Kerry Fearon - Honky Tonk Girl (Album Review)

Kerry Fearon - Honky Tonk Girl (Review)

Plus Full artist & media profile

Release Date: September 2018

10 Tracks

Time: 29:35

Availability:

Physical copy at gigs, PayPal via her website and at Jeans Country Music Store (Website | Facebook; 2 Scarffe's Entry BT78 1JH Omagh).
As a featured artist the album is also available on UKCountryRadio.com’s ONLINE Store - Here (£10)

Track list: 
Storms Never Last / Red River Valley / That’s What I Like About You / Good At Leavin’ / Jukebox Blues / Honky Tonk Girl / Cotton Jenny / I’ll Be Your San Antone Rose/ Luxury Liner / If The Devil Don’t Want Me

A rich knowledge and respect for the genre

Lovely Newry, Northern Ireland based singer, TV and radio presenter Kerry Fearon has endured another busy year. As well as her media commitments she has supported popular USA country singer Will Banister on his tour in Ireland, shared the stage with USA country singer-songwriters Joni Harms and Max T Barnes. She was featured on the line up for the Susan McCann String of Diamonds Festival weekend as well as appearing on the Hooley in the Old Coach Inn line up every month and many other gigs.

Coming up soon she will support Australian and Nashville based singer-songwriter Tamara Stewart on October 24 in Kent (Event | The Dancing Dog Bobbing, Nr. Sittingbourne, Sheppey Way, ME9 8QP).

She has also released her 10-track debut album HONKY TONK GIRL which came about following several years of playing gigs and recording around her native homeland. As the name suggests this set comprises solid traditional-slanted country music given her own fresh treatment which may introduce a younger generation to the genre’s deep roots and modern-day classics.

Clive Culberston (former Van Morrison bass player) recorded and produced the album in his own No Sweat Studio in Coleraine, Co.Derry.

The album kicks off in fine form with Storms Never Last drawn from Jessi Colter’s 1981 album LEATHER AND LACE. Laced in steel, this toe-tapper certainly makes the sun want the shine as those bad times melt away.

This was the lead-off single and appeared on the promotional February 2017 Hotdisc (#218). It made a debut at No.24 on the Hotdisc Top 40 and peaked at No.15 and No.6 on the British & Irish chart (dated Feb 26, 2017) during a 10-week chart run.

Watch Kerry's version of 'Storms Never Last' at No Sweat studios in Coleraine. This video was produced and directed by Frank Keating. Credit and thanks to Synge & Byrne Café Slieve Gullion & to the Old Coach Inn Castleblayney for use of their premises in making this video:

Cowboy standard Red River Valley (Frank Mills; Marty Robbins) provided a delightful sweet duet with fellow Irish artist Jordan Mogey and was released commercially in April 2017 (iTunes)

The pleasing That’s What I Like About You (Kevin Welch, John Hadley, Wally Wilson) with its sing-along hooks drenched in steel with fiddle and electric riffs was originally recorded by James House for his 1990 album Hard Times for an Honest Man. Trisha Yearwood (No.8 Single) also took a shine to it cutting it on her debut too!

Good At Leavin’ (Ashley Monroe, Jessi Alexander, Miranda Lambert) sounds like it was drawn from a 70s/80s back catalogue when in fact Kerry digs into a more recent archive from Ashley Monroe’s 2015 album The Blade. This weeper is a perfect fit for Fearon’s velvet smooth chops.   

Album closer If The Devil Don’t Want Me (Monroe, Alexander, Stapleton) is another deep cut on The Blade and possibly overlooked as the melody and lyrics on this lonesome heartache number are completely flawless and is an absolute gem. Thanks Kerry for shining fresh light in the dark alley, what a fabulous number this is!

This is the latest single, again promoted on Hotdisc (Oct 2018 #238) and has made a No.18 Top 40 bow and blew in on the top 5 of British & Irish rankings (dated Oct 7, 2018). Fans should request track 5 to their favourite country station or show.

It’s been album of the month on Denmark radio and being played over 25 stations there alone!

Jukebox Blues (Maybelle Carter) was recorded by June Carter Cash and made a showing in the 2005 film, Walk the Line, sung by Reese Witherspoon. With its shuffling beat it zips along real nice, now where’s that nickle to drop in and punch the play button again!

Title cut Honky Tonk Girl (Loretta Lynn No.14 debut single) continues the jukebox theme this time rewinding back to the 60s and in the hands of Kerry and her producer this is a slick 2018 winner.  

Cotton Jenny (Gordon Lightfoot) is indeed a joyful sound and provided Canadian great Anne Murray with a Top 20 hit and has been recorded by Irelands Mick Flavin. With a plaintive piano, pleasant guitar licks, a lamenting fiddle and Kerry’s respectful vocal this makes the wheels of love go 'round.

I’ll Be Your San Antone Rose (Susanna Clark, first cut by Dottsy in 1975) is a lovely update and Kerry joins a star-studded list of artists with Don Williams, Kathy Mattea (No.1; 1989), Emmylou Harris and Miranda Lambert who were drawn to this charming slow waltz.

Luxury Liner (Gram Parsons) well-known to Emmylou Harris fans features some smart guitar work and fiddle interplay to maintain that old-school brew.  

Overall these are 10 cast iron country cuts from sad ballads to toe-tappers. Fearon shows a rich knowledge and respect for the genre doing each track justice with her warmly vocals backed up by with some commendable production. It employs a bit of a safety-first doctrine but should prove a hit with traditionalists and have broad appeal from county-holics.

Adrian Clark

What others are saying

“I think it’s beautiful” – Keith Greentree BBC Radio Norfolk

Fearon will, without doubt, continue her ascendancy in the music industry in Ireland or abroad. Whether her career path travels the roads of presenter or performer, or a combination of both remains to be seen. She most certainly has the vocal ability, personality and drive and if those talents crossover into song writing, watch this space. - Declan Culliton Lonesomehighway.com

It’s not ground-breaking, but it’s not supposed to be. Punters at her show will lap it up - Duncan Warwick Editor Country Music People (September 2018 issue | Rating 3.1/2 STARS)

 Every once in a while, seemingly out of nowhere, a singer crosses my radar and just about knocks me sideways. One such singer is petite Kerry Fearon, a genuine down-home Irish country girl raised in a loving family on a diet of music, fun and hard work. Her great passion is country music, mainly the more traditional sounds with pedal steel guitar and fiddles and lyrics that pack an emotional punch as they explore the kind of relationship issues we all face in our lives.

Though Kerry is a relative newcomer to the music scene, she’s experienced a lifetime of ups-and-downs. This energetic bundle of talent seemingly never stands still. - Alan Cackett Former editor of Maverick Magazine, 2008 Wesley Rose recipient and pending BCMA 2018 Hall of Fame inductee

CONNECT with Kerry Fearon:

ABOUT Kerry Fearon

Hailing from South Armagh, Kerry Fearon grew up in a household surrounded by country music. She took up singing in 2015 and in 2016 reached the final of the TG4 talent show Glór Tíre.

Her singing career was prompted by the influence and loss of her father Motor Neurone Disease. He was a singer of note and Kerry felt the desire to continue the family tradition after he lost his ability to speak or sing.

Private recordings for the ears of family and friends led to a recording shared on Facebook and Soundcloud platforms. Her initial gig was opening for the ever-popular Dominic Kirwan and Mary Duff at the Waterfront in Belfast in March 2015.

A conversation with Dominic’s then Musical Director led to a home studio recording of 'What Would Dolly Do? and an entertaining video followed which was filmed in a hairdressing salon and was shown regularly on the Keep It Country TV channel.

Published on Aug 27, 2015 (33.K Views; directed by Aidan Farrelly of Bad Apple Films)

.

One of her 2016 highlights included opening up for Marty Haggard (son of the late Merle).

Her eponymous EP dropped in 2016 and she went on to snag the prestigious Horizon Award for Most Successful British and Irish Newcomer in the HOTDISC Country Music Awards 2016

Her terrific cover of Highway 101’s Bing Bang Boom was included in the Hotdisc compiled album Best of British & Irish Country 2017.

Kerry Fearon pictured with Joni Harms (L)
and Joni's daughter Olivia(R)

Kerry has had an incredibly busy last few years. She graduated (Aug 31) with a Ulster University Diploma in Irish Language which involved a commitment of 2 nights a week for 2 years to complete this qualification. She also held down a demanding tough job as a special need’s teacher!

In May she received the Johnny Loughrey award at the Hot Country TV awards for her hard work as a country artist.

In July Kerry was out on tour with Kelly Willis.

As a TV presenter Kerry hosts Kerry’s Gold Country on Keep It Country (Sky 389, Freesat 516, Freeview 87 | Friday 20:00-21:00 repeats Tuesday 16:00 - 17:00) and her highly likeable, friendly and bubbly personality makes this a must see each week

On radio duties she presents The Homegrown Hour (Mon-Fri from 10pm) on Downtown Country with an hour of the best Irish Country music.




Recently Kerry attended the 2018 Canadian Country Music Week Awards.

Keep in touch with Kerry: www.kerryfearonmusic.com