After joining forces with American country star Hunter Hayes on her previous track ‘Don’t Let Me Forgot’ – her 11th consecutive track to be added to Spotify’s New Music Friday – Catherine McGrath continues to go from strength-to-strength. In addition to accumulating 12 million streams, her headline shows continue to sell-out quickly and grow in capacity, while other high profile dates have included Radio 2’s Biggest Weekend and continue with a huge British Summer Time show with Michael Bublé.
It’s no wonder than many are heralding the 21-year-old Catherine McGrath as the UK’s answer to Taylor Swift and our first domestic breakthrough country star. The genre is bigger than ever before, as evidenced by huge collabs from Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton, and Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line
Now Catherine shares her new single ‘Lost In The Middle’ ahead of the July 27th release of her debut album ‘Talk Of This Town’. It’s a track which exudes the young songwriter’s pure passion for country, while the energy of the hook gives it an immediately captivating feel. Catherine’s universally relatable lyrics explore music’s power of escapism as she sings, “I put my headphones on, turn the real world off / And I get lost in the middle of a country song.”
“I really wanted to write a song that expresses how country makes me feel,” says Catherine. “Country music is especially good at telling stories, so when you’re having a bad day you can turn to music to take you somewhere else.”
‘Lost In The Middle’ was produced by Steve Robson – an Englishman who became a force within the country scene after co-writing Rascal Flatts’ smash hit ‘What Hurts The Most’ – and was written by Catherine with Robson, Lindy Robbins (Dua Lipa) and Jeffrey Steele (Rascal Flatts).
Catherine’s debut album ‘Talk Of This Town’ was recorded at various locations in Nashville and London, and affirms her credentials as an artist and songwriter to be reckoned with.
Raised in Rostrevor, a small rural village in Northern Ireland, Catherine McGrath is the personification of how country music is opening its borders to talent from far outside of its epicentre in Nashville. In fact, Catherine was immediately embraced by the community upon her first visit.
Country music is of course rooted in Irish folk, so it feels natural that Catherine is at the forefront of a new wave of country. It’s fitting on a personal level too. Catherine was raised in a music loving family, and has regularly performed at her parents’ spirited Fiddler’s Green festival, which attracts musicians from as far afield as North America and Germany. And when Catherine was ready to reach a wider audience, she posted covers of her favourite country songs to YouTube which resulted in her obtaining management and signing a deal with Warner Bros. Records.
Having quickly sold-out her previous London shows at The Camden Assembly and Bush Hall, Catherine recently announced details of her biggest tour to date which commences in September. Her forthcoming tour schedule includes the following gigs:
JUNE
22nd – Black Deer Festival
23rd – Isle of Wight Festival
JULY
7th – Barn On The Farm
13th – London, British Summer Time (support to Michael Bublé)
15th – Oxford, Cornbury Music Festival
AUGUST
17th – Chelmsford, RiZE Festival
25th – Portsmouth, Victorious Festival
SEPTEMBER
7th – Leicester, The Long Road Festival
SEPTEMBER – HEADLINE TOUR:
14th – Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
15th – Brighton, The Haunt
17th – Bristol, Thekla
18th – London, Scala
19th – Birmingham, O2 Institute 3
20th – Manchester, Gorilla
22nd – Liverpool, Arts Club Loft
23rd – Leeds, The Wardrobe
24th – Gateshead, Sage 2
26th – Glasgow, Saint Luke’s
