The Toy Hearts

(On Femme Fatale) 'It's really lovely, I like it very much.'
- - Bob Harris - BBC Radio 2, Sept 2011.

'Influenced by the Nashville guitar pickers and singers, they are two very sweet girls.'
- - Ronnie Wood - Absolute Radio, Dec 2011.

'One of my favourite bands.'
- - Imelda May.

'Over the past six years, they’ve been bolstering their musicianship, songwriting and reputation to the point where, if they continue making music like this, fully warrant becoming the first British inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame.'
- - Mike Davies, NetRhythms, April 2012.

(On Whiskey) 'An album of superbly executed performances that are played with an irrepressible sense of joy.'
- - Michael Hingston, Country Music People, June 2012.

'There is a distinctive sheen to everything on the album but nothing that has that cloying glossiness that is so formulaic. In this generic field you will be very fortunate to hear better this year!'
- - American Roots UK, June 2012.

'Whiskey is an album that shows off The Toy Hearts at their versatile best as they incorporate elements of Bluegrass, swing, jazz, blues and country to produce this feel good record that is unlike anything else around at the moment.'
- - Helen Earnshaw, Female First, June 2012.

'Yet more fine music from one of the best British bands... An album that reaches out beyond the band's bluegrass roots and should see them consolidate their position as among the best of British.'
- - Jeremy Searle, Americana UK, June 2012.

'Jolly steel guitar laced, harmony-rich country swing. Their natural feel for the jazzier end if the honky tonk is reflected in competent originals and covers of classics.'
- - The Daily Mirror, June 2012.

'The Toy Hearts will soon be stealing more hearts. Make mine a double.'
- - Sunday Mercury, 'Album of the Week', June 2012.

'Whiskey, the group's fourth album, has much to recommend it: not least the heartfelt vocals of lead singer Hannah Johnson.'
- - Simmy Richman, The Independent, June 2012.

'Yoking their majestic close harmony voices to some splendid musical back-ups, theirs is a classic sound that somehow belongs to the here and now... The many charms of Whiskey ensures that you'll be making plenty of trips to The Toy Hearts bar.'
- - ACR, Properganda, June/July 2012.

(On Whiskey) 'The Toy Hearts are a tenacious bunch and inject an urgency which doesn't let up. Now, supplemented by a gifted rhythm team, fiddle and piano, it makes a big statement... You'll soon be juke joint jumpin' on a Saturday night!'
- - David Kushar, Spiral Earth, July 2012.

'Mixing influences from country music at the time of Hank Williams with influences from the blues of the 1930er/40er years together with elements of Brit Soul, from Dusty Springfield to Amy Winehouse. This sounds and is exciting, thrilling and hot.'
- - Broken Silence, July 2012.

'This is a great album by one of Britain's best country groups' - - David Knowles, Maverick, July 2012.

‘Honestly, listening to opening track Good For Me is enough to make Po Girl throw in the towel and work diners... Deftly balancing swinging hot club jazz (Tequila And High Heels with its dazzling dobro), old school Western swing (She Got There First) and sprightly bluegrass breakdowns (The Beck Is Rising) with the folk roots balladry of the heartachingly lovely The Captain, they fully deserves to be the first British act nominated for a bluegrass Grammy. We should consider ourselves lucky, Nashville didn't confiscate their passports so they couldn't ever leave!'?

- - Mike Davies, netrhythms.co.uk, Oct 2010.

'As well as producing quite possibly the finest and most authentic-sounding blend of Americana of any UK act, The Toy Hearts possess a trump card in the heart-melting voice of Hannah Johnson... With 'Femme Fatale' as a calling card, the UK Americana crown is The Toy Hearts' for the taking'. ?

- - Sean McGhee, R2 Rock and Reel Magazine, Oct 2010.

(On Whiskey) 'Swinging sisters plus dad continue to surprise... A solid slab of good time listening.'

- - MT, Guitarist, July 2012.

‘Fronted by sisters Hannah and Sophia Johnson, there are sweet harmonies and commendable forays into hot jazz and old-time swing.' - - Duncan Warwick, Uncut Magazine, Jan 2011.

Music styles regularly flip back and forward across the Atlantic. Sometimes this causes the music to change as it meets new regional influences and adapts to it. Sometimes it remains even more pure than it does in it's own backyard because the aficionados aren't being subjected to the same influences as those playing it backhome. Bluegrass is a classic example and the bluegrass revival is producing some great results on both sides of the pond. Hailing from Birmingham, Birmingham Warwickshire that is, are The Toy Hearts, that seem to have found the best of both worlds. The Toy Hearts are a six piece fronted by the Johnson sisters, Hannah and Sophia. The band also features the girl's father Stewart, from where, I suspect, the love of the music and the desire to play it originated. For the record the non-Johnson part of the band consists of Jamie Fekete, Howard Gregory and Chris Shirley. As you would imagine the instrumentation of the band throws in a pretty song collection of stringed instruments, dominated by mandolin and fiddle. The sound could easily be found a home in the Bluegrass State. It combines spectacularly well with the harmony vocals of the Johnson Sisters. The way they draw out the words in the song gives it such an authentic feel.
It's roughly at this point the eastern side of the Atlantic kicks in. Unlike some european bluegrass bands that confine themselves to cover versions of US standards, The Toy Hearts add to the tradition by writing their own material, only one of the songs on the album, "John Henry" is a cover version, and for me it's also the weakest track on the album, but that might just be because I don't think anyone will ever beat the Snakefarm version. 
Leaving that aside, simply because the band has different experiences to a band that grows up in Kentucky the songs will have their own touches that bring the album to this side of the pond. The songs are strong with a good and at times poetic lyric. The Toy Hearts know how to out their material together. 
Good bluegrass hits the spot and this hits the spot like a back kick from a surprised mustang. - Fatea Review

‘The Captain is almost an answer song to Kasey Chambers track of the same name. The protagonist of the Chamber's song has low self-esteem and is thankful to be able to surrender responsibility to a partner, whereas the feisty Toy Hearts song is about refusing to be dominated… The Toy Hearts have absorbed the culture and songwriting of acoustic American music, but their music and their singing has a definitely British accent.’

- Michael Hingston, Country Music People, Nov 2011

'The vocals are pure and the musicianship is top-class... This group is going from strength to strength and I would recommend this album to all bluegrass fans'.
- David Knowles, Maverick Magazine, Oct 2010.

‘Style and substance are admirable attributes for any band. But couple them with hard work and commitment and you're onto something good. The Toy Hearts have all the bases covered and Femme Fatale, recorded in Nashville, is a fine document of the Johnson family's winning formula.'
- David Kushar, Spiralearth.co.uk, Nov 2011

The Toy Hearts came together as a band in 2001. Sisters, Hannah (mandolin and lead vocal), and Sophia (guitar and harmony vocal), front this five piece band with their father, Stewart playing a vital role on banjo and Dobro. The band is completed with Lauren Rogers on acoustic bass and harmony vocals and Howard Gregory on fiddle. Collectively they have formulated their own brand of bluegrass- fresh, vibrant, contemporary whilst still playing more than lip service to the traditionalists who have gone before. They made their debut with IF THE BLUES COME CALLING which was very well received but, playing to ever increasing audiences, they have gained considerably greater experience and this their follow-up takes them to a higher level. The album boasts 11 original songs credited to Stewart and his two daughters with Lauren making her contribution on one composition. It opens with the driving Stronger and continues with a number of up-tempo songs, but mixed in with these are numbers like the slow, plaintive The Angels Sing, which leaves the listener in no doubt that the band appreciate the high, lonesome sound prevalent in the style of purveyors of traditional bluegrass. It is a beautiful number, with superb vocal harmonies between Hannah and Sophia. Montpellier Street is completely different with a cool jazz feel to it and some impressive fiddling from Howard Gregory whose interplay with Stewart on banjo is delightful. Girl That You Can’t Fool is a swing number while the closing track can, When I Cut Loose can perhaps be described as a train song. Both the vocal and instrumental work on WHEN I CUT LOOSE makes for an enjoyable listening experience and The Toy Hearts are an invaluable addition to the British bluegrass scene.
When any artist or band submits an album for review they must be prepared to accept that it is always going to be judged on an international level and with no concessions made on the basis that it is British. Well, The Toy Hearts are making their mark on the international stage- and certainly not because they are British. Earlier this year they completed a successful tour of Texas during which they drew a lot of attention to themselves at the prestigious SXSW festival in Austin. They were the sole UK entrants at the European World of Bluegrass festivals, again impressing crowds in France and Holland, and later this year they will be performing during the annual International Bluegrass Music Association convention in Nashville. So, in a sense, this delightful band is ‘carrying coals to Newcastle’ but the reception it has been accorded on the other side of the Atlantic- and indeed, across the channel, has proved very positive. They can only go from strength to strength and with their collective talent, vibrancy and originality, theirs is a name to watch out for should they happen to appear in your area. LK

- Maverick Magazine -

Birmingham’s Toy Hearts (that’s Birmingham, UK, not Alabama) are much more than the bluegrass band their bio tags them, It’s all down to songwriting and vocal chops of sisters Hannah and Sophia Johnson, that takes them down many musical highways besides bluegrass, with hints of western swing, jazz, country, blues and even boogie-rock. Yeah, the instrumental line-up is what you would expect from a bluegrass combo: banjo and Dobro (expertly played by dour-faced dad Stewart Johnson), mandolin (Jamie Fekete), fiddle (Howard Gregory), double bass (Chris Shirley) and acoustic lead and rhythm guitar (Sophia Johnson). But like an oestrogen-fuelled version of flat and Scruggs, Hannah and Sophia run through a set that blends the best elements of acoustic-styled roots music with none of the cloying slickness that often happens in heavier hands. The pair’s vocals are the showcase here, with Hannah providing the leads offering a duskier, smokier take on jazzier-styled numbers like City Girl- with great harmonies from Sophia- and a bluesy title tune.
Apart from the old Bob Wills’ classic Right or Wrong and traditional John Henry, all songs are penned by the Johnson’s, and though they sometimes strain metaphors, as in the hillbilly-styled On My Way Home, the majority are of a very high standard. The cry-in-your-beer laments Restless and If the Blues come Calling are all the more compelling when sung from a women’s point of view. Drawing from a deep well of gospel, blues, bluegrass and country The Toy Hearts are right up their with the very best of stateside acoustic bluegrass-flavoured bands and they should be eagerly embraced by the growing alt.country and Americana audiences that frequent the UK’s burgeoning listening venues to drool over the likes of Uncle Earl, Po’ Girl and Be Good Tanyas. AC - Maverick Magazine Review Oct, 2007

- Maverick Magazine

It’s always good to see and hear bluegrass music that originates overseas. It adds to the international aspect of the genre that hopefully is a goal. The Toy Hearts are a family band from Birmingham, England, that not only play good bluegrass, but also take it beyond the realm of traditional bluegrass mimicry by producing original and contemporary fare.
The band name comes from the Bill Monroe song “Toy Heart”, but the album title also fits the hook of the band. Hannah and Sophia Johnson (sisters) can both sing and pick, with Sophia featured on vocals and lead guitar and Hannah on vocals and rhythm guitar. The anchor of the band is their father, Stewart Johnson, who plays banjo and resonator guitar. Stewart is a long-time professional musician in the U.K. who has played with bands of varied genres and appeared on both British TV and in many major theatre productions. The rest of the band features Jamie Fekete on mandolin, Howard Gregory on fiddle, Mark Tibenham on harmony vocal, and Chris Shirley on bass.
Their debut CD is filled with nine original tunes and two standards. Standout cuts include the ambitious vocal cut, “The Ocean Wide”, and the instrumental “Piccadilly Special” and the western swing-tinged songs “City Girl” and “Right or Wrong”. Their timing could be a bit tighter at times, as the drive of their sound would benefit as a result. But, found in these original songs are riffs and arrangements that shoot for the contemporary. This band will only get better as time goes on. It’d be fun to see them at IBMA week

- Bluegrass Unlimited

Hailing from Kings Heath in Birmingham (UK, not Alabama), the Toy Hearts came together in 2001 fronted by lead singer Hannah Johnson and guitarist/harmony sister Sophia (who's also part of flamenco guitar outfit Trio Gitano), daughters of top dobro/banjo player and fellow founding member Stewart. The current line up also features Jamie Fekete on mandolin, Howard Gregory on fiddle and double bassist Chris Shirley.
Inspired by and drawing on the music of Bill Monroe (whose songs provides their name) and Bob Wills with its influences of Western Swing, jazz and country they've been scorching up the UK bluegrass scene for a while but this is their first recording. With nine of the eleven tracks self-penned, mixing up instrumentals and songs, this sounds so authentic it could have come straight from the Kentucky mountains, dragging a still behind it.
Sophia is one hot flat picker, fingers positively burning up the frets, and although not yet in the Alison Krauss league, Hannah's voice swings fluidly from coy sweetness (On My Way Home) to sexy raunch (Leave This Heart Alone), at times (as on the lovely hot club sounding cover of Bob Wills's Right Or Wrong) evocative of a young Patsy Cline while the sister's harmonies lick a tingle down the spine.
It goes without saying that their father's sprightly and dazzling banjo and dobro work provides the album's backbone, but all of the musicians can hold their own in any illustrious company; the interplay of fiddle and banjo on Piccadilly Special a treat to the ears with Gregory really coming into his own on the sassy The Ocean Wide. Having tore up bluegrass chestnut John Henry, they round things off with the dreamy hay ride dancefloor swayer Restless, stars twinkling overhead and hula girls floating off on the clouds; these Hearts beat to an irresistible rhythm.

- Net Rhythms Review

So can two sisters from Brum create the ‘high lonesome sound’ whilst living and working in the city that spawned Jasper Carott? The simple answer is yes.
The album is a joyous thing filled with brio and musicality that belies their roots. All tracks are self penned and delivered with gusto and although recorded in Leamington Spa the final stage mastering took place in Nashville, which may account for the authentic feel that permeates every cut.
This is the second album by the The Toy Hearts and they have taken coals to Newcastle by touring Texas and playing SXSW and the album serves as reminder that authenticity comes from the quality of the playing and the song writing as opposed to the required place of birth.
Many tracks leap out but highlights are "When angels sing to me" with its beautiful harmonies and dual vocals, the anger in "Get along with the Blues", the pop sensibility of "Giving back your troubles".
If bluegrass is not your thing and this reviewer would be the first to hold his hand up then leave your pre conceptions at the door and embrace this album for what it is - a great collection of songs by a great band (from Birmingham )

- Americana UK

A band from Birmingham playing rootsy bluegrass influenced songs, not all that unusual you might think, even if it is Kentucky that’s known as ‘the bluegrass state’, but then we’re talking about the Bullring, Jasper Carrot, Spaghetti Junction Birmingham, not the Alabama one! The band is based on the Johnson family, Hannah on lead vocals, her sister Sophia on lead guitar, and father Stewart on banjo and mandolin. Fiddle and double bass make up the full line up. Rather than, as you might expect, running through a bunch of standards, to their credit, the Johnson clan have mostly written this record themselves, only two of the eleven songs are covers. They haven’t attempted to disguise their Brit origins totally, ‘City Girl’ though not specific, does seem to be about their home city. The covers are the much played ‘John Henry’ which they do very nicely, and the western swing classic ‘Right or Wrong’ which Hannah’s voice is particularly well suited to. The influences the band members list are, predictably, the likes of Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss, Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Del McCoury, Dolly Parton etc. If there is a problem with this record it’s not in the quality of performance which is very fine, it’s that it’s all a bit bloodless, nobody got hurt, its just way too nice, it would have been interesting to hear things get dark and dirty. The voices and playing are impressive and the family harmonies are very effective, but the overall impression is a bit tamer than it might have been. - Americana UK

I think it’s fair to say that British Country Music doesn’t seem to have the appeal of its American counterpart and while although maybe unfair to judge it against the USA music I think it’s inevitable a comparison is going to be made. I’ve found British offerings very often do not measure up to the sound that the Americans produce for whatever reason whether it be artists’ performance, lack of original material, interpretation of songs, lack of experienced musicians, the production or, a combination of all these. Too many of the British artists seem to emulate their Country idols and perform the standard songs.
It was therefore very refreshing and surprising to listen to the latest album from the Birmingham (UK) based band Toy Hearts (the name is taken from the Top 20 hit for Bill Monroe & his Bluegrass Boys in 1949). The band comprises of father, Stewart Johnson (banjo and guitar) - daughters Hannah (lead vocals and mandolin) and Sophia (harmony vocals and guitar) – Lauren Rogers (double bass and harmony vocals) and Howard Gregory (fiddle).
The album “When I Cut Loose” is predominately bluegrass but with tinges of other genres in places. The eleven songs, all originals, tell tales of the trials and tribulations of love at different stages such as disillusioned love, putting old memories behind, breaking up, infidelity and moving on with one’s life all performed impeccably by Hannah with great harmony vocals from Sophia and Lauren and excellent musicianship all combined with professional recording and production.
This is an outstanding album from a British group and undoubtedly one of the best I’ve heard this year and is highly recommended.
For more information check out their website or Myspace site to listen to some of the tracks

- Country Music File Review