Impact of pandemic still felt

Country music continues to fight for its share of the market

Every strand of the entertainment scene was hit badly when Covid 19 struck the world like a sheet of lightning in 2020. Yet, while some sectors of the music business have survived and are even prospering again, other areas, notably the Country music circuit and the nightclub scene, are still struggling.

The Country scene has recovered spasmodically, but it has rarely reached the heady heights that it had, especially in Ireland in pre-Covid times.

True, some of the longer established singers and groups are back doing business that sometimes sees venues sold out in advance, but that is more of a rarity now rather than with any regularity.

The number of young new artists in the Country genre to have made it big in Ireland since the lifting of the restrictions on live entertainment, almost two years ago, are few and far between.

Strangely, the situation is somewhat reversed on the international Country scene. There, many new and more Rock-infused Country acts, such as Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson, Zach Bryan and Maren Morris, who has since announced she is leaving Country, all had crossover Pop hits…

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