Lauren Housley & The Northern Cowboys Warm up Manchester on a Cold Evening
As part of a small UK tour with The Northern Cowboys – Mark Lewis and Thomas Dibb – Lauren Housley returned to The Carlton Club in Manchester on 17th October for the first time since before the first lockdown. Promoting her new EP Something More – released as Lauren Housley & The Northern Cowboys – they were joined by Robbie Cavanagh.
Robbie Cavanagh – whose latest album Tough Love was released earlier this year – played a six-song set accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. His voice – soft with a little gravel – mixed well with the americana-leaning music. His performance was good and – although comparatively short – encouraged me to visit his recorded material.
Lauren Housley & The Northern Cowboys, completed by Dan Wiebe on drums, John Murray on trumpet and Dan Berry on saxophone, gave a much fuller sound than you tend to expect from a venue the size of The Carlton Club. They played a 15-song set, which was a great introduction to anyone not familiar with Lauren’s back catalogue. Songs included were from all her releases, including two tracks from the new EP.
Most of the music has a late ‘60s/early ‘70s soul undercurrent – even if she now appears on the Country and Americana charts – which provides something a bit different to the normal fare. Lauren’s voice has the beauty required for such music, but she isn’t a clone. Mix this with harmonies from Mark and Thomas, add in some sax and trumpet, and you’ve got a great show.
If you’ve not heard any of Lauren’s music and the description sounds interesting to you, check her out on all good streaming services. The new EP is definitely a good place to start – especially if you don’t have the time to dedicate to a full album at the moment. More importantly, if you’re in London or near Kirton in Lindsey, and are free on the 3rd or 4th November respectively, check them out live.
For more photos from the gig check out the albums here.
Lauren Housley & The Northern Cowboys
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Robbie Cavanagh
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