CUMBRIA is well known for its wide selection of local music, and one band have taken their Southern Country Rock sound around the county and afar.

Modern country band Jericho Summer is made up of married couple Jay Zeffin and Vanessa Joy who met at the Music Farm Studios in Egremont in 1995.

Vanessa had already been doing session work for several years, and she starred as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christs Superstar in the UK, in addition to winning numerous singing awards and various other productions.

Jay was pursuing a solo career and had worked on a self-published album in 1995 featuring Arthur Belcher who was the Saxophonist on Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street.

The band have recently just released their debut album Night Train which includes 10 original tracks and one cover song which the pair made into a duet and used Cumbrian artists that Vanessa had worked with.

In 2012 Jay was working with Izzy Stradlin, original rhythm guitarist of Guns n Roses and around this time met Bass Player Marco Mendoza, from Thin Lizzy at the O2 in London.

Jay found the inspiration and genre for the Jericho Summer material and with some material already produced several years ago he contacted his old producer at the Music Farm Studios where the couple had met and previously recorded.

The album also included some high profile names which includes Richard Fortus from Guns N Roses, playing along side world famous Albert Lee for the first time ever.

Bassist Marco Mendoza from Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy have already worked with Fortus.

Vanessa explained: "Albert Lee is a major US country star, so to have him featured on our album is incredible.

"This whole album was created over email sending things from Nashville to LA to Egremont.

"We rarely did a session with Tom at The Music Farm in Egremont as everything was sent to him via email."

The album and band are self funded and Vanessa revealed that there aren't many plans now the album has been released.

"There aren't any plans to tour as of yet.

"Everyone is so spread out, if we can recuperate then we will invest".

Now living in Spain, Vanessa and Jay still like to check out gigs and concerts.

"I've been away too long to check out the music scene in Cumbria, we occasionally get acts coming over here.

With the album out now for fans to buy, Jericho Summer have made quite the impression on the big names

"It was a case of being in the right place at the right time with this album and meeting people.

"We never planned to meet anyone but it just worked out through friends and being backstage we got to speak to some incredible artists."

Night Train by Jericho Summer is available from here