Country music – Made in Germany

The rain has just stopped as Siiri walks through the mud in rubber boots. She carries a bucket of fodder for the sheep, who come running to her expecting a meal. The other animals settled in the barn which is in 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 of the western 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 US, specifically where they settled in the southern states of the US and the Appalachian Mountains. A new style of music emerged and became known as sertaneja music for its origins in rural areas. The states of Tennessee and Kentucky became strongholds of country music and the genre grew and expanded, later mixing with blues and later with pop styles.

But Siiri’s love for country music has nothing to do with the fact that she comes from the countryside. She has always been passionate about singing. Although she started playing the guitar at age 12, the artist discovered country music later on.

From punk rock to country music

“Actually, I used to listen to punk rock,” says Siiri with a laugh. While in college, she started playing music, she wrote in 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 started listening to country music by Eric Church, Luke Combs and Shania Twain. But she admits that she also finds inspiration in her country life.

“There’s a certain attitude towards life that’s conveyed by her,” she says. However, her first album “Independence” (2022) does not deal directly with pastoral scenes, but with social issues. “When something is burning in my soul, I feel the need to get rid of it and process it into a song,” explains the artist.

Songs about the deluge of the century

His 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, a disastrous flood devastated parts of Germany. He not only flooded the Ahr Valley, but also large parts of the Lenne Valley in his North Rhine-Westphalia region. Among those affected was Franky Kühnlein and Michael Danielak’s recording studio, where she had been recording buildings.

“It was the last song left for the album,” said Siiri. Only much later, when the studio could be used again, were they able to record it. “All those experiences went into the music,” she told DW.

Country music — a conservative music genre?

The next morning, Siiri changed his rubber boots to cowboy boots and went to the recording studio to rehearse. She picked up her guitar and played the first few chords of “Independence” before rehearsal began. With her plaid shirt, acoustic guitar and distinctive sound, Siiri fits the image of an American country singer. Her song lyrics, however, tell a different story.

Country music in the US has a reputation for upholding conservative values ​​that go hand in hand with bigotry. “I’m totally critical of that. I want to transmit other values ​​with my music”, says Siiri. Therefore, it is no coincidence that their songs with titles like “Independence” or “Song for Women” speak of gender equality. interpreted differently,” she explains. But even in the US, the genre is changing. This is particularly evident in songs by many female artists, who tackle taboo topics in their songs, such as Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift.

Still, the outdated values ​​expressed in much of country music’s work in the United States 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 very well with young people,” says Siiri. The success of most German country artists dates back to the 1970s and 1980s. The band Truck Stop was particularly popular with their country music in German. Around the same time, artists like Tom Astor and Gunter Gabriel also started making country music. Since the 2000s, the Berlin band The BossHoss has been popular in the country rock genre in Germany.

country music on the rise

As the genre changes in the US, it seems the fan base is changing too. “I have a feeling that country music is becoming more and more popular in Germany among the younger generation,” says Siiri. Its producer Franky Kühnlein agrees that the genre is becoming more popular: “I think country music is really gaining momentum in Germany. More country artists are coming over from the States and giving successful shows.”

Country music is also finding a place among the most 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,” says Kühnlein, talking about one of Germany’s most popular festivals. Colleague Michael Danielak mentioned another of Germany’s biggest music festivals, Wacken: “If Johnny Cash were still alive, he would definitely play at Wacken,” he said.

This article was originally written in German.