The CMA Songwriters night, hosted annually at the Indigo stage inside the O2 Arena in London, is considered most people’s unofficial start to the whole C2C festival. An intimate night of stories and songs from some of the brightest and best writers that Nashville has to offer. This year’s line up consisted of four of the brightest artists and writers from Music City in Charlie Worsham, Colbie Caillat, Lauren Alaina, and Stephen Wilson Jr. What an eclectic and acclaimed line up the CMA chose to helm the unofficial launch of the C2C festival 2024.
Interestingly, the CMA chose to run the event in London without a big hitting songwriter. In years gone by luminaries such as Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna and Nicole Galyon have all helmed, or at least appeared at, the evening. This year saw the most diverse and eclectic line up in London songwriter history. Stephen Wilson – a grungey, alt-Country phenomenon who can rip the heart out of your chest and crush it before your very eyes. Lauren Alaina, the very embodiment of Music Row fire and sass, Charlie Worsham, the Marty Stuart of his generation and Colbie Caillat, a Grammy award winning artist transitioning from West Coast Pop to laid back Sheryl Crow style Pop/Country/Americana.
On the face of it there was nothing tying these artists together but the passion and fire that they have for their own and each other’s songs made the evening a resounding success. In fact, just as artists like Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, Noah Kahan, Red Clay Strays and the avalanche of female artists currently channeling Pop/Folk in the wake of Taylor Swift’s dominance, stretch the parameters of what is and what isn’t Country, tonight’s line up in London did exactly the same and showed the fans inside the Indigo at the O2 arena that the Country church is a broad, diverse and eclectic family where everybody is welcome as long as you leave your ego at the door and you are prepared to be your most honest self.
Stephen Wilson JR emerged from the evening as the artist who connected with the crowd the most. He began proceedings explaining that he was nervous and regaling the room with a story about how someone once mistook him for a time-travelling version of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler before launching into a furious rendition of ‘cuckoo.’ For the rest of the evening he alternated between making the Indigo crowd laugh with stories about being there to ‘bum them out’ or cry, with the heartfelt tributes to his dad, whose last words to Wilson were four ‘I love you’s’ on an iPhone 8 before he died at the tragically young age of 59. ‘the devil’ followed an anecdote about Wilson’s small town Pentecostal upbringing and contained probably the most impactful line of the night when he sang, ‘Oh say can you see, the nearest pharmacy.’ “I feel like I’m missing something,” one of the two shot-drinking girls said in front of me but they were in the minority as Wilson grabbed the room by the scruff of the neck and refused to let go for dear life.
“Why have I got the short straw in having to follow him?” Lauren Alaina asked of her labelmate at least twice during the songwriters show and it was a tough ask but if anyone could do it, she could, with her strong, confident persona, effortless, rich voice and command of the stage. Playing ‘One Beer’ and ‘Thicc as Thieves’ felt like a nice palette cleanser after the intensity of Stephen Wilson JR’s songs whilst treating the crowd to new song, ‘Breaking Up With Single’ was a master stroke. Dedicating the song to her husband, who was in the room with her, Alaina mentioned that this was the first time that he would be hearing her sing the song and then, lightning fast and with southern sass, she quipped, ‘So he better not be at the bar!” Finishing with her signature song, ‘Road Less Travelled’, Alaina talked about playing it back in 2016 when she last came to the C2C festival and how the song had changed her life. It definitely elicited the biggest sing along of the night and was a triumphant way for this classy, charismatic artist to finish her set.
With Charlie Worsham and Colbie Caillat sitting on the right hand side of the stage it felt like the two of them were a little team all of their own and, indeed, Worsham did join in on guitar when Caillat played ‘I’ll Be Here,’ the song she currently has out on radio with Sheryl Crow. Worsham was a skilled host who managed the evening with a deft hand and a smile. Playing a mixture of old and new songs, he commanded attention from not only the crowd in front of him but the artists up on stage along side him. ‘Creekwater Clear’ was dedicated to Dee James who is a fierce and loyal Worsham advocate on this side of the Atlantic and new song, ‘Years Go By These Days’ (written in collaboration with Stephen Wilson JR) was an aural delight and total ear worm. ‘Kiss Like You Dance’ had people singing along too and as Worsham wrapped up his set he mentioned that he was thinking about playing a drinking song he’d written for Kenny Chesney. No, said London back to him, with the greatest of respect, play ‘Lawn Chair.’ So he did and we all sang and clapped along!
Colbie Caillat was very effusive in thanking Worsham for the evening but she had her own part to play in proceedings too! Songs like ‘I Never Told You’ and ‘For Someone’ were perfectly chosen and expertly pitched – walking that fine line between melody and meaning in some style, but then what would you expect from someone of Caillat’s calibre? Ending with her signature song, ‘Bubbly,’ Caillat enticed the London choir to sing along and me to ponder on the breaking down of genres and barriers within the industry which has brought us to this point where a song like ‘Bubbly’ can have a home within the Country community. Colbie Caillat hasn’t been to the UK for 13 years but I don’t think it will be another 13 years until we see her again. There’s a family here for her and that family wears hats and boots!
Special guest appearances from two independent artists, Abby Cone and Fancy Hagood, was a lovely touch from the CMA, perhaps signalling a loosening of the grip that the labels and suits of Music Row have on the industry. Abby mentioned getting out of her ‘less than ideal record deal’ before playing ‘If You Were A Song’ and Fancy Hagood referenced his own journey and difficulties in being ‘too queer for Nashville but too Country for L.A.’ before singing the very touching ‘Fly Away,’ hinting to the London crowd that we might well have a new Vince Gill on our hands with this talented artist.
Another CMA Songwriters night finished in high spirits and a standing ovation. This year’s line up was the most diverse and eclectic one there has ever been but it worked. Stephen Wilson JR, Lauren Alaina and Colbie Caillat represent the different sounds and styles of a genre beginning to loosen its grip on the gates to the castle. Stylistically they don’t have a lot in common with each other but the power and the passion with which they played and the interesting and emotional stories they told were held together by Charlie Worsham in his master of ceremonies role with a deft hand. There was a lot of love up on the stage and I think the artists could feel it rolling in from the crowd with some force too. This is Country music in 2024, folks, it’s a broad church but one that welcomes all comers – you just might need to find your own path or way around the naysayers and gatekeepers standing in the way.
