The Castellows are a neo-traditional country trio bringing a fresh yet nostalgic sound to the modern country landscape. Hailing from the small town of Georgetown, Georgia, sisters Ellie (lead guitar), Powell (banjo), and Lily (vocals) have embraced their deep-rooted musical heritage to create a style that blends folk, bluegrass, and classic country influences. Their tight family harmonies and organic instrumentation set them apart, offering a refreshing alternative to the increasingly pop-driven country mainstream.
With their debut EP, ‘A Little Goes a Long Way,' produced by the acclaimed Trina Shoemaker, The Castellows delivered a collection of songs steeped in traditional country storytelling. Drawing inspiration from the genre’s early foundations, their music evokes a sense of authenticity and warmth, making them stand out as a rising force in the country scene. As they continue to carve their path, The Castellows prove that sometimes, looking to the past is the best way to move forward.
‘What's up London?' shouted lead singer, Lily, one of the three Balkcom that comprise this sibling trio as they took to the stage after a a dramatic opening of pounding drums and flashing lights on the last night in London at the C2C festival. Set opener, ‘Ways to Go' was a perfect introduction to a band that we were lucky enough to see on a tiny stage in Nashville during last year's CMA Fest but who were largely unfamiliar to most of the crowd at the O2 arena. It's a breezy, 90s-leaning Country song full of a kind of naive innocence redolent of many songs from that era. Landing somewhere between prime Martina McBride and Wilson Phillips, ‘Ways to Go' ended with Lily urging people to stand up and enjoy themselves, declaring that ‘We're gonna have fun tonight!'
This short, six-song set was a perfect introduction to this talented trio. ‘Cowboy Kind of Love' followed ‘Ways to Go,' and we began to see the trio working the crowd as Ellie and Powell, talented musicians with strong vocals themselves, began to dance and move around the stage whilst Lily went from side to side delivering her breathy, dreamy vocals on this Chickes-esque 90s tinged song. Throughout the set the girls would reconvene around the microphone stand in the middle of the stage and dance together in a nostalgic haze of 70's style hippie freedom.
One of the strengths of this trio is that each Balkcom sister can sing and they share the limelight in an equitable way. Ellie explained to the crowd that they don't always look like homeless people (which was a tad harsh on themselves), but the suitcases hadn't arrived in London with them, so there had been some last-minute clothing decisions and improvisations having had to be made before they took the stage!
‘Sober Sundays,' the ballad that the trio released with Wyatt Flores last year, was an evocative listen driven by fiddle and Lily's wistful, dreamy vocals whilst ‘Come Together,' a cover of the Beatles' classic, was a real highlight of the set as each sister delivered a verse and chorus by themselves before coming back together to deliver the final section of the song in glorious, three-part harmony.
Ending their debut London performance with a superb cover of the Patty Loveless song, ‘You Don't Even Know Who I Am' and their signature version of Levon Helm's ‘Hurricane' was a smart move. The former built through some quiet verses to explode in a louder, three-part harmony chorus that suited the sisters' vibe and talents to a tee. The fiddle featured heavily in this song, as it did throughout the set, and there was some spirited dancing in a song which saw Lily working the crowd with aplomb. ‘Hurricane' closed-down the set, awash in Louisiana heat on a cold London Spring day! The harmonies were uplifting here and we got a look at the kind of Gothic drama that The Castellows do oh so well as the O2 arena was transported over to a stormy New Orleans in the hands of these skilful and talented musicians.
As a debut performance The Castellows would have won a lot of friends in London last night. Their harmonies are uplifting and led by Lily's breathy, sweet vocals, the band bring a kind of 70's esque Fleetwood Mac hippy freedom that is both earthy and organic. With each sister capable of fronting the band in their own right, I'd like to see what they did in ‘Come Together' a little more, as the spotlight passed from one singer to the next. There is a huge tradition of family blood harmonies in Country music and The Castellows can go on to be the torch bearers for that tradition in this modern incarnation of the genre. We hope they announce their own headline dates soon and build upon the start they've made in establishing themselves as a real driving force in Country music in Europe going forward over the next few years.
Setlist: 1. Ways to Go 2. Cowboy Kind of Love 3. Sober Sundays 4. Come Together 5. You Don't Even Know Who I Am 6. Hurricane Venue: The O2 Arena, London Date: Sunday 16th March
