New music to listen to this week: Anderson East

Now Hear This

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Continuing on with my Nashville obsession, I spent some time hanging out with a great artist called Anderson East while he was playing a couple of dates in the UK earlier this week.

East (born Michael Cameron Anderson) hails from Alabama but currently lives in Tennessee. He's a self-taught musician who began writing his own music while he was still in high scool - you may have heard his recent single "Satisfy Me" knocking about on the airwaves - and also happens to be a very genuine, laid-back kind of guy who tells a good joke.

Music-wise he's got a hint of vintage soul in there but it's far from pastiche - his voice recalls James Brown and Paolo Nutini when he really lets rip - along with some throwback southern rock.

On stage at the sold-out Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen he and his very tight band put on a fantastic show featuring brass and a killer bass guitar, along with a cover of George Jackson's classic "Find 'Em, Fool 'Em and Forget 'Em". Tracks of his to try out are "Devil In Me" and "Only You" along with the aforementioned "Satisfy Me".

Listen if you like: Paolo Nutini, Chris Stapleton, James Brown

Q&A with Anderson East

Which artists have you been listening to recently?

Lot of Donny Hathaway, don williams. I've made some pretty bitchin' mix CDs lately.

Do you feel like there's a growing appetite for country/blues in the UK?

I'm not sure having never lived there... But I know when I come and play people seem to enjoy it and keep coming to see the shows. More than likely the appetite has always been there.

What was the first gig you ever played, and what's been the best so far?

It was the 7th grade talent show. We played a song I wrote and closed it out with "Freebird". It was a hit, let me tell you.

As far as the best... Not really sure on that one. It's more about how we feel while we're playing and how we feel coming off stage. If we leave it all on there and the crowd is in then that our best show. We try and get that done every night. So... Most nights it's the best so far.

Anderson's album Delilah is out on 19 February on Atlantic Records. He's back for his first UK headline tour from February 2016