Biography

Recently performed to sell out shows supporting Suzanne Vega in the UK. Paste Magazine review: (8.1 stars out of 10) My Girl The River’s fabulous debut album, This Ain’t No Fairytale, is a lovely mélange of Americana-Roots music. Kris Wilkinson Hughes developed the project. Hughes, indigenous to Louisiana and a former resident of the epicenter of roots music, Nashville, seems to revel in writing songs about the southern United States. Songs like “Come Back To Nashville” and “Covington” bring to mind works by other fellow alt-country musicians Jason Isbell and Lucinda Williams. These tracks, although enjoyable in every setting, feel like they would be best appropriate for road trips across the Great American interstates and byways.'

My Girl The River is the creation of vocalist/writer Louisiana native, former Nashvillian, Kris Wilkinson Hughes and British bassist/writer husband Joe Hughes (who co-wrote the Annie Lennox hit 'No More I Love Yous').

Latest fan review:
'I 've been playing it non-stop since I saw them live a while ago ... I don't like to make comparisons but think of Dusty Springfield singing a divine and rootsy collection of passionate home grown country .... My album of the year !' ‘Stunning’ 'a passionate love letter to the American South' 'a voice like sugared espresso' 'up there with Lucinda, kd lang, Eva Cassidy and Gillian Welch'

Latest press review:
'Woods Behind Our House'
I love this song that I heard on an advance copy of the forthcoming CD This Ain't No Fairytale, sent to me by Kristine Wilkinson Hughes of Nashville's My Girl The River. Musically it touches on some of my favorite flavors, a little bit of Shawn Colvin or Rosanne Cash here, a little taste of Neil Finn there, but all all its own. '

These are just some of the comments being batted around their debut album ‘This Ain’t No Fairytale.’

The album features some of the best players in Americana today (Jonathan Byrd, Jacob Lundby, Will Kimbrough). Anecdotes, half-truths, fables and lies are woven into an incredible set of material. You will hear Kris present these stories to you in only a way she can, with humour, heart and soul and an unforgettable voice. They have been asked to perform at this year’s Isle of Wight festival solely based on the album, it’s that good.

Kris moved from Jackson, Mississippi’s Perfect Strangers to Nashville to begin her 12 years as For Kate’s Sake. Charlie Chadwick (Suzy Bogguss), Deanna Verragona (Lambchop), Kevin Hornback (Reeves Gabrels), Andrew Thompson (Hammock) are only some of the artists that have performed as part of For Kate’s Sake. Supporting Worldparty, Kim Richey and others, Kris met Joe Hughes in 1998. They formed Cicero Buck and Kris relocated to the UK. Their first album, Delicate Shades of Grey, was favourited by Captain America (Virgin Radio) , AmericanaUK and Spencer Leigh and received top marks from all of the publications – Uncut, Maverick, etc. Three more album/recordings have followed over the years, all gaining airplay and praise, most notably, Heavy Rain and Maybees from their EP A Taste of Wonderful, being featured in the British film, Delicious. Between them, Kris and Joe have supported the likes Darden Smith, Kevin Kinney, Freg Eaglesmith, Boo Hewerdine, Clive Gregson, David Olney, Bill Morrissey, Sid Griffin, The Eurythmics, and others.

My Girl The River started to take shape in 2013 and in October of 2015 Kris met John Garden (Alison Moyet). Together they hatched a plan to record the debut in Kris’ house, using some of the great talent Kris’ had worked with over the years. Featuring Will Kimbrough (Rodney Crowell/Emmylou Harris) on guitar, Jonathan Byrd on additional vocals, Jacob Lundby (The Sentimentals) on drums, Max Milligan on acoustic, Nick Pynn on various stringed instruments, Kristin Wilkinson on strings and Tom Moth (florence & the machine) on harp. The result, ‘This Ain’t No Fairytale’ is simply a beautiful, lyrical, highly skilled production and performance and will be released in June 2016, with ‘Woods Behind Our House’ as the first single.