Please be advised: THIS IS A CO-HEALINE SHOW
Which means on the night, either Sasha or Sonia, could take the stage first or last.
SASHA McVEIGH
From singing in the shopping trolley when she was 2, to singing all over the United States and UK, British Country singer/songwriter Sasha McVeigh says music is her life.
Born in a small, rural city in England, Sasha garnered a love of Country music from her Father who used to “dance me around the living room to CMT when I was just 18 months old.” With a strong passion and ear for music she began playing keyboard at age 10 and writing songs in the years that followed: “Songwriting is extremely important to me, I cherish every song I write because each one is so personal; they’re like rhyming diary entries.” As well as keyboard, Sasha plays acoustic guitar, but you certainly wouldn’t be able to tell that she’s only been playing for just three years and recently added the banjo to her repertoire of instruments.
Her professional music journey started in July 2012 when she took a two week trip to Nashville, with a plan to perform just a handful of shows. What resulted was two weeks of solid bookings at venues such as Tootsies Orchid Lounge, The Rutledge, The Bluebird and various others up and down Broadway. The reception she received meant Sasha, subsequently, returned to Nashville numerous times for extended periods in 2012 and 2013. During one of the trips, Sasha recorded her first EP, made up solely of original material, which was released (03/16/2013) on her birthday. Music from the acoustic EP has received airplay in the US and UK, most prominently on BBC Radio in Great Britain, where Sasha has been Artist of the Week, for BBC Introducing, three times and Coast to Coast AM in the States, as well as numerous independent stations.
In the US, Sasha has completed two successful tours, in the summers of 2013 and 2014, performing at some of the biggest country music festivals and opening for artists such as Dustin Lynch and Thompson Square. She made her debut on the main stage at Country Jam USA (Eau Claire, WI) this past summer, where Luke Bryan headlined, and she was also asked to perform the US National Anthem to the crowd of, an estimated, 40,000 festival goers. In addition, one of the highlights in her career, so far, came in April of this year, when she was chosen to perform at The Academy of Country Music Kick-Off Party in Las Vegas, an event which lead up to the ACM Awards. Sasha opened the show (followed by Cole Swindell, David Nail and headlined by Hunter Hayes), which took place at the newly opened venue, The LINQ and she was the very first artist to ever perform on the main stage at this inaugural event. Owing to the high-profile nature of the event, Sasha was interviewed by numerous television networks and performed for some, including Fox5 KVVU, ABC13 KTNV, CBS and GAC.
Sasha’s music has also been making an impact on “home-turf” in the UK. In recent times, she has performed on the main stage at Rock The Farm and as a special guest at Yeehaw UK, in addition to Wychwood Festival and LakeFest for BBC Introducing. As part of her 25 date UK tour (September – October 2014), Sasha headlined at the Fort-San-Antone Country Music Festival where she debuted her new band to a sold out crowd. Her name can be seen in numerous British publications having given 17 interviews in just a few weeks during the tour, including having a two-page feature and interview in the November/December issue of Maverick Magazine (the leading UK independent country music magazine). All these achievements, at home and across the pond, can be attributed to her determination, vibrant personality, unique voice and talent as a songwriter.
A lot has been accomplished in the short time Sasha has been pursuing a music career professionally and these achievements are the result of persistence and, more importantly, because she is extremely talented. One of the biggest achievements occurred during a recent trip to Nashville, whereby Sasha signed with William Morris Endeavour Entertainment (WME), the biggest booking agency in the world and was the first British country singer to do so out of the Nashville office.
Upon completion of her UK tour at the end of October, Sasha headed back to Nashville in November, to record her highly anticipated, first full length, full band album – a sample track from which was played by Mark Forrest across every local BBC Radio station in Great Britain and was subsequently chosen as “Best of the Best of BBC Introducing”. A single will be released in March, following Sasha’s performance at the C2C Festival at The O2 in London and her opening for Canadian country singer/songwriter Lindsay Ell, on her European tour. The album will be on sale in April to coincide with an extensive co-headline tour of the UK and Ireland, also including select dates in Europe, with American singer/songwriter, Sonia Leigh. In addition, a tour of the US and Canada is planned for the summer, which will see Sasha perform on the main stage at various festivals (including Country Jam USA, Taste of Country and Country Stampede), alongside some of the biggest names in the genre, to promote the new album. “These past few years have been part of a journey, a journey that’s far from over. I feel incredibly blessed for all the opportunities that continue to present themselves and for the support of my fans, friends and family. There’s a lot to look forward to in 2015 and I just can’t wait to get started!”
SONIA LEIGH
plus support…
DANIEL DOBBS
“Singer/songwriter DANIEL DOBBS always delivers a performance from the heart. With achingly honest lyrics, soft yet powerful vocals and a warming stage presence are all tied together by his undeniable on-stage charisma. DANIEL DOBBS is set to stun.” – NUSIC
“Daniel Dobbs may be small in stature, but his big, powerful voice more than makes up for it. Straight from the off his stadium sized songs threaten to blow the roof off The Maze. He is bombastic and earnest in equal measure, and there are moments where it can fall in to ‘Bryan Adams headlining Wembley’ territory, but if he can keep that in check, he’ll no doubt be on of the most explosive singer-songwriters in Nottingham.” – Paul Klotschkow (Left Lion)
The epic five-minute opening track to the Don’t Wear the Beast’s Jeans EP, Dive is reminiscent of Cute is What We Aim For. It differs in one key area- it is so much more grown-up. This is a track of new beginnings, maturity and self-realisation, featuring crooning lyrics like: “And I’ve built a new road which I’ll crawl before I walk.” But by far the most striking lyrical moment of this EP is the line- “I won’t change the music to extinguish the fire.” Another Fist is the anthem of the irate. The lyrics are full of frustration, addressing substance abuse and alcoholism. Packed with technically skilful guitar solos, I would expect nothing less from Dobbs’ debut EP, having attended many of his live shows over the years. In contrast to Another Fist, Home is a complete change of pace. Daniel Dobbs has certainly not lost the key element that identifies him, his attachment to the simple acoustic guitar.
Where others lay down guitar riffs laced with a generous over-use of the effects pedal to cover for shoddy musicianship, Dobbs retains his stripped-down sound. The result lays Dobbs’ skills bare, and he doesn’t disappoint. Every note is crisp, clear and simply a pleasure to listen to. Anyone who has been familiar with Daniel Dobbs music prior to this EP will probably be familiar with the instant crowd-pleaser, Don’t Wear the Beast’s Jeans. Dobbs originally penned the track in 2008 and has been improving the arrangement ever since. This dedication paid off. The EP recording of Beast’s Jeans is a polished tribute to Dobbs’ effort. – Rachel Sloper (My Stereo Romance)
“You’d be forgiven for taking a look at Daniel Dobbs and assuming he’s just starting out, you’d be foolish however. Displaying the talents and charm of performers twice his age, Daniel Dobbs brings a much needed youthful enthusiasm and proves that big surprises do come from small packages” – Gerry Trimble (Gerry Trimble + The Bastard Sons)
“He’s 5ft tall and he’s making more noise than a small motorbike.. Fuckin’ hell!” – James Hartley
