Described as “a national treasure” by Europe’s biggest-selling country music magazine, Country Music People, Ags Connolly has built a reputation over the last few years as an uncompromising country traditionalist in the UK and beyond, having also headlined shows across the US and Europe. In an era when the pop and rock incarnations of country music are enjoying a surge of popularity in the UK, Ags continues to defend the last outpost of the genre’s traditional roots.
Wrong Again is Ags Connolly’s third studio album, following on from his highly-acclaimed offerings How About Now (2014) and Nothin’ Unexpected (2017). The traditional country singer-songwriter from Oxfordshire, England, took the reins on this latest effort, producing the album with a team of London-based musicians in the peaceful and intimate surroundings of Woodworm Studios in his home county. Ags also enlisted the expert help of accordionist Michael Guerra (The Mavericks) and fiddle player Eamon McLoughlin (Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell), both of whom had graced his previous album. The album is out November 1st via Finstock Music.
Alongside Ags’ trademark honky-tonk shuffles, drinking songs and barroom ballads, Wrong Again delves once more into Tex-Mex/south-of-the-border flavours while entering some new territory in the lively western swing closer ‘Sad Songs Forever.’ Meanwhile, the one cover on the album is a swelling, earthy imagining of Gordon Lightfoot’s classic ‘Early Morning Rain.’ Whilst perhaps not a concept album in the accepted sense, Wrong Again does feature recurring themes: miles covered in cars and planes, the lone existence of the protagonist, the spectre of Austin, Texas – all gathered in the unforgiving shadow of lost love. These undercurrents tie the songs to each other and ultimately form a very personal record of the period in which they were written. Wrong Again is another defiant offering in this vein, whilst also once again showcasing the high songwriting and lyrical standards his music has come to be known for.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the title track of the album. “Wrong Again (You Lose a Life)” is hard country in the best sense, with a twangy honky tonk sound that is brought to life by fiddle and pedal steel guitar. Connolly’s voice is smooth as can be, seemingly made to sing country tunes, and it’s easy to forget that he isn’t from Texas or Tennessee with his natural honky tonk croon. He also uses the kind of clever lyrical wordplay of legendary acts like George Jones, Webb Pierce, and Ray Price, solidifying himself as someone who can talk the talk and walk the walk. In an age where acts like Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Margo Price, and Colter Wall have been building huge fanbases for playing real deal country music, Ags Connolly is a must listen as he deserves to be right up there with all of these acts.
Connolly discribes the inspiration behind the song:
“This is one of those songs that began with a phrase in my head, like a lot of my songs do. Another relationship that hadn’t worked out, another thing I seemed to have made a mess of. The ‘lose a life’ part can be construed more than one way – the loss of one potential future or the wasting of one more opportunity in what is likely a limited number. These subjects fit pretty snugly in a honky tonk song.”
LISTEN:
Ags Connolly’s new album Wrong Again will be available November 1st via Finstock Music. http://agsconnolly.com
Photo credit: Kev Lloyd
