World famous Bramley lass' duo to release new EP

From attending Bramley Grange Junior and Infant School and Wickersley School and Sports College to walking around Greasbrough dam, Laura Johnston from Our Atlantic Roots is Rotherham through and through.

However big her indie/folk and alt-country duo with her North Carolina-born husband “Mac” has grown over the years, she says she will always be a “Yorkshire lass”.

She said: “We actually lived in Wickersley for the first four years of our marriage and have lots of happy memories together from that season around the village and town.

“I particularly have so many happy memories with my family and friends in Bramley and Wickersley as it’s where I lived for the majority of my childhood.

“My family and I lived in the same house there for over 25 years. I have family in Greasbrough – my grandma and great-uncle have lived on the same street since the time of the Second World War.

“I most definitely am proud of my roots. I love being a ‘Yorkshire lass!’.”

Laura said she and Mac, now of Cornwall, were professional songwriters and performers – and were a smash hit!

She said since their second release, Little Bird, they’ve had over 2.5 million streams across platforms in over 120 countries around the world.

They’ve also been featured on BBC Songs of Praise, been invited to sing live on BBC News in the South West and been featured on BBC local radio stations around the country.

She added despite Our Atlantic Roots having been formed in North Carolina, they had taken their first big steps here in Rotherham.

Laura said: “We wrote our first EP First Light sat in our Wickersley apartment. This has now gone on to be played around the world and was the first stepping stone for the next big thing.

“We actually had our EP launch gig at Fitzwilliam and Hughes coffee shop in town.

“Back then we were known as Mac and Laura Johnston. Before we released our second EP, we decided to rebrand as Our Atlantic Roots.”

Their success could be down to their style and the quality of the lyrics, as well.

They have not been afraid to touch sensitive topics – Laura said Mac had written the very popular song Carry On while struggling with his mental health.

She said: “He wrote this during a really difficult season battling anxiety and panic disorder as an encouragement to just keep moving forward putting one foot in front of the other until things got better.

“The song tends to encourage people who are going through any kind of challenge and it’s been amazing to hear stories from around the world about what this song has meant to people.

“Music creates a powerful platform to speak to people that you may otherwise never meet.

“Our goal is to write songs that make a positive impact on people’s lives.”

They’re not stopping now. Their new EP Hold Every Moment will be released this Friday.

It’s been a long journey from Bramley but Laura has had all the right people to support her along the way.

She said: “My biggest supporters were always my family and some close friends.

“I feel really blessed to have grown up with parents who were the first to encourage me to dream big and work hard.

“With the right support network, it doesn’t matter whether you’re from London, New York, Rotherham or Timbuktu.”

This small-town girl from Bramley has also had this “small-town country boy” from North Carolina for the last eight years.

The rest is history.

You can find Our Atlantic Roots on Facebook, Spotify and Apple Music.