The captivating melodies and heartfelt lyricism of ‘70s folk-rock never goes out of style, it just needs new practitioners to add their spin to its rich heritage and to take it to contemporary audiences. Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals are now picking up that mantle, their recent single ‘Chrysalis’ having hit #2 on the iTunes Country chart and #14 across all genres – their introduction boosted by support from BBC Introducing, the Daily Star and House of Solo. Now the UK’s answer to Daisy Jones & The Six continue their breakthrough with the new music ‘Moonshine’. Listen HERE. Watch the official video HERE.
Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals might be 50 years and 4000 miles away from the epicentre of the timeless West Coast scene, but ‘Moonshine’ shows that its sun-kissed spirit runs through their veins. In a song of love, yearning and desperately waiting for someone to return, Bailey’s voice lives up to the continued comparisons to the great Stevie Nicks. Meanwhile, The Locals excel at bringing the best out of her, with an evocative soundscape of driving, open road, open top rhythms and weeping country slide guitar.
‘Moonshine’ was written by Bailey and was produced by Joshia Manning, who is also the guitarist in the Kris Barras Band.
Bailey says, “‘Moonshine’ is a tale about love, longing, and the ache of waiting for someone to come back. The first time we performed it, the connection with the audience was intense, as if we were all waiting together. In the studio, we wanted to capture that honesty and vulnerability. Every note speaks to that intense yearning, and we’re excited for listeners to feel it in their own way.”
The 25-year-old coastal cowgirl Bailey Tomkinson has already experienced some high profile moments, such as hitting #1 on the iTunes video chart and having country powerhouse Brad Paisley compare her to Taylor Swift and Emmylou Harris.
But a band brings endless possibilities beyond those of a solo artist, and Bailey looked at the best musicians from Cornwall’s tight-knit, surfer-heavy Kernowfornia scene to form The Locals. The band features her partner, guitarist Jordan Lee Collins, who inspired ‘Moonshine’, as well as Tadhg Cullen (bass), Callum Masters (drums) and Daniel Woodfield (saxophone). There’s definitely a family vibe to the collective, but fortunately without the tangled web of conflicted relationships that made their fictional counterpoints The Six so watchable.
The band’s varied influences share different sounds but with a common thread, taking in The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Sheryl Crow, Sam Fender, Bruce Springsteen, America and Neil Young, but also the less discovered world of Cornish folk. Life on the road is a big part of the band’s identity, particularly in the way in which live performances help songs evolve in unexpected directions. Their gig highlights have included big shows with Keane and Simple Minds, festivals such as Black Deer, Boardmasters, Wilderness, The Long Road and The Great Escape, and, most recently two London shows: a headline set at The Slaughtered Lamb, and a night supporting Tenille Arts at Lafayette.
