Houston & Lace

I was very busy. It was Grand Prix Sunday at Imola in Italy. I was setting up the podcast booth to interview the Springsteen with Pink Hair aka #SwPH. It was all going on. I might have replied to a story I saw on Insta. An act I had been following for months seemed to have been in the audience at Memphis SmokeSlam. Christ alive. If Carlsberg made BBQs this is what it would look like. More meat and music than any man could consume. Or woman either.

The Houston & Lace account is (of course) run by Lace. I say of course because it's always the case that the female artist runs the socials. Katie TingTings runs their account. There is nothing in life better than a duo or a duet. Nothing whatsoever. H&L had been on my todo list for months and months since the early days of February. I don't know how or why. I rarely know how.

I was told to listen to Paul McDonald and Leah Blevins, and making sure I started with Leah. I had no idea who these people were. I was doing three things at once. The Blevins father was an Elvis impersonator. Had I popped the wrong drugs again last night?

Hang on. I'm just going back through it all now. You know Lilly Winwood? WTF?

It emerged from the haze that the person I was talking to was in fact Lacy Blevins Wages. Sister to Leah. Husband of Houston Wages. Wages... Wages... Wages. Something was connecting. Cash money. Money. Lost Wages. Vanity Project. If It Ain't Broke.

We veered off on a tangent about "star quality" and what it was and who gets to decide. You might find that part boring but for me it was the best part of the conversation. At no point – at no point – did Lacy ever mention her own incredible voice, her own star quality. She has a musical past in a musical family.

H&L are still in Nashville, which to be honest would have been my choice too. Memphis may have Graceland but that was all a long time ago. It's a short drive. Yes, Nashville would be my choice.

Houston & Lace are at the start of their journey together. You can get in on the ground floor. Watch their performance on the incredible Jamie Rodriguez show below before you go and stream it. It is even better live and stripped right back.

When I said I loved you, I meant it
We said forever and the world stopped spinning
Magic and moonlight
What went wrong?
I could stay right here with you
I could still love you alone

All those times I know I told you so
But all those pretty parts weren’t so pretty after dark
I’m really good at pretending
Maybe that’s all you needed