Jof Owen
Writer on country music and fear for Holler, The Line Of Best Fit, Nashville Over Here, Rough Trade magazine and Riposte. Also a singer and songwriter with The Boy Least Likely To and Legends Of Country. Lives in London.
GUIDE•The Classics: Waylon Jennings - Honky Tonk Heroes
Honky Tonk Heroes ended up being the first real outlaw-country record, and to many it remains Waylon Jennings' finest moment.
ALBUM REVIEW•The Chicks - Gaslighter
The Chicks are back, and it’s hard to believe, but this time it’s even more personal.
ESSENTIALS•The Best Carrie Underwood Songs
In 16 years, Underwood has built an enduring legacy, cementing her as one of the biggest country music stars of her generation. Holler takes the opportunity to rank a few of the musical highlights from her incredible career, one that doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon.
INTERVIEW•Introducing: Lainey Wilson
“Country music. It’s just who I am” - Lainey Wilson discusses finding her true home in Nashville, working with producer Jay Joyce, and leaning into deeper parts of herself on her new album Sayin' What I'm Thinkin'.
LIST•The Best Summer Country Songs
Time to stock up on hay fever tablets and smother yourself in factor 50 - here are the best summer country songs according to Holler.
LONG READ•Gone Country
We take a look at 10 occasions non-country artists hit the motherload and unexpectedly came up with some (fairly) solid country classics.
INTERVIEW•Ten Year Town: Ashley Monroe
Rosegold is the sound of Ashley Monroe scratching an itch - diving into the unknown and coming up more than ever like herself. The journey for the singer-songwriter is just beginning.
ALBUM REVIEW•Brandy Clark - Your Life Is A Record
If mainstream country can’t find a place in its heart for Brandy Clark, then the rest of the world will be more than happy to let her into theirs.
GUIDE•A Guide To: Country's Most Iconic Couples
A look into some of country music’s famous love stories throughout history, proving the old adage that the couple that sings together, stays together. Well, most of the time.
GUIDE•A Guide To: The Troubled Relationship Between Fonts and Country Music
Florida Georgia Linotype? Chalkboard Psychopath? Holler investigates ten of the most widely used font styles in country music to discover the secrets behind the typefaces. Here are ten fonts and the truth.
STAFF PICKS•Esther Rose - How Many Times
The third album from Esther Rose - her first for Full Time Hobby - is a harmony drenched alt-country heartbreak record. While augmenting her lap steel and fiddle with glossy mountain-top folk-pop, she dives headfirst into her most introspective and deeply personal songs thus far.
GUIDE•A Guide To: Country Singers' Cocktails
Are we drunk or is he drunk? Are you drunk? We really don’t know what’s going on anymore. Time we called it a night. Happy World Cocktail Day!
LIST•The Funniest Johnny Cash Songs
A list of the silliest and funniest songs from The Man In Black to lift your spirits ahead of what would've been his 89th Birthday next week.
STAFF PICKS•Taylor Swift - Evermore
Whether Evermore is the end of the fourth wave or just its midpoint is a question it seems even Taylor herself doesn’t know the answer to. Nevertheless, we wouldn’t mind staying here a while longer still.
INTERVIEW•Introducing: Esther Rose
The Alt-Country singer-songwriter discusses coming full circle with country music, the pain of writing 'How Many Times' and how touring needs to focus on its environmental impact upon its return.
GUIDE•Unearthing the Genius of Rodger Wilhoit
He never did get lucky when all else failed. But maybe, all these years later, Rodger Wilhoit might just get a posthumous roll of the dice.
ALBUM REVIEW•Jaime Wyatt - Neon Cross
Jaime Wyatt is the new anti-hero of outlaw country and Neon Cross serves as her misfit manifesto.
STAFF PICKS•Eric Church - Heart & Soul
Heart & Soul is a tour de force of heartland rock and driving country soul that more than holds up under the weight of its own ambition and influences, as Church gloves up for three more rounds of fighting the good fight for country music.
GUIDE•What Is Americana?
Jof's got his investigative Stetson on again. This time, he's trying to solve one of the greatest musical mysteries of the modern era: what actually is Americana?
GUIDE•The Classics: Sesame Country
As country entered the 80s with an outlaw hangover, it would be left to a certain group of lovable educational puppets to return it to its roots.
ALBUM REVIEW•Honey Harper - Starmaker
Kitschy, spacey and playfully futuristic - Honey Harper's debut confirms him as a star in the making.
LONG READ•Over Yonder: Nigeria’s love affair with country music
Country music in Nigeria begins the way it pretty much begins everywhere – with the blue yodel of Jimmie Rodgers.
INTERVIEW•Introducing: Bones Owens
The Missouri born, Nashville native speaks to Jof Owen about his forthcoming self-titled debut album and growing up on Creedence Clearwater Revival.
ALBUM REVIEW•Hailey Whitters - The Dream (Deluxe Edition)
The Dream was an almost perfect slice of traditionalist country when it came out a year ago, so all that the five new songs on Living The Dream can do is drag out the dessert course a little bit longer - but it’s one worth more than worth sticking around for. This deluxe edition is more than just a cherry on top.
LIST•#IWD2021: Top 10 Feminist Country Anthems
Happy International Women's Day 2021! To celebrate, we've picked 10 of the best feminist country songs for you to sing along to while celebrating these empowering women.