On the latest pod I chat with Baylen Leonard. one half of the team behind The Long Road Festival, which takes place each year in Leicestershire. We talk about his growing up steeped in Country Music, The festival itself, past, present and future and just the general love people have for all things country!

More than just a wealth of established acts, The Long Road has been at the forefront of helping music fans discover some of the most exciting new artists from across the world, and this year is no exception, with stages hosted by partners Loose Music and Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer, and for the first time, Country & Americana powerhouse label Snakefarm Records; along with Nashville-style songwriter rounds, artist meet and greet opportunities, and afterparties.

Returning for its sixth year, The Long Road recently announced several new elements for 2025, to welcome new friends and celebrate the growth of the country family. Audiences will be treated to performances across six stages; The Rhinestone Stage (main stage) – opening from Friday afternoon for weekend ticket holders for the first time this year; the Interstate; The Front Porch; Buddy’s, a country bar nestled among woodland; The Showground, where numerous artists from both sides of the pond have made their debut at the festival; and a brand-new sixth stage, with more details to follow.

The Long Road Festival runs from Friday, August 22 to Sunday, August 24 2025. Weekend, Camping, Day, Kids and VIP tickets available now: https://www.thelongroad.com/tickets.

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For my latest conversation I’m joined by Mac Watts. He in Nashville currently and plays the bars almost on a daily basis. He’s a singer/song writer with a great passion for country. We chat about moving to Nashville from his home state of Michigan, we chat a little Kip Moore and the similarities between Mac, Kip and Willie Nelson. Mac tells us about song writing ahead of his new single drop on Friday 18th April.

About Mac Watts:
Nashville recording artist, Mac Watts, is a rising star in modern country music. Mac grew up just north of Detroit, Michigan aspiring to play collegiate ice hockey but always had a love for music. When he decided to hang up the skates, he taught himself how to play the guitar, write songs and sing. Mac claims he grew up on Motown, country, and Irish drinking songs. His big influences though today are the sounds of Eric Church, Kip Moore, Brothers Osborne, and Dierks Bentley to name a few. 

He then realized he’d found his passion and picked up a few gigs at local bars in the Metro Detroit area.  Since a rolling stone gathers no moss, Mac moved to south Florida to complete his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and supported himself with a full time job and weekly night gigs. He performed in an acoustic duo with another local musician, John Patterson, and later was asked to be the lead singer in a band called Shotgun 40. Both offered a variety of steady gigs to support himself while finishing college. After graduation in December, the rolling stone found himself on the road to Music City to pursue a career in country music as an artist in Nashville, TN.

Since his arrival in February of 2017, he has some impressive accomplishments. He released his first single, Ain’t Through Loving You, along with many other singles and launched two EP’s, which can be found on all music platforms. 

He was the Regional Finals Winner for the Nash Next America’s Talent Search Contest in 2018. He and his band have opened for big names such as: Phil Vassar, A Thousand Horses, Parmalee, Haley and Michaels, Austin Burke, Scotty McCreery to name a few. He was selected to perform at the WYCD Hoedown Music Festival at the DTE Energy Music Theatre. He recently released his newest single, See This Through, and is working on new music.

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On this one I catch up with Nashville artist Brooks Herring as he prepares for the semi final this weekend of ‘Nashville’s Next Rising Star’ competition at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row. We chat al things military and how song writing has helped in the journey from the battlefield to Broadway and how a life in that military can help when it comes to applying those lessons as an artist.

We also touch upon his recent whistle stop tour of England back in mid march, amidst talk of a return and what else the future holds for Brooks Herring.

About Brooks Herring:
Brooks Herring is an award-winning songwriter, singer, recording artist, actor, and performer from Conway, SC, based in Nashville, TN. Brooks writes and performs original music, and covers a wide variety of music from nearly every genre and generation in venues all over the United States. He performs at all different types of venues and events, including festivals, writers rounds, weddings, private parties, bars, restaurants, and markets. Brooks’ original music dances somewhere between Country, Alt-Rock, and Blues, with strong patriotic undertones inspired by his service in the US Navy, and time working for the US Army. Brooks also fronts the SC band “Sellout”. Off stage, Brooks attends Belmont University, works as a Physical Therapist, and devotes much of his time to advocating for Veterans recovering from combat trauma and mentoring young artists.

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On this one I catch up with Drew Baldridge as he gears up to hit up Europe in a number of weeks for a string of dates including my native Belfast in Northern Ireland.

We talk life on the farm, growing up, some big life moments and his latest single; ‘Tough People’

Drew’s European dates are as follows:

March 8 – C2C Berlin
March 9 – C2C Rotterdam
March 11 – Amager Bio, Copenhagen
March 12 – Nalen, Stockholm
March 14 – C2C Glasgow
March 15 – C2C London
March 18 – Limelight, Belfast
March 19 – Wheelans, Dublin

About Drew Baldridge:
Many people lead productive lives and build successful careers in their fields, but few make history—Drew Baldridge is in that elite class. When his song “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” climbed to No. 1 on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart, it became the first self-released single to reach that summit for an artist’s debut No. 1. This remarkable feat not only propelled Baldridge’s career but also serves as an inspiration to anyone who believes that dreams can come true. The RIAA GOLD-certified viral hit has garnered over 1.1 billion streams and impressions across all platforms, making history as the highest-charting self-funded song ever on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Following the success of “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” Baldridge has partnered with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville/Stoney Creek for his new single, “Tough People,” which is currently Top 20-and-climbing on the country radio charts. He was also recently named as part of the CRS New Faces class of 2025 as well as an iHeart On the Verge artist. An acclaimed songwriter signed to Sony Music Publishing, Baldridge has over 500 songs to his credit, with cuts by artists including Bailey Zimmerman, LOCASH, and Chase Matthew. He has shared the stage with prominent artists such as Eric Church, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan, and is currently on the road for Cody Johnson’s Leather Deluxe Tour and will join Bailey Zimmerman’s New to Country Tour later this year. 

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For this one we rewind the clock back to 2018. Port Saint Joe was just out and the brothers were about to embark on their first UK and Ireland headline tour! One of my favourite all time interviews and one of thee best country bands out there!

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Just a year ago Breland was on tour with Shania Twain. Amongst the tour the Breland bus stopped off in Belfast for some Country beats.

I had the privilege of having a quick chat with the man himself backstage. Here’s what went down..

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During the summer I caught up with Miss H to the Double D – Hannah Dasher.

We had a blast chatting about accents, the many hats she wears as a musician, her playing the Opry and the reverence she holds for it, playing the UK and of course, Smokey & The Bandit.

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Last week, just before they took to the stage in Bristol, I caught up with Flatland Cavalry in the midst of their UK tour.

We chatted the UK, The Long Road, how they came to be (literally) and of course, country music. Also have a listen to see if you can spot the moment Kaitlin Butts unintentionally dropped in.

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