About

One of the most enduring and interesting genres in the USA is still somewhat of a mystery to the majority of music listeners here in the UK, yet without realising it, we all probably know and enjoy some of the better known exponents, from Bob Dylan through Jackson Browne to Wilco and Ryan Adams. That genre is Americana, or alt-country as it is sometimes known – and deep in the South of England there’s a band called Mashville that is trail blazing it’s way through the music scene in the UK and Europe with some of the finest live music around.

Mashville was formed in late 2012, after an initial couple of experimental rehearsal sessions where no-one really knew each other. With a gradually dawning realisation that as musicians the original four shared a love of American roots music and brought an unusual combination of influences and styles that just worked together so much, a band with a distinctive sound was born.

The band name was taken from an Alabama 3 track – another great British band best known for the theme to The Sopranos. Gigs started to come in quickly and a demo CD was recorded just to give venues an idea of what to expect – initially a selection of fairly obscure covers by the likes of AA Bondy and Wilco – and soon the band was gigging regularly.

The gigging stirred the creative juices and gradually the band started to experiment with original material. This resulted in a recording session in February 2014 in London with Pat Collier (of Katrina & The Waves and Morcheeba fame amongst an amazing portfolio of artists over the past 30 years). The resulting album “Door To Texas” was self released on CD and all digital platforms in April 2014 and a follow up “Tripping on Wires” recorded 9 months later.

The band’s music is a unique crossover of roots, blues, country and rock – plenty of twang (but not really country…), plenty of power (but not all rock…), plenty of subtle dynamics and above all, as fans who have seen the band will testify – great instinctive musicianship with real imagination and originality.

The band has attracted radio play in the UK, the USA and and across the Channel in mainland Europe.The band has been gigging extensively, including festival appearances in the UK and Europe in the summer of 2015.