It’s no secret that the UK is experiencing a country music renaissance—and Bristol is right at the heart of it. A city famed for its love of Americana is producing internationally recognised artists like Elles Bailey and regularly sees its music venues filled with more rhinestones than anywhere outside Nashville.
Enter Taynee Lord: already familiar to Bristol and the UK’s country crowd, but now with star power that’s bringing cowboy hats and cowgirl boots to the mainstream.
Taynee formed her five-piece band in Bristol in late 2018 and recorded her debut EP If Only in January 2019. Since then, her single No God Of Mine hit Number 1 on the iTunes UK Country Charts, earning the band the honour of performing for Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis at The Pilton Stage. Her music has been played on BBC Introducing in the South & West and was featured as BBC Upload’s Live In Session Band of the Week in May 2022. Over 250 radio stations worldwide have played her tracks. In 2022, Taynee’s music scored big at The Simply Country Radio Awards, winning The People’s Choice Award and Best Song of the Year with Love Moves Like a Train.
Recently, Taynee has been lighting up festivals and supporting acts like Scouting For Girls and Blue across the UK. Her rise in the British country scene is undeniable, and her music carries an authentic Americana spirit.
Saturday’s packed-out gig at The Golden Lion, a fast-rising hub for emerging talent, was a summer scorcher. Taynee and her band—Christian (guitar), Tom (guitar), Matt (drums), and Josh covering on bass—delivered a set that could easily have had Nashville’s Honky Tonk Highway begging for more. Having returned from Nashville less than a year ago, I can say this performance rivalled many I’ve seen in the country music capital itself.
The set was a mix of old classics, new tracks, unreleased songs, and covers, stretching comfortably past an hour. The crowd demanded more at the end, but Taynee brought more than music—she brought star power: charm, charisma, and musicianship that separates good artists from great ones.
We first saw Taynee at Bristol Harbour Festival a few years back, and she already stood out. But Taynee 2025 is another level. With a polished smile and the stomp of a boot, she had the venue rocking from the first note.
She launched into the 17-song set with Claim Me and Dress Code, adding personal anecdotes behind each track. Themes of love, loss, joy, and heartbreak ran through the night. 2021’s Bet on You and her breakout hit No God Of Mine framed the first cover, Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5—because what’s a country gig without it? The set reached back to 2019’s Blue Jeans, a crowd favourite, showing the depth of Taynee’s growing catalogue.
Every detail of the show was polished yet authentic. From the precise setlist to the font on the drumhead, professionalism shone through without ever feeling forced.
The final third of the night saw Taynee unleash her latest 2025 singles. T-Shirt, released just last month, had the crowd singing along loudly, while February’s Back To The Country celebrated everything you love about country music. These tracks alone prove how much Taynee has grown as an artist—close your eyes, and you’re transported straight to the Grand Ole Opry.
The surprises didn’t stop there. A rousing cover of Def Leppard’s Pour Some Sugar On Me showcased Taynee’s rock edge, and 2023’s You Think You’re All That closed the main set. But of course, no Taynee Lord gig ends without an encore. She returned with two unreleased tracks, Still Searching and the barnstorming Sign On The Dotted Line.
This was a perfect snapshot of UK country music today. With artists like Taynee pushing boundaries, who’s to say Gloucester Road couldn’t become the UK’s own Honky Tonk Highway?
@thebristolnomad / @bristolnomad_gigphotography
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Chief, the one that bugs the team for team for their reviews and images. Creator and founder of The Bristol Gig Guide. Can usually be found swamped in admin or getting cramp kneeling at the front of a gig.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Videography work, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Republica, circa 1996.
First gig shot: Hands Off Gretel, at The Louisiana!
Dream gig: Huge metalhead and my ultimate dream gig would be shooting my heroes Slipknot at a huge stadium gig, or as festival headliners. And to experience shooting a headline tour outside the UK
