The rain has just stopped as Siiri trudges through the mud in rubber boots. She carries a bucket with fodder for the sheep, who come running up to her in anticipation of a meal. The other animals have made themselves comfortable in the barn which lies on a serene pasture with a forest behind it.
The young musician lives with her family, horse, dog, a small flock of sheep, and a few chickens on a farm in the Sauerland region in the west German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
When she’s not tending to the animals or the land, which is her livelihood, the 28-year-old makes music —country music to be precise.
The origins of country music
In the 1920s, English, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their music to the USA, specifically to where they settled in the southern states of the US and the Appalachian mountians. A new style of music emerged and came to be known as country music for its origins in rural areas. The states ofTennessee and Kentucky became country music strongholds and the genre grew to become expansive, later mixing with blues music and then pop styles.
But Siiri’s love for country musichas nothing to do with the fact that she comes from a rural area. She has always been passionate about singing. Although she started playing guitar at age 12, the artist discovered country music later in life.
From punk rock to country music
“Actually, I used to listen topunk rock,” Siiri says with a laugh. While in college, she started playing music she wrote on the streets. “I tried to define the musical style of my songs. At some point, I realized there was something country about the way I sing,” she told DW.
Eventually, she began listening to country music by Eric Church, Luke Combs, and Shania Twain. But she admits she also finds inspiration from her life in the country.
“There is a certain attitude to life that is conveyed by it,” she says. Nevertheless, her first album “Independence” (2022) does not deal directly with pastoral scenes but rather social issues. “When something is burning in my soul, I feel the need to get rid of it and process it in a song” explains the artist.
Songs about the flood of the century
Her song “Rain is Falling” has a particularly moving story. “The song is about being in a mental void and not knowing what to do. But it also gives hope in the end.”
Shortly before Siiri recorded the song in July 2021, adisastrous flood devistated parts of Germany. It not only flooded the Ahr Valley but also large parts of the Lenne Valley in her region of North Rhine-Westphalia. Among the affected buildings was Franky Kühnlein and Michael Danielak’s recording studio, where she was recording.
“It was the last song that was missing for the album,” Siiri said. It wasn’t until much later, when the studio could be used again, that they were able to record it. “All those experiences went into the song” she told DW.
In the recording studio Siiri rehearses for her next
Country music — a conservative music genre?
The next morning, Siiri swapped her rubber boots for cowboy boots and went to rehearse at the recording studio. She grabbed her guitar and played the first chords of “Independence” before the rehearsal started. With her plaid shirt, guitar, and distinctive sound.
Country music in the US has the reputation for espousing conservative values that go hand in hand with intolerance. “I’m totally critical of that. I want to convey other values with my music,” Siiri says. It is therefore no coincidence that her songs with titles like “Independence” or “Song for Women” speak of gender equality.”I think the big difference between American and German country music is that German country has a different narrative, and the genre is interpreted differently,” she explains. But even in the US, the genre is changing. This is particularly evident in songs by many female artists, who address taboo topics in their songs like Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift.
Seven US female country singers who have broken taboos
Women in the country music business have been turning the conservative genre on its head with daring lyrics. Here are country music’s biggest rebels.
Dolly Parton
Country music legend Dolly Parton built her career in Nashville back in the 1960s and 70s. Despite the conservative business, she managed to land hits with songs like “Dumb Blonde” or “Just Because I’m A Woman,” which criticized negative stereotypes of women and sexism. After more than 50 years in the music business, it’s hard to imagine country music without Dolly Parton.
Shania Twain
Country-pop queen Shania Twain proves that great female country artists don’t have to hail from Nashville — or even the USA for that matter! Born in Canada, Twain had her breakthrough in the 1990s with song lyrics that give women the upper hand, such as “Any Man Of Mine,” “Man! I Feel Like A Woman,” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Her song “If You Wanna Touch Her, Ask!'” is about sexual consent.
Mickey Guyton
Mickey Guyton’s path into the country music scene began with a record deal in Nashville. Her first EP was released in 2015, but her breakthrough came in 2020 with the song “Black Like Me.” In it, she sings about the realities of life for Black people in the USA. The song made her the first Black artist to be nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Country Solo Performance” category.
Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Ballerini’s 2015 debut immediately broke records — her first three singles in a row reached Number 1 on country charts. Ballerini crosses all the boundaries of the traditionally conservative country music scene by singing about sensitive topics like divorce and the treatment of women in public. Her tunes “A Country Song” or “Interlude” are prime examples of this.
Taylor Swift
Even though she tends to see her biggest successes in the pop genre, Taylor Swift’s musical career began back in 2006 in the country music scene. She repeatedly embeds references to sexism and misogyny in her songs such as “The Man” and “Mad Woman.” She also sings about her political views for instance in “Only The Young.”
Kacey Musgraves
The six-time Grammy winner is one of America’s most important young country artists. She had her breakthrough in 2013 with the song “Merry Go ‘Round,” in which she sings about outdated traditions. She’s also topped the country charts singing about same-sex love and overcoming social expectations. She has revealed her songs “Follow Your Arrow” and “Slow Burn” were inspired by an LSD trip.
Loretta Lynn (? 2022)
Country music legend Loretta Lynn got her first recording contract in 1960, when she was already a mother of four. Her hits that dealt with taboo subjects such as alcohol abuse, domestic violence and contraception, such as “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)” or “The Pill,” remain particularly impressive. She died in 2022 and inspired many of today’s young country music artists.
Still, the outdated values expresed in much of the ouvre of country music in the US seem to have shaped how the genre is viewed. “When I started doing country professionally, it was mainly older people who listened to my music. It didn’t go down so well with the young people,” Siiri says. The success of most German country acts dates to the 1970s and ’80s. The band Truck Stop was particularly popular with its German-language country music. Around the same time, artists like Tom Astor and Gunter Gabriel also started making country music. Since the 2000s, Berlin band The BossHoss has been popular in the country rock genre in Germany.
Country music on the rise
As the genre shifts in the USA, it seems the fan base is changing as well. “I have the feeling country music is becoming more and more popular in Germany among the younger generation,” says Siiri. Her producer Franky Kühnlein agrees that the genre is becoming more popular: “I think country music is really getting a boost in Germany. More country artists are coming from the States and giving successful concerts.”
Country music is also finding a place among more popular genres in Germany. In 2022, for example, Siiri performed at a pop concert, opening for singer Sarah Connor. “I think festivals like Rock am Ring would also be open to country music,” Kühnlein says, speaking of one of Germany’s most popular festivals. His colleague Michael Danielak mentioned another of Germany’s biggest music festivals, Wacken: “If Johnny Cash was still alive, he would definitely play at Wacken,” he said.
Source: Deutsche Welle