Why We All Need A Little Country Music 

In honor of our “Parisian Cowgirl” Collection releasing, I thought I would write about country music. One thing I know about Paris and Texas or anywhere in the south in the United States is both of them have a deep loving soul that makes you yearn for more. I didn’t grow up in the south, in fact I grew up everywhere except the south. I can’t claim I’m really from anywhere or maybe I can claim I’m from everywhere. The one place I didn’t spend any time during my childhood was the south. I lived on the west coast, east coast and midwest so my knowledge of country music was limited when I first landed in Texas at SMU. My fraternity big brother was Texan through and through, one of those multi-generational Texans that seemed so foreign to me when I arrived in Dallas. Contributing to this foreign feeling was the sound of country music which he played over and over. Songs like “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me,” by the Bellamy Brothers. At first the music sounded like another language. This was well before Shania Twain crossed over or Taylor Swift moved to Nashville. As time passed, I found myself listening to it more and more. Soon I was searching for it on the radio when I was driving. I liked my mood when I listened. The songs were joyful, humorous and loving and at the same time soulful and made heartbreak feel universal.

Simultaneously, as country music was seeping into my bones I met a good friend and classmate, Jack Ingram, who played every Tuesday at a dive bar called Adair’s Saloon. His songs made us laugh, dance and in Jack’s easy charming way he made us all feel like we were one big country family. As time went on and I spent more time in Texas, country music started to become part of all of our lives. More and more artists embraced county music and the genre lines blurred. I started to wonder why it was that country music was capturing our hearts.  Maybe it was the blues and southern gospel roots blended with its ability to juxtapose optimism with sadness. The more I listened the more I wondered if country music lyrics understood the heart better than a $200 an hour therapist.

I began to think about it more especially as more platforms like twitter started to pitch one side against the other in life. I realized it was the underlying message that people are inherently good and God is working for you behind the scenes that made me love it particularly during a time when the news liked to tell us we were inherently bad. It was country music’s ability to make you feel a little less lonely when you were suffering from a lost love and a little more hopeful you will love again. Maybe it was the talk about hard work paying off or how great it is to live in the USA that made me smile. Coupled with its insistence on small town dreams leading to big time success. As a single mother, I loved its constant belief in a mother’s sacrifice to pay the bills and raise your child with love. Most of all, I liked that it reminded us that life isn’t as complicated as we make it. Sometimes sadness is just sadness and there is no way around it or its insistence that people actually do love each other despite our differences. When you look around we all want basically the same things in life, love, family, connection, purpose and hope. Maybe it’s the  humor of lines like, “Jack makes good whiskey but god makes the good stuff” or “live a little, love a lot.” The lines aren’t pulitzer material and are corny, but sometimes corny is good.  Sometimes in the midst of pain that’s what you need. A good dose of simple humor and someone to tell you when you’re getting your ass kicked that there really is meaning in it all. Sometimes what you need in life is a little country music.

Bonjour Y’all! We are so excited to be releasing one of our favorite collections of the year - “Parisian Cowgirl.” Think Paris meets Texas with sweatshirts that say, “Kiss Me in France” paired with KOCH Blue Corduroy Jules Pants and Scott Jackets trimmed with tangerine and gold trim.  My favorite is our custom Howdy Paris Prints in Emerald and Purple. Hand drawn with the L’arc de Triomphe, cowboy hats, a tiny baguette and French sayings. I wore it in Paris and the south of France and got stopped left and right! Don’t forget to check out our cozy Bob Jackets and French Kiss Polysatin Emac Romper.

Looking for the perfect gift for Christmas? Check out the KOCH Cozy Box with the yummiest Aprés Ski hand printed sweatsuit. We also have our KOCH Classic Boxes with Erica Skirts and our handprinted, “Bonjour Y’all” Tee.

We have the most fun collaboration coming your way with a super cute kids release and party at the KOCH House next Tuesday, December 6th!  

Because I’m in the holiday spirit and can’t wait for you to see our Parisian Cowgirl collection use the code ‘BONJOURYALL’ to get 15% off!