Alter States Promotions brings you LIVE AT ACANTEEN a monthly series of live gigs with the best in original Country and Americana music

HEADLINER - JASON MCNIFF

Jason is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was born in Bradford, moving to London in the 90s where he became involved in the Folk and Americana scene. A regular performer at the 12 bar club in Denmark street, he opened for Bert Jansch numerous times, signing to Snowstorm records in 2000.

His debut album ,'Off the Rails' was well received with glowing reviews especially in Time Out, London's most important magazine. With Andy Allan from Hank Dogs, he helped run the Easycome Acoustic Club, and was also a regular at Come Down and Meet the Folks, Alan Tyler's legendary Sunday afternoon shindig.

His 2nd album, Nobody's Son was Americana Uk album of the year (2003) while 4th record, April Cruel, was nominated best alt country album at the Independent Music Awards in America. He formed duos with Emily Barker and Emma Tricca, and in 2014, the folk group, Lone Malones.

In 2019, Jason moved to Hastings where he set up the Sundowner, his regular Friday afternoon session at the Jenny Lind featuring guests from all over the world.

We are blessed to have Jason as our headliner showcasing his 10th studio album TEN BLUE SONGS as part of his UK tour.

Time Out writes,

'McNiffs quiet, intimate, fragile-sounding vocals draw you into his world, an almost timeless place, through which he drifts, a romantic loner, a dreamer, at home with the blues.'

He is often touted as one of the UKs most overlooked musical treasures, as a songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist.

His album 'Everything's a Song' came out in 2024 to fabulous reviews.

'An Immense talent' Janice Long, BBC Radio 2.

'Uk's premier fingerstyle guitarist' MOJO ****

'Wistful & Nostalgic' Album of the week, The Times *****

'Songs like a Raymond Carver short story' Shindig! ****

'A manifesto for life from Hastings' finest' Americana UK

https://www.jasonmcniff.com/

Special Guests - VIRGINIA DIRT

Following a breakout year on the UK country and Americana circuit, rising duo Virginia Dirt are seriously soaring on the back of new EP, ‘Scrub Up Good’ (produced by Kitty Liv, Lewis Durham and Sir Ramble at Durham Sound Studios, London).

In 2025, Virginia Dirt established themselves as one of the most compelling new acts in the scene, touring alongside Nashville artist Sunny Sweeney, performing at The British Country Music Festival, and earning radio support from BBC Introducing, Black Deer Radio, and Sirius XM.

That momentum has continued to erupt this year, with an incredibly busy summer of festivals, a sold out headline show at The Green Note in London and lots more global radio support (including BBC).

At the heart of Virginia Dirt is vocalist and songwriter Virgie Lynne, whose roots trace back to the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp in the American South. Raised on the sounds of small-town life, Lynne’s writing is marked by sharp wit and emotional depth, drawing inspiration from country greats such as Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Buck Owens, while earning comparisons to celebrated songwriter Jimmy Webb.

Completing the duo is Corrado Cecere, an Italian-born, Suffolk-based multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic influences span from hard rock to classic country. Equally inspired by artists such as ZZ Top and AC/DC as by traditional Americana, Cecere brings a unique cross-cultural energy to the project—melding Roman roots with a sound that feels equally at home in the American South.

Don't miss your chance to see Virginia Dirt while you can as they continue to carve out a distinctive voice in the UK’s thriving Americana landscape.

Live videos: https://www.youtube.com/@virginiadirtmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiadirtmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/virginiadirtmusic/

X: https://x.com/virginia_dirt

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2MYf68puCUVIovXxt7Nc0x

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