Texas Troubadours Matt Harlan and Brian Kalinec Scottish Dates in May 2015

Award winning Texan songwriters and Berkalin Records artists Matt Harlan and Brian Kalinec arrive in mid-May 2015 for a weeklong tour of Scotland.  Joined by Rachel Jones, the three will be appearing in venues from the western shore then eastward, with appearances scheduled in Ullapool, Biggar, and Edinburgh.

Houston favorite, Matt Harlan is a troubadour of the first degree, bringing his handcrafted songs to stages across his home state of Texas, the USA and Europe.  Along with wife Rachel Jones, Matt will be appearing in the UK for the first time.

Harlan is a winner of multiple songwriting accolades, from outfits like American Songwriter, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Billboard. He was named Singer-Songwriter of the Year in the 2013 Texas Music Awards and was featured alongside a stellar cast of characters (Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark) in the documentary, For the Sake of the Song.

His first two studio albums were well received by national and international Americana radio, both earning the #1 spot on the Euro Americana Chart. “Raven Hotel” his third – and possibly best – record also hit the top spot on the Euro charts after its release in 2014. As with each collection, the newest one features a musical roux that showcases Harlan’s literary grit with a variety of moods to fit the many themes on the record.

In his recent travels, Matt has shared stages with Americana greats such as Guy Clark, James McMurtry and up-and-comers like John Fullbright.

In his description of award-winning Texan songwriter Brian Kalinec, reviewer Staffan Soldy of Rootsy calls him  "a combination of Woody Guthrie, John Steinbeck, James Taylor, and Rodney Crowell in the stories he tells".  He is considered  "one of the most creative songwriters from the Texas music scene" by Robert Bartosh of Roots Music Report.  And Michael Mee of Americana UK acknowledges him as "one of those natural storytellers who can fire the imagination."  Along with numerous awards for his work in competitions such as the Woody Guthrie Song Contest and Songwriter Serenade, Brian's song "Nowhere at All" garnered him recognition as a finalist in the UK Songwriting Contest.  Not only known for his songwriting but as a fine guitarist as well, Brian has been nominated for both Songwriter of the Year and Musician of the Year in the Texas Music Awards in the recent past. 

His most recent CD, The Fence, appeared on the Euro Americana Chart. Brian and his wife Pam own Berkalin Records, a label continuing to gain favorable recognition for the quality of its artists.  This is Brian's second tour in the UK.

Scheduled appearances: