Applewood Road is singer-songwriters Emily Barker, Amber Rubarth and Amy Speace, who firstmet in Nashville in September 2014 where they wrote and recorded the song entitled Applewood Road . Six months later they reconvened to write twelve more songs and turn this exciting new collaboration into a full album project. Applewood Road s soaring three part vocal harmonies have just the right degree of edge and precision while their finely crafted songs reflect deeply on their personal experiences and illustrate their special gifts for storytelling. Each song was recorded live to stereo tape, Emily, Amber and Amy singing together around one microphone with minimal accompaniment - the whole concept going right back to the beginning of recorded music. The tape was then mastered and cut for vinyl at Gearbox Records in London, keeping the 100% analogue chain throughout the whole process. Applewood Road made their live debut in Nashville during AmericanaFest 2015, and played dates and promo shows in the UK, including a live session for Dermot O'Leary's BBC Radio 2 show where they performed "Applewood Road" and REM's Losing My Religion .
A**N
Beautiful stripped down 3 part harmony vocal arrangements simply recorded songs with classy sparse instrumental backing, superb
I was turned onto this recording by a rave review from Sid Nuncius, with whom I seem to share some similar musical tastes . This is a lovely gem of a recording that could so easily be missed, that is absolutely beautifully done. I was only previously aware of Emily Barker from the trio, the other 2 participants, Amber Rubarth and Amy Speace were new to me.Each of them has a go at songwriting duties, sometimes alone, other times joint compositions. The songs are short, tuneful , with good lyrics, the instrumental support is deliberately very sparse , allowing the stunning 3 part vocal harmonies to come to the centre stage. The 3 voices blend fantastically together, typically with one lead vocal counterbalanced by supporting harmonies. The simplicity of the arrangements makes the vocals shine through strongly, with many of the songs sending a shiver down the spine, elegantly done to maximum effect, great stuff.Much is made of the recording arrangements, single microphone analogue recordings at the Welcome to 1979 Studio in Nashville, it seems to be a case of less is more, going back to basics forgetting fancy studio technology certainly works a treat on this great set of songs. The cover photo show a very traditional looking wooden studio with a simple carpet on the floor, old fashioned maybe , but the end results are truly stunning. The whole album has a very live feel, counting in at the start of songs, and the mutually symbiotic support offered by all the participants, sharing the limelight, not trying to outshine one another, is a joy. I would imagine they had a ball laying down these tracks, and I hope they may return for a second session in due course. A gorgeous warm good vibe record to immerse yourself in , not a duff track, incredibly well done,heart warming .
O**A
Country for Country Sceptics
I caught the trio at the end of their brief appearance at the end of the Andy Marr Show and was sufficiently impressed to buy the album, which was a little risky as I'm not a great country fan. Thankfully, my money was well spent - this album is peaceful and great for winding down. Highly recommended.
S**N
Fabulous
An absolute must buyStunning recording 😎🎶🎶🎶
M**S
Applewood road
I knew nothing of these artists and took a chance on buying this cd.I now play it every day, what a fantastic album, will keep an eye on these three very talented people.
T**S
Its OK
its OK but nothing to rave about
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