Cortney Tidwell

Consider the facts: a grandfather who performed at The Grand Ole Opry and recorded for Decca Records in the 1950s; a mother, a former Miss Nashville runner-up and regular performer at The Grand Ole Opry with a recording career in the 1970s; a father who still works on Nashville’s Music Row, having started as an A&R for Chart Records, founded by his father.

So why is it surprising that Cortney Tidwell, born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, ended up making music? This is a woman whose childhood memories include “sitting in the middle of a circle in Jack Clement’s office, surrounded by smoke and laughter”, who grew up listening to Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, and who remembers Townes Van Zandt as a family friend.

Music ended up offering Cortney a lifeline. She writes songs during dark times, such as her mother’s death and her best friend’s suicide. This darkness inspired music of fascinating beauty: country-infused laments with subtle electronics, skeletal and haunting structures. Cortney's voice, reminiscent of Leslie Feist, Hope Sandoval, and Liz Fraser, is arresting and unique.

Cortney resisted music for as long as she could but gave in during her early twenties, starting in a covers band, then forming a punk duo with her friend Laurel. When she began recording at home, the music took on a life of its own, written mainly as a means of escape. Now her gigs are becoming legendary in Nashville. She plays from behind keyboards, guitar, or drums, sometimes all at once. Following one of these concerts, she signed her record deal after impressing Lou Barlow and his tour manager, who recommended her to Ever Records.