance and imagination to restore your faith in the visceral power of an original song”
Paul Sexton, BBC Radio 2 and freelance print/broadcast journalist
“I absolutely love the elegance and beauty of her music”
Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2
“Danni is one of our favourites. She’s a dedicated, prolific creator, combining memorable melodies with thoughtful lyrics. Danni’s performances are captivating; her natural warmth making any stage her own.”
David Pick, Founder & CEO Vintage TV
“Her passion for her craft is unparalleled. Her depth of emotion, commitment to the song
and ability to go deep, makes her a rare artist.”
Jed Hilly - Executive Director of the Americana Music Association
“Smoky soul, folk-pop and heart-wrenching alt-country, all in a rich voice”
Q Magazine
“Sumptuous...a warm wry line in confessional songwriting”
UNCUT
“One in a million...
Maverick Music Magazine
