New York, NY (Top40 Charts) WHEN you think of country singers, you don't normally expect them to be British - but a Lichfield beauty therapist is hoping to change all that and become the UK's ambassador for the music genre.
Fiona Culley has enjoyed country music from a "very young age", listening to her dad's country and western collection and singing along while he played guitar.
But it was a freak fall that resulted in a severely broken leg that led her to discover her talent for songwriting and, since then, the songs haven't stopped flowing.
In fact, Fiona has recently been described as the UK's answer to
Taylor Swift - which is all a long way from her music lessons at Abbots Bromley School, where she left after finishing her GCSEs to concentrate on her music dream. Despite singing being a passion at school, she never joined the choir, and has had no formal voice training.
"I'd love to be the first recognised country singer from the UK," said Fiona.
"Country music has evolved so much now - it's much less "trucks and beer" and more about storytelling."
You can hear for yourself what the fuss is all about when Fiona performs at The Swan with Two Necks in Longdon at 7pm on Wednesday night.
Like most wannabe artists, the 25-year-old has tried her hand at everything to get her big break, working in beauty therapy during the day, then singing in pubs, clubs and music venues around the country at night.
She even worked for a while making tea at a small independent record label, just to get access to some free recording time.
But it was when she spotted American country singer
Darius Rucker, lead singer of Grammy Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish in a London restaurant, that she saw a chance for her big break, deciding the way to get noticed was to sing to him in front of the rest of the diners.
Fiona's version of Strangers and Angels by Kara DioGardi did the trick, resulting in Rucker taking her details and flying her out to the home of country music, Nashville, Tennessee, to record a duet with him the following week.
Fiona has since recorded an EP called Country 'til Monday which will be out next month, and has landed a record deal with New York's Marro Music.
There's also talk of her accompanying Hootie & the Blowfish on their tour next year.
"So many US country artists come over and do sell-out shows in Britain," added Fiona, who is in the midst of learning guitar, mandolin and banjo.
"It'd be great if I could perform for country fans at home, and over the water."
