Country's Bonnie and Clyde

BY HUGH CARSLAW

The Bonnie and Clyde of country music who – for sure – are going to steal your ears!

Steve and Heather are a country music duo who arrived in the Algarve in November 2017. Nicknamed the Bonnie and Clyde of country music by the media, the couple’s musical journey has been a real rollercoaster, featuring many successes but also a crooked USA label whose unscrupulous actions nearly brought them to their knees. It has taken them from France to Nashville and eventually brought them to the Algarve.

Their list of achievements makes for impressive reading. There have been countless TV and radio appearances in Europe and the US, plus three albums which have received excellent reviews.

At our meeting in Odiáxere, where Steve and Heather now live, they told me their original plan was to stay for a few months before moving to America. The Algarvian lifestyle had such appeal, however, that they elected to stay. They can now be seen performing in a variety of venues here.

Despite starting to write his own songs when he was just eight, Steve – who is French – didn't take a single piano lesson until he was ten. He went on to study piano at the National Conservatoire in Lyon, where he was awarded the prestigious first prize of the conservatory as a pianist, orchestra director and music composer. He became a Maître Chopin and was set for a classical music career giving recitals and masterclasses. It was only when he listened to Dire Straits in 1982 that he was inspired to explore other musical genres – jazz, blues and country.

By 1986, Heather, who was born in Nassau in the Bahamas but had also lived in New York, Boston and Sydney, had moved to France. She travelled south to meet her aunt and some friends, and met Steve. Their initial meeting did not go well, but after hearing him improvise a song for her in a pub one Thursday evening, she melted. By the following Monday, they were an item. Thirty-four years later, they are still together and have three children.

In 2004, Heather successfully undertook an MBA focussing on the music industry, her main thesis being country music in France. This involved creating an album, putting it on the market and creating a record label.

The couple recorded that first album in Nashville in 2006. They used the best local country musicians available and called the album Made In Nashville. Heather’s studies meant she was well placed to set up a record label and promote the album.

Another album Country Party was released in 2009, again with great reviews. In 2013, Stories was produced but never put on the market. Both albums were recorded in their studios in France, using their own talented musicians.

In 2011, after the release of their second album, the couple and their nine-piece band entered a competition to find the best European country band in Germany. The six hundred competitors were whittled down over five days and they came out top. First prize was a number of engagements to promote their group. By now, Steve and Heather had a high profile and were regarded as the top country music representatives for France, with many radio and TV appearances.. They were invited to play at the popular CMA Music Festival in Nashville.

To finance an album is not for the faint-hearted. It is extremely costly and the couple re-mortgaged their house to raise funds needed to produce their first album. It was a risk but the contract was sound and it proved to be a good investment.

Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous operators in the music industry as Steve and Heather’s experience with their third album Stories proved. Having agreed a contract with a US label and engaged an industry lawyer, they subsequently lost a significant amount of money. The label’s boss registered their songs in his own name for copyright purposes despite them already being copyrighted in France, and subsequently failed to honour the agreement. When he declared himself bankrupt, they knew they had no chance of getting their money back. It was a huge financial blow.

Nine years later, Steve and Heather are happily settled in the Algarve and are optimistic about the future. They have performed at the Pestana Hotels, the Autodrome, the Penina Hotel and other restaurants and bars, and have other engagements lined up. During the pandemic, they performed on Facebook and YouTube. Their particular brand of country music is sure to add an extra dimension to live music performance here in the Algarve.

After sitting in a drawer for many years, Stories has finally been launched in a downloadable version. It stands as a testament to this remarkable couple as their story reaches a crescendo in the Algarve.

+INFO:

www.steveandheather.bandcamp.com

Facebook: PageSteveAndHeather