Ben R. Atkinson
@benratkinson.bsky.social
Broadcaster, academic, musician 🎶 PhD candidate music KU Leuven, Belgium 🇧🇪: Women of Nashville country music scene 🎓 Do Learning Tech at Uni of Nottingham, UK + digital for British Association for American Studies 🇺🇸
New album, Country Folk, out now! 🤠
New album, Country Folk, out now! 🤠
Pinned
Ben R. Atkinson
@benratkinson.bsky.social
· Mar 17
Wannabe American
Provided to YouTube by Record Union
Wannabe American · Ben Atkinson
Country Folk
℗ 2025 Ben Atkinson
Released on: 2025-01-20
Producer: Ben Atkinson
Composer, Lyricist: Ben Atkinson
Auto-generated by YouTube.
youtu.be
My new album, Country Folk, has been out a full three months today! What songs are you enjoying from the record? Here's one of my favourites, Wannabe American. Feels weirdly appropriate for these crazy days we're living through.
youtu.be/mUW8eXe8oww...
youtu.be/mUW8eXe8oww...
Catching up on Rob Brydon's interview with Lainey Wilson for his country music documentary and thinking back to summer 2022 when I played on the stage behind them at The Bluebird Cafe 💛🤠
A song from that evening will be on the digital deluxe of Country Folk (At Heart), out end of November.
A song from that evening will be on the digital deluxe of Country Folk (At Heart), out end of November.
October 21, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Catching up on Rob Brydon's interview with Lainey Wilson for his country music documentary and thinking back to summer 2022 when I played on the stage behind them at The Bluebird Cafe 💛🤠
A song from that evening will be on the digital deluxe of Country Folk (At Heart), out end of November.
A song from that evening will be on the digital deluxe of Country Folk (At Heart), out end of November.
The iTeach Online Podcast from the University of Nottingham is back for a new season. We begin this time with a chat about assessment at the University and our colleague Dave joins us in the studio to talk about the new Assessment Framework.
Assessments at the University of Nottingham
The iTeach Online Podcast · Episode
open.spotify.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:52 PM
The iTeach Online Podcast from the University of Nottingham is back for a new season. We begin this time with a chat about assessment at the University and our colleague Dave joins us in the studio to talk about the new Assessment Framework.
Just finished writing a chapter of my PhD on MTV, CMT and the music video revolution of the 80s and 90s. As part of my fieldwork in Nashville I interviewed a woman who was hired as only the second employee at MTV.
MTV to axe its music TV channels in the UK
The broadcaster will stop showing music videos in December, but its main channel will remain on air.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 10, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Just finished writing a chapter of my PhD on MTV, CMT and the music video revolution of the 80s and 90s. As part of my fieldwork in Nashville I interviewed a woman who was hired as only the second employee at MTV.
Snuck out all incognito Swiftie like to watch The Release Party of a Showgirl this afternoon. Great to see some of the behind the scenes making of the music videos. I'll be feeding that into a chapter I'm writing on film and TV representation... Do you I think I was that obvious? 😁 😅 👀
October 4, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Snuck out all incognito Swiftie like to watch The Release Party of a Showgirl this afternoon. Great to see some of the behind the scenes making of the music videos. I'll be feeding that into a chapter I'm writing on film and TV representation... Do you I think I was that obvious? 😁 😅 👀
I heard that Taylor Swift has a new record out today. Well, I've been a Swifie since the early days, but my new single is also out today. I guess you'd say it's about The Life of Cowboy 👀 🤠
'All About You' is available now on all platforms, one of the most requested songs from my album Country Folk!
'All About You' is available now on all platforms, one of the most requested songs from my album Country Folk!
October 3, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I heard that Taylor Swift has a new record out today. Well, I've been a Swifie since the early days, but my new single is also out today. I guess you'd say it's about The Life of Cowboy 👀 🤠
'All About You' is available now on all platforms, one of the most requested songs from my album Country Folk!
'All About You' is available now on all platforms, one of the most requested songs from my album Country Folk!
When one of your music heroes writes their autobiography. Can't wait to start reading this later tonight with a glass of red after a crazy week! 🍷
"So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out. There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out!" 🎵
"So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out. There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out!" 🎵
October 2, 2025 at 6:40 PM
When one of your music heroes writes their autobiography. Can't wait to start reading this later tonight with a glass of red after a crazy week! 🍷
"So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out. There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out!" 🎵
"So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out. There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out!" 🎵
Absolutely devoured this book, the new autobiography from Sir Tim Berners-Lee. A fascinating story of how the World Wide Web came to be, and for me the story of my life. I was born in 1991 the same year the WWW went public and it's development tracked my childhood, studies and career.
October 1, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Absolutely devoured this book, the new autobiography from Sir Tim Berners-Lee. A fascinating story of how the World Wide Web came to be, and for me the story of my life. I was born in 1991 the same year the WWW went public and it's development tracked my childhood, studies and career.
And this is what my PhD is all about, in case you were wondering...
Women Who Rock ™ on Instagram: "Happy International Country Music Day ⚡️🤠
International Country Music Day is here and we’re shining a spotlight on the gender gap that still exists in country music. 💖🎶
Swipe to see the surprising facts and let’s celebrate the women who are rocking the country scene!
#womenwhorock #womeninmusic #womenincountrymusic"
officialwomenwhorock on September 17, 2025: "Happy International Country Music Day ⚡️🤠
International Country Music Day is here and we’re shining a spotlight on the gender gap that still exists in country music. 💖🎶
Swipe to see the surprising facts and let’s celebrate the women who are rocking the country scene!
#womenwhorock #womeninmusic #womenincountrymusic".
www.instagram.com
September 23, 2025 at 6:41 PM
And this is what my PhD is all about, in case you were wondering...
I'm sorry, Garth Brooks may not have played in the UK for 30 years (so pretty much my entire life) but there's no way I'm paying £130 to stand way back in Hyde Park in a huge crowd. That's more than I paid for the Eras Tour at Wembley and Springsteen combined.
September 19, 2025 at 6:07 PM
I'm sorry, Garth Brooks may not have played in the UK for 30 years (so pretty much my entire life) but there's no way I'm paying £130 to stand way back in Hyde Park in a huge crowd. That's more than I paid for the Eras Tour at Wembley and Springsteen combined.
This seemed appropriate today, can't for the life of me think why...
September 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
This seemed appropriate today, can't for the life of me think why...
3,2,1... Time to see what the 34th trip around the sun has in store! 💫🚀✨🎈🎂
September 10, 2025 at 6:56 PM
3,2,1... Time to see what the 34th trip around the sun has in store! 💫🚀✨🎈🎂
Yesterday I had a chance to slip out at lunch and visit the new Beyond Coffee in Lincoln which has creative takes on an iced latte (raspberry was my pick), plus windows views across to the beautiful New Theatre Royal where I've performed many times.
September 9, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Yesterday I had a chance to slip out at lunch and visit the new Beyond Coffee in Lincoln which has creative takes on an iced latte (raspberry was my pick), plus windows views across to the beautiful New Theatre Royal where I've performed many times.
Today's vinyl choice, the brilliant Petty Country tribute to Tom Petty on orange vinyl. Still working my way through records purchased in Nashville earlier this year! 🎶🎸
August 30, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Today's vinyl choice, the brilliant Petty Country tribute to Tom Petty on orange vinyl. Still working my way through records purchased in Nashville earlier this year! 🎶🎸
What a wonderful weekend at @thelongroadfest. Too many years away and great to be back with friends old and new. I can't think of a festival with more wholesome vibes and a great family friendly atmosphere. Lineup across the weekend was eclectic and top notch!
Roll on 2026 y'all! 🤠🎸☀️😁
Roll on 2026 y'all! 🤠🎸☀️😁
August 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
What a wonderful weekend at @thelongroadfest. Too many years away and great to be back with friends old and new. I can't think of a festival with more wholesome vibes and a great family friendly atmosphere. Lineup across the weekend was eclectic and top notch!
Roll on 2026 y'all! 🤠🎸☀️😁
Roll on 2026 y'all! 🤠🎸☀️😁
"Here in a small town, where everybody knows your name. It's hard to escape from local fame..."
youtu.be/Olth0nsQ_O8...
Big plans afoot for my hometown come 2026.
youtu.be/Olth0nsQ_O8...
Big plans afoot for my hometown come 2026.
August 17, 2025 at 12:59 PM
"Here in a small town, where everybody knows your name. It's hard to escape from local fame..."
youtu.be/Olth0nsQ_O8...
Big plans afoot for my hometown come 2026.
youtu.be/Olth0nsQ_O8...
Big plans afoot for my hometown come 2026.
I'll never get bored of walking this city on a beautiful summer evening. Despite everything else, it's why I'll never leave. I've been lucky to graduate twice in the Cathedral. A Belgium PhD graduation will be hard pressed to compete!
August 14, 2025 at 7:55 PM
I'll never get bored of walking this city on a beautiful summer evening. Despite everything else, it's why I'll never leave. I've been lucky to graduate twice in the Cathedral. A Belgium PhD graduation will be hard pressed to compete!
What a life! You couldn't imagine it if you tried... and now he's back amongst the stars. The movie version is one of my favourites as I've always been fascinated by space exploration. Fly high, Spaceman! 👨🚀
www.bbc.co.uk/news/a...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/a...
Jim Lovell: Astronaut who guided Apollo 13 safely back to Earth dies aged 97
The commander of Apollo 13 famously rescued his men from near certain death in space.
www.bbc.co.uk
August 9, 2025 at 7:54 AM
What a life! You couldn't imagine it if you tried... and now he's back amongst the stars. The movie version is one of my favourites as I've always been fascinated by space exploration. Fly high, Spaceman! 👨🚀
www.bbc.co.uk/news/a...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/a...
Heard the sad news that we lost Grand Ole Opry legend "Miss Country Soul" Jeannie Seely. I was lucky to see her perform on my first visit to the Opry, just one of the nearly 5,400 shows she did in the circle, the most ever.
August 3, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Heard the sad news that we lost Grand Ole Opry legend "Miss Country Soul" Jeannie Seely. I was lucky to see her perform on my first visit to the Opry, just one of the nearly 5,400 shows she did in the circle, the most ever.
Lately, I've been quite obsessed with the new Parker McCollum album, his self-titled record, which is great for anyone growing up but still feeling like they don't have it all together. Anyway, I thought I'd give it a go, here's my version of 'Sunny Days' from the record.
youtu.be/jFFSEq2BpZg...
youtu.be/jFFSEq2BpZg...
Sunny Days (Parker McCollum Cover)
Lately, I've been quite obsessed with the new Parker McCollum album, his self-titled record, which is a great album for anyone growing up but still feeling like they don't have it all together. It's a concept record of sorts; you have to listen from start to finish. Anyway, I thought I'd give it a g
youtu.be
August 3, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Lately, I've been quite obsessed with the new Parker McCollum album, his self-titled record, which is great for anyone growing up but still feeling like they don't have it all together. Anyway, I thought I'd give it a go, here's my version of 'Sunny Days' from the record.
youtu.be/jFFSEq2BpZg...
youtu.be/jFFSEq2BpZg...
This series on BBC sounds about New York in 1925, told through the seasons, is fascinating and highly recommended. Check it out if you like a good documentary radio podcast.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds...
Artworks - New York 1925 - 1. Winter - BBC Sounds
The story of the year New York became the biggest, most populous city in the world.
www.bbc.co.uk
August 2, 2025 at 10:23 AM
This series on BBC sounds about New York in 1925, told through the seasons, is fascinating and highly recommended. Check it out if you like a good documentary radio podcast.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds...
Very interesting read for my fellow musos out there... Will be writing a chapter on streaming and social media soon, may incorporate elements of this! 🎶
www.bbc.co.uk/news/r...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/r...
Three-minute heroes: TikTok made songs shorter but artists are pushing back with longer tracks with more emotional resonance - BBC News
Pop songs got drastically shorter in the streaming era. But new BBC research shows that trend is over
www.bbc.co.uk
July 31, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Very interesting read for my fellow musos out there... Will be writing a chapter on streaming and social media soon, may incorporate elements of this! 🎶
www.bbc.co.uk/news/r...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/r...
We're coming to the end of a week camping on the Dorset coast between Swanage and Poole. Many years ago, back when I was sixteen I wrote a story inspired by this part of the world. It was a YA fantasy novel of sorts. Called "The Kraken's Curse" it was published by my then school King Edward VII. 🧵
July 28, 2025 at 6:48 PM
We're coming to the end of a week camping on the Dorset coast between Swanage and Poole. Many years ago, back when I was sixteen I wrote a story inspired by this part of the world. It was a YA fantasy novel of sorts. Called "The Kraken's Curse" it was published by my then school King Edward VII. 🧵
Amazing Euros from the Lionesses and fighting from behind all the way. What a way to win back to back trophies, and in Lucy Bronze, an amazing role model for all the young ASD kids who are fanatical about being sporty and outdoorsy... Just like Jaxon! 🍃⚽️🏆
July 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Amazing Euros from the Lionesses and fighting from behind all the way. What a way to win back to back trophies, and in Lucy Bronze, an amazing role model for all the young ASD kids who are fanatical about being sporty and outdoorsy... Just like Jaxon! 🍃⚽️🏆
Lovely to see our own Lincolnshire Red Arrows performing their summer '25 display over the beach earlier... they must have followed us down from Waddington! 😆
July 26, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Lovely to see our own Lincolnshire Red Arrows performing their summer '25 display over the beach earlier... they must have followed us down from Waddington! 😆
If you have to finish a PhD chapter while on a camping holiday, at least you get this view while doing it! (Feat. Jaxon playing in the middle-distance) ☀️🤓 #PhDLife
July 26, 2025 at 3:21 PM
If you have to finish a PhD chapter while on a camping holiday, at least you get this view while doing it! (Feat. Jaxon playing in the middle-distance) ☀️🤓 #PhDLife