Fresh Find - Leslie Cours Mather
- Freshly Brewed Country
- Aug 21, 2015
- 8 min read
We are happy to announce Leslie Cours Mather as our latest Fresh Find here at Freshly Brewed Country!
For Leslie Cours Mather, the story begins in Singapore, where she was born. But, the roads she has traveled are many. With her father serving his country as a member of the United States Army, the story includes a few other stops along the way – Indonesia, Virginia, Orlando, New Jersey, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Nashville, and Los Angeles all have been places that she has called home. That upbringing inspired her debut single, and title track from her next album, “Countrified.”
“I wrote ‘Countrified’ because I questioned where I fit in,” says Leslie. “My identity can’t come from one town because I have lived so many places, but my roots are country. I chose the word ‘Countrified’ as a fun way of expressing what it feels like to be a person with country roots who lives a big city life.”
Along her journey, she found out that she wasn’t alone in her thought process. “I’ve discovered that a lot of people are countrified. Many people are transient and have a variety of influences. I also love humor, and wanted the lyrics of ‘Countrified’ to be a playful interpretation of my diverse lifestyle. I wrote, ‘I’m a four-wheeling, boogie-boarding, John Deere mama Sunday driving down The 405’ to show I’m a scrambled mishmash of a lot of different things,” she says with a laugh.
Though Leslie moved around a lot as a child, she says one aspect of her life was always very consistent. “I’ve always been musical, and my music always went with me. When I was eight, I begged for music lessons. We had a piano, and I had been trying to write songs on it, even though I didn’t know how to play. My parents hired a teacher for me, and I never wanted to stop practicing.”
Her nomadic lifestyle growing up actually inspired her first foray into writing. “I wrote about moving to New Jersey when I was eight: ‘We’re going to have some fun. We’ll ride along, sing a song, and say hi to everyone.’ That’s the first one at the piano,” she recalls with a smile.
Leslie further developed her musical talents by attending Vanderbilt University in Music City. During her time in Tennessee, she also enrolled in acting school, met the man who would become her husband, and went to work for Bob Farnsworth at Hummingbird Productions. She eventually wound up settling in the Los Angeles area, continuing to work on her craft as an artist.
However, the industry can take a toll, and Leslie began to have second thoughts about a career in entertainment. “I had pretty much given up,” she confesses. “My expectation level dropped.” But, then – as has been the case with her life since day one – there was another twist in the road. An unrelated business meeting between her father and a colleague led to a series of phone calls, which led to legendary producer / record executive Denny Diante, who immediately tapped into his Nashville connections to bring in a “Wrecking Crew” of studio players to Blackbird Studios. Needless to say, Leslie rose to the occasion.
“Countrified” is full of material that gives her a chance to showcase her diverse vocal ability, with a cover of “True,” a 1940s jazz ballad that the two recorded in a vein that sounds very similar to what might have happened had someone left the tape machine running at Decca one night when Owen Bradley was recording Patsy Cline. Another direction on the album is on the fiery female anthem “Hell Hath No Fury,” of which Leslie says “It was so interesting to watch the guys react to this song as opposed to the women. I think the lyrics of the song are ones that women can identify with, and that men might need to take heed of. It’s straight out of the Tammy Wynette / Loretta Lynn playbook, but a little more serious.”
Leslie gives a loving nod to the timeless Linda Ronstadt on the Roy Orbison- written evergreen "Blue Bayou," which she says was special for several reasons. "She has been one of my biggest musical influences, and is my dad’s favorite singer. I’ve always loved the song, but I never dreamed of recording it until now. Denny chose to record it live to capture the moment.
Dan Dugmore (who also played on the Ronstadt track) came out of the studio and told me it was an amazing moment but also emotional to think of Linda and what she’s going through. We want her to be honored by what we’ve done. We were very respectful, yet also did it our way – which was very important. I wanted to sing it the way I felt it."
Leslie’s power as a vocalist also captivated legendary songwriter Steve Dorff. The composer of such hits as “Through The Years” and “I Cross My Heart” has two cuts on the album – “Fall Softer” and “One More Long Goodbye.” He says that as a writer, he appreciated the power and emotion that she put into his songs. “I didn’t know of her until I heard the record.
Denny called me up and I played him a few songs for an artist he was getting ready to produce who turned out to be Leslie. The production was great, her vocals were great. It has kind of a Bonnie Raitt-kind of feel to the sound of the production, which I am a huge fan of. Leslie’s voice is distinctive and different. I think she nailed both songs.” As someone who has worked with some of the most talented artists of all time, Dorff believes Leslie has what it takes.
“She’s got the talent, as well as a great story, and certainly I would think she’s got a great opportunity to go far.” And, then there is the powerful “Sober,” which pairs her with Country legend T.G. Sheppard. “Kelly Lang, Jacy Dawn and Autumn Breann Young wrote the song,” says Leslie. “It’s about addiction, and uses various forms to paint a picture of a dangerous love relationship. It’s a really beautiful song, with poignant lyrics, and it’s powerful. We witnessed someone literally breaking down and crying in the studio while listening to it. We realized this is an important song that could change lives.”
As far as her life goes, Leslie believes she has always tried to live in the moment - and take each fork in the road as it comes. That is evident in her career, as well as personally, as some of those roads have been a little rocky, whether that be from her moving around as a child to watching her own daughter go through a life-threatening illness.
“I remember as a kid I would make friends, and feel like I had roots, and then they’d get plucked and I had to move on. My memory of moving that much was that they were adventures, although I always missed my best friend in every city. It was always exciting to go to the next place. It wasn’t until I was engaged to be married that I realized that I had no hometown, and I felt like I missed out. Not long after I had my kids, my youngest daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia. I couldn’t take it away. I had to go through it. And I watched a lot of families who were dealing with the same thing – when you spend that much time in the hospital, you get to know the people whose kids have Leukemia or brain tumors, or other diseases. The whole cancer ward.”
While that time period was tough on her and her family, they made it through – realizing how blessed and fortunate they were. “We would spend weeks at a time in the hospital, and there was a play room. The kids would have their IV’s, and they’d be playing games. I would sit and talk to the parents, and there were so many people who chose to be bitter and angry over what had happened to their child. One marriage ended in divorce because of it.
I asked myself, ‘Is God good or is he not good?’ Because, if I am telling everyone that I am a Christian, and I don’t think he’s a good God, what does that say about what I believe? I had to make that choice, and believe that we would get through things one way or another. I decided to always be grateful for my path and not bitter. Bitter sounds miserable. Why would anyone choose to be miserable?”
Following the chart success of the single, “Countrified,” and a spectacular debut performance at CMA Fest on the Chevy Roadhouse Stage, Leslie has released “Hell Hath No Fury” and will continue visiting radio and building her fan base.
“I like to be challenged, and one of the things I have learned about myself during the process is that I get bored easily if I’m not challenged. If I am scared, I usually meet the mark better than if it’s easy. It’s like jumping out of an airplane. It’s scary, and maybe I’ll crash and burn, but I’m willing to bet I’ll land it. I’m incredibly proud of every single track. I’m blown away by my entire team and what they each bring to this project. We are all so proud of this album. It’s representative of who I am musically and personally. The future is bright, but the present is also bright for me. I’m enjoying the moment. I think for me, that is the key. I don’t want to miss anything."
Be sure to download music from Leslie Cours Mather on iTunes today.
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Want to know more about Leslie Cours Mather? If so, then check out our interview with this talented country singer.
FBC: What made you want to get involved in the country music world?
LCM: My roots are country. My dad is a Texan and my mom's family are dairy farmers in Wisconsin. My Dad is very musical and introduced me to all types of music. I think that's why my style crosses borders. He played me everything--Linda Ronstadt, Garth Brooks, Neil Diamond, gospel...even real oldies like Ella Fitzgerald.
FBC: What song of yours is your favorite and why?
LCM: The song that has the deepest emotional meaning for me is a song called "You," from my upcoming COUNTRIFIED album. It may never be a single, but it impacted me so much when I wrote it and I love the way it is produced. I wrote it for my family, who are all extremely supportive of the time and sacrifice it takes to be in this business. I wanted to tell them I am pursuing my dream, but I would walk away from all of it if they asked me to. People are just more important.
FBC: What do you use for inspiration to write your songs?
LCM: Obviously "You" came out of a deep personal place. My first radio single "Countrified" is the story of my life and my roots and where I have come to. I just wanted to laugh and play with words when writing it. Many of my songs are characters I create and explore. I guess it's sort of an acting exercise. What would it feel like to be this person or be in this circumstance?
FBC: What has been your favorite memory of your music journey so far?
LCM: It has always been my dream to record at the iconic Nashville studios. I have gotten to work at Blackbird several times now, and Starstruck as well. Blackbird is owned by John and Martina McBride and Starstruck by Reba McEntire. Being able to create in a state of the art Nashville studio with the most amazing musicians in country music is by far a dream come true for me.
FBC: If you could do a country duet with anyone who would you choose and why?
LCM: Do I have to choose one? I'm a big Lee Brice fan, I'd love to sing with Zac Brown, and if Trisha and Garth invited me to join them on stage I wouldn't say no.
FBC: Who is your country music idol and why?
LCM: It's the idea of strong women in country music--so Linda Ronstadt, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton. Women who pave the way and pioneer something. If I have to choose one of those, it would be Linda because she also explored her many musical sides. Thanks Dad.
FBC: What are three fun facts about you that you want your fans to know?
LCM: 1) I rarely take myself or anyone else too seriously. 2) I have an appalling sense of direction, even when coming out of an elevator. 3) I have a beautiful German Shepherd named Tosca who is obsessed with bubbles.
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