Why are these men smiling?

Tullamore's JigJam (above), like innumerable other musicians, are suffering from the present crisis: self-isolation, travel restrictions, gig cancellations, and closure of venues.

To set against this, they learned last night that their album Phoenix has been nominated for the 'Americana' section of the 18th Independent Music Awards. The impressive full list of nominees can be seen here; the 'Bluegrass' section, for instance, includes Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves and Daniel Crabtree. The legion of distinguished judges for all sections can be seen here. The awards are scheduled to be made on 20 June.

To engage more closely with their fans, JigJam have set up a Patreon page for interaction, support, and community. They are also busy rescheduling tour dates into the summer, autumn, and 2021.