who we are

Here are the faces behind Country Lowdown and a little about our love of Country!

Helen

My father is to blame for my love of Country music. I remember back in the ‘70s he bought a set of 6 Country & Western cassette tapes (remember them?) from a newspaper advert. I got into serious trouble as I wore tape number 5 out by playing it so much! I would love to know now what was on that tape! Unfortunately in 1976 my father died and apart from what was on the radio (Terry Wogan in particular!) Country music was switched off in our house.

Talking to mum now, we are not sure why and we have come to the conclusion that it wasn’t actually a conscious decision by any of us!

My love was reignited in the 90’s when a trip to Calgary Stampede introduced me to Garth Brooks & Friends in Low Places in particular. The song was EVERYWHERE!! Every bar, dance hall, shop, radio station, TV programme. I came home with the No Fences CD! Went back the following year & bought more CDs, another Garth Brooks CD, Clint Black & Lorrie Morgan amongst them. I kinda then went quiet again. Country music just didn’t sound right back in old Blighty!!

A trip to the CMA Awards in Nashville started me off again (for the 3rd & final time!) in 2010. This time it was Miranda, Lady A & Sugarland who had me hooked. Shortly after I got home I discovered Spotify which made all the Country music I was beginning to love, easily accessible and then in 2012 the 1st Country 2 Country (C2C) festival was announced. From there on in Country music DID sound right in this country. Not only that, everything else began to pale by comparison!

I have been to all every single day of every single C2C (& have my tickets for next year!)

In 2015 I decided to give FSA Fest a go. This opened up a whole new world to me, UK
Country artists, many of whom have been Pop Ups at C2C. Several of these artists have
since become friends & I have become as passionate about them as I am about the US artists!
Starting Country Lowdown is a new challenge, one which Caroline, Kate & myself are very excited to be doing, let’s hope it isn’t a bumpy journey! Happy readings!

Colin

I have the pleasure of living in North West London, so I’m close to all the regular venues, which means at least 3 or 4 gigs per week! Remember my parents listeniangto Patsy Cline among others, in the early sixties, and can still recall seeing The Bachelors live at that time!

Kris Kristofferson saw my through the sixties, and when I saw a new band (The Eagles)!! in the mid seventies, it blew me away. Never looked back since.

The best thing to happen (in London anyway), was the arrival of Country 1035 radio station in the early nineties, 24 hour country music, amazing. All these new artists, including Blackhawk, Confederate Railroad, and many many more. Hooked forever.

Equally at home watching/listening to UK country as well as the big USA names, an accent doesn’t matter to me, as long as it’s great music! Photographer for British Telecom from 1973 to 1990, then had my own High Street studio from 1991 to 1997 – gave up professionally after that, but still ‘kept my hand in’ and now I just concentrate on concert photography.

Ian

My pathetic love of country came from driving around Florida, which except Disney and some bits along the coast is very The South, so every other radio station is a country one. Growing up listening to all sorts of music, I always had a liking of guitar-based music so listening to country as I flew up I95 or along route 1 out of Miami to the Florida Keys seemed like a good fit. I returned to the UK with some CDs, including a young upcoming artist by the name of Taylor, and some names to check out and it went from there. My first country gig was C2C 2013, the year it all started. I saw Carrie Underwood and Leann Rimes were both playing, and I just had to go and dragged my Bon Jovi loving friend along. Turns out this other chap, Darius Rucker, was also on the bill and there was 20,000 people singing along. I had found my people.

Fast forward to late 2016 I’d summoned up the courage to go to gigs alone and as Thomas Rhett was lighting up stage at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, I got chatting to a member of the C2C Attendees group on Facebook, run by our esteemed leader Helen. I joined and so began a deepening of my love affair with country music, and the opening up of a whole heap of opportunities. I live in London so prior to the pandemic I was at 3 or 4 gigs a week, and most were country music. I owe a lot to country music as I have a collection of friends who are very dear to me. I have been to Nashville, and on a solo road trip across the South I took in the sights and some concerts along the way. I even went to Vegas specifically to go see the king of country George Strait, which I can highly recommend if anyone gets the chance.

Away from the cowboy hats and boots I am a keen sports fan, being a season ticket holder at Harlequins RFC and Chelsea Women FC, I work for a youth sports charity – the Lord’s Taverners, volunteer with Crisis at Christmas and have started to volunteer at major sporting events in London.

If you see me at a gig, or at C2C, or even on the street, come say hi!

Lesley

Cowgirl Lesley here, excited to join the Country Lowdown team!

I’d say my love for the genre started in the 70s with Linda Rondstadt, but I got a bit “ sidetracked” by glam rock and disco! My taste in music is still pretty eclectic but it’s Country that has stolen my heart for sure. I particularly enjoy the singer/songwriter style and smaller acoustic gigs and tend to prefer listening female artists…among my favourites are Brandy Clark, Erin Enderlin and Ashley McBryde. When it comes to male artists, I love the gritty, blues vocals and writing of Brent Cobb, and am a massive American Aquarium fan.

Living in rural Buckinghamshire now I also love exploring the beautiful Chiltern Hills with my three rescue dogs and having recently retired have a new obsession…..golf! Oh and a warning to anyone in the area that I’ve just started performing at local open mic nights….a mix of originals and covers….keeping it Country of course!