The CMA Songwriters series, kicking off Country Music Week and C2C in March is always a highlight for any true fans of country music in the UK, providing a moment of focus truly on the songwriting and the music, where the artists are unable to hide behind any staging or dance moves. The CMA always put on a stellar line-up for these events of incredible up-and-coming talent. This year was no exception with a powerhouse of female talent filling the stage – Ashley Campbell, Tenille Townes, Kassi Ashton – led by Chris de Stefano. This Shepherd’s Bush show was the last stop for the quartet on the tour, and the CMA had clearly done a good job balancing the line-up for the camaraderie that the four shared on stage bouncing off each other was a beautiful thing to behold.
Beginning the round was the perennially sassy Kassi Ashton. If her musical star doesn’t rise in the way that it ought, then Ashton may have a potential career laid out for her in comedy, if the laughs that she drew from the crowd were telling enough. Ashton has a knack of playing off the crowd in her sets, yet still managing to create that ‘moment’ which many artists seek in their sets. Starting off with ‘California, Missouri,’ Ashton gave a glimpse into why she has shot into the spotlight, with the gorgeous tonality of her voice harmonizing with the relatable tale of being the artistic girl in a small and conservative town.
Next to showcase why she has found herself spotlit by platforms such as Rolling Stone was the Canadian sweetheart herself, Tenille Townes with the song, ‘Where You Are,’ as heard before on her ‘Living Room Worktapes – EP.’ Townes has a knack for storytelling in her songs, using different, rarer themes that show her as an artist mature beyond her songwriting years – as witty as Ashton, making sure to point out that the cutting down of trees in her songs was purely for lyrical purposes….
Following Townes, Ashley Campbell again proved exactly why she has made it into the hearts of the UK country fans, this her third return to the UK this year. Starting off her setlist with ‘Better Boyfriend,’ Campbell’s attitude had the audience humming and laughing along in equal measure, whilst still demonstrating her musical legacy of talent.
To many the name of Chris de Stefano, completing the line-up, may be unfamiliar, however the legacy of his songs will not. The name behind hits by Dan + Shay, Chase Rice and Carrie Underwood, De Stefano is a powerhouse songwriter. Still his voice should not be underestimated in its own right – man’s got pipes – and more to the point what will shock many is that the man can rap too. Starting off his stint in the spotlight, De Stefano started off with the new hit from Underwood’s ‘Cry Pretty’ – Champion, a crowd pleaser, getting the seated audience to move to their maximum capacity (a good sway and sing along while respectfully seated – how British!)
The second round of songs brought the tempo down a beat, Ashton beginning the round with the story behind her song ‘Lie To Me,’ telling the story of knowing a relationship was over. (When she was going to end it, her then-boyfriend turned to her, knowing it was over and said Lie to Me.’ Less sentimentally, she ended her story telling of how said boyfriend repeated the same line ‘Lie to Me,’ whilst wanting to meet up when he was about to get married; the inspiration behind the song. Man’s in danger with Kassi’s star ascendant – it doesn’t look like she’s going to mince her words anytime soon).
Plucking at the heartstrings, and creating that ephemeral ‘moment,’ all artists seek to secure, Tenille Townes followed behind Ashton with ‘Jersey on the Wall.’ The story was inspired by the death of a high-school girl, from Townes’ hometown, in a car crash. Anyone could have heard a pin drop in the audience, with Townes breathing the emotion from the song into the audience and letting the gorgeous, unique tonality of her voice and songwriting shine to its fullest potential.
Bringing the storyline of the round back to that old chestnut of relationships and love, Campbell was up with a surprisingly poignant rendition of ‘I Wish I Wanted To’ – the story behind it; moving on and trying to find love after a bad break-up.
Perhaps the worst-kept surprise in the round was when Chase Rice came up to join Chris de Stefano on stage for the hit they penned together, ‘Eyes On You.’ Towering over the other writers on stage, Chase Rice known for his beer-tinged performances gave an amazingly sentimental rendition of the song – albeit with a beer in hand.
Continuing on where Campbell had left, Ashton was next to sing about the bad side of love with her single, ‘Hopeless.’ It is clear that she is going to go from strength to strength in the coming years – already spotlit by Maren Morris herself as one to watch. Speaking of female power, Townes followed ‘Hopeless’ up with her song, ‘White Horse,’ talking of how love is not the fairytale by which it is seen when we are younger. Bringing sassy back, Campbell’s performance of ‘Looks Like Time’ was a memorable part of the evening. No stranger to the UK, Campbell played off the UK audience with ease, even in this more chilled setting, with the audience singing along and laughing along to the cries of ‘god gave you a perfect face / I guess he took it back,’ making us all wish we could sing a similar song to those who hurt us.
Chris de Stefano stepped into his own for his next slot, singing his version of the Dan + Shay song he penned, ‘From the Ground Up.’ Rivalling the duo’s voices is no easy feat, but de Stefano was well and truly up to the challenge here, a goosebump moment. To the audience’s delight, he rounded this up by bringing on the ever-popular Catherine McGrath on stage to sing the song they had written together ‘Just in Case.’
For the penultimate round, Ashton brought out ‘Taxidermy.’ Written by Natalie Hemby, Ashton said that the song felt like hers as soon as she heard it and couldn’t let it slip away, it’s easy to see why – there aren’t many people who could make the idea of pinning men’s heads on the wall believable and yet not disturbing but hilarious. Townes and Campbell’s songs on the other hand were tearjerkers, with Townes’ rendition of ‘Meet My Maker,’ and Campbell of her father, Glen Campbell’s song, Gentle On My Mind,’ that got the audience swaying along. De Stefano ended the penultimate round with his song, ‘Wide Open,’ that reminded everyone why he is such a prolific songwriter and so esteemed throughout Nashville.
For the final round, all four songwriters brought their A game. Ashton started off with ‘The Straw’; showing just how remarkable she is an artist. Sass she may have written all over her face and mouth, but when it comes down to it, she can create a truly sensational and emotional moment through her beautiful storytelling that is profound. Similarly, Townes’ remarkable song ‘Somebody’s Daughter,’ that was one of the breakthrough hits of the year gave us goosebumps, her unique voice and songwriting having power that ought to have real staying power. In the same way Campbell’s ‘Remembering’ created a real moment, with everyone paying homage to her late father. If anyone needed reminding of the female talent exuding from Nashville at the moment, these women are it – huge personalities, sensitive songwriters and unique beautiful voices. De Stefano should not be neglected, ending his stint with ‘Something in the Water,’ the popular Carrie Underwood hit.
Any fans of country music will have been to many rounds in their time, but this one was a particularly beautiful, balanced and creative bunch of people – unique and different but immensely powerful. All of them are set for breathtaking careers.
Setlist
California Missouri – Kassi Ashton
Where You Are – Tenille Townes
Better Boyfriend – Ashley Campbell
Champion – Chris de Stefano
Lie to Me – Kassi Ashton
Jersey on the Wall – Tenille Townes
I Wish I Wanted To – Ashley Campbell
Eyes On You– Chase Rice and Chris de Stefano
Hopeless– Kassi Ashton
White Horse – Tenille Townes
Looks like Time – Ashley Campbell
From the Ground Up (recorded by Dan + Shay) – Chris de Stefano
Just In Case – Catherine McGrath
Taxidermy – Kassi Ashton
Meet My Maker – Tenille Townes
Gentle on My Mind (Glen Campbell cover) – Ashley Campbell
Wide Open – Chris de Stefano
The Straw – Kassi Ashton
Somebody’s Daughter – Tenille Townes
Remembering – Ashley Campbell
Something in the Water (recorded by Carrie Underwood) – Chris de Stefano