The Americana Music Association is excited to announce its return to The Maverick Festival on Friday July 4, 2014 for its second annual,day-long conference at Easton Park Farm, situated in the beautiful Suffolk countryside presenting a rich and varied programme of panels, discussions and live music showcases. The day will include a keynote speech from the award winning American folk singer Mary Gauthier plus contributions from the one and only BBC Radio 2 DJ Bob Harris and legendary musician and songwriter Benny Gallagher. We are also excited to welcome top Americana writer Brian Hinton (honoured with an MBE in 2006 for service to the arts), all will be available to share their experiences and expertise on the day. In addition, there will be live performances from blues guitarist Adam Sweet, Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin (winners of the BBC Folk award for best duo) and acclaimed Norwich based singer Jess Morgan. The AMA-UK will also curate the evening programme on The Peacock Stage for the opening night of this year’s festival. The conference provides an exciting opportunity for all those involved with Americana music as musicians, writers, promoters, agents and managers come together under one roof and establish networking opportunities and mutually beneficial, creative solutions to some of the challenges involved with working with Americana music in the UK and beyond. The Americana Music Association UK was formed a year ago with a very clear mission – to encourage an appreciation of Americana music, in all its glorious forms, to improve the public and professional profile of this expansive musical genre and strengthen its ties with the Americana Music Association in the USA, the pioneering body founded in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The AMA-UK membership has grown significantly throughout the year. It has held successful live music events such as its Thanksgiving party at The Old Queens Head in Islington and the three-day series of sell out showcases at Kings Place in February with plans well advanced for more in other parts of the UK.
