Influential Women of UK Country – Interview #4 Nathalie Cox
Welcome to the continuation of a great series on Belles and Gals, where we interview some of the most influential women on the country music scene here in the UK. Our fourth interview sees us chat with Nathalie Cox of Countryline.tv, the app for all country music fans out there!
To start with, tell us a little bit about yourself!
I am the co-founder, COO and creative director of CountryLine, the only global app for country music fans. Previous to this I worked as a model, actress and presenter for many years – you may recognise me from a random yoghurt commercial!! I’m a massive country music fan and I’m passionate about what we’re doing with CountryLine and excited about how the genre is growing and this journey we’re on.
How did you first get interested in country music? Was there a particular artist that sparked the interest?
I grew up listening to country music. My dad was a big fan of Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash so I would be listening to classic country whilst all my friends we’re into the Spice Girls and Take That. I kept it quiet for a long time (I mean, no teenager is ever going to admit that they prefer Shania Twain over Robbie Williams!) but over the years I realised there’s no point in fighting it! I’m a country fan and I wear that badge with pride.
Country Music is now obviously a large part of your life since starting Countryline.tv! What was the inspiration behind starting the venture?
My business partner Simon Walker and I recognised there was a gap in the market for country fans and could see how fast the popularity of country music was growing. Simon was already working on a project for supporters of a niche sector of the arts and I realised that country music fans are really a niche market themselves so we decided to create a type of “fan club” app to help connect artists to fans, and vice versa, on a global scale. CountryLine is the app I wish had been available when I first got in to country music!
You have a series of brilliant interviews on the site. Is there a particular favourite interview?
I’m very fortunate to have interviewed some amazing artists over the past year or so. It would be so hard to pick a favourite! The best interviews are the ones that just flow – they’re less like an interview and more of an informal chat which I think the fans really like as well. Obviously, it’s awesome when I get to interview artists that I’m already a fan of (hello Chase Rice and Ashley McBryde) but I also love talking to up-coming artists. It’s exciting to meet them when they’re on the cusp of something big.
And can you tell readers who haven’t had a chance to visit countryline.tv yet, what they can expect?
I like to call us the “one-stop shop” for everything country. We have backstage footage, interviews, music videos, exclusive sessions. There’s ticketing and a gig guide, a blog… Pretty much everything you could want as a fan. In the first part of 2019 I’m super excited that we’re rolling out country-related tv shows and movies on the app. There’s something for everyone from the die-hard superfan to the “country curious”…
If you were in charge of C2C 2020, who would your three headliners be?
I can only pick 3???!! Honestly, I’m not sure I can answer that… I’m excited to see Keith Urban this year. But I also loved past headliners such as Eric Church and Little Big Town. I’d love to see more upcoming US artists on the pop-up stages. I think it’s such a great way to discover new music and for artists to reach wider audiences. What C2C has done for country music is amazing and I really hope they continue to push establish artists as well as those just starting out and our own homegrown artists! It’s such a melting pot of talent – definitely the highlight of the UK country calendar!
And if you had to choose an artist who you would consider to be a ‘one to watch’ for the future, who would it be and why?
The UK trio Remember Monday are just simply amazing. They came in to do an interview with us and a session just before they released their first single and I was just blow away by their harmonies. These ladies are going places. From the US I really love Kalie Shorr. She’s already making giant waves in the States and I just know she’s going to be huge.
Why do you think that so many in the UK has such an affinity with country music?
I think that country music appeals to people who appreciate good lyrics and great music. Maybe for the UK that’s a throwback to folk music from days-gone-by or even rock and roll in the 60s… ? Why were the Beetles so popular?? Great lyrics, good music. Music comes in waves and it’s constantly evolving, and I just think that we’re (luckily) have a surge of appreciation for country right now in the UK. Long may it continue!
To finish, tell us the last concert you went to, the last album you listened to, and the first song that comes up on your phone when you hit shuffle!
Last concert I went to was the Cadillac Three in Washington DC. It was epic. Those guys really know
how to rock. Last album was Pistol Annies Interstate Gospel. I mean, what a powerhouse of talent those ladies
are. I love them. And if you hit shuffle well… brace yourself… It could be anything from Lauren Alaina to Trisha
Yearwood and a lot of in-between…!!
