AUSTIN Texas’ first lady of country music will be bringing the sounds of her new album to The Met in Bury.

With rockabilly roots and a heartache-meets-honky-tonk voice, Kelly Willis has been labelled a country ingénue.

As a new traditionalist singer-songwriter, her tunes combine the storytelling and strings aspects of country music and the driving force of rock.

After a successful trip to the UK in 2015 with Bruce Robison, Kelly has returned to the UK this month for the first time as a solo act, and is looking forward to playing The Met.

She will perform songs of her album Back Being Blue, which was launched in May.

Kelly said: “I’m so looking forward to my tour.

"I have been sporadically over the years and most recently came over two years ago with my husband Bruce Robison. We performed as a duo that time and had our kids in tow. This time I’ll be without Bruce and the kids but I’ll have my band instead. It’s beautiful there and the people seem to be really musically aware and informed. I get a little nervous actually because I can tell the audience has heard a lot of great artists!

“Intimate venues bring out a different performance than a large venue with distance between the crowd and band. "Nothing is hidden and so the crowd is right there with you as you make all your little adjustments and are included in the choices you make in the moment. Much more of a group effort in those environments!! There is a real connection with the folks who come to the show."

Kelly’s music, which has won widespread acclaim, says she fits “firmly in the country/rootstock/folk category”.

She said: “I started as a rockabilly gal then morphed into country then singer songwriter.

“I think country music is one of the elemental sounds. Blues, country, rock. No fuss music that stands the test of time.”

Since her 1990 debut LP, Well Travelled Love, Kelly Willis has populated her albums with a smart blend of twangy country, rollicking rockers and adventurous cover tunes. It’s been eleven years since the release of her most recent one, 2007’s Translated From Love.

Kelly said: “I fell in love with the hybrid sound of country and rock. I really felt like there was a lot of room for creative expression there. And my voice felt very natural singing country music. I almost had no choice.”

Kelly will be supported by Kerry Fearon, a rising star on the Irish Country scene.

As well as a successful recording career, Kerry also presents Kerry’s Gold Country on Keeping It Country TV, as well as her own radio show on Downtown Country radio.

Her new single, cover of Ashley Monroe’s If The Devil Don’t Want Me, is available now and and will appear on Kerry’s upcoming album of country classics and covers entitled Honky Tonk Girl She also won the prestigious Horizon Award for Most Successful British and Irish Newcomer

Kelly will be performing at The Met on Friday, July 27.

To book tickets visit https://themet.org.uk/event/kelly-willis/