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Renee Cullen launches debut solo single “Old Coast Road”

Media Release: December 2, 2016

Renee Cullen launches debut solo single “Old Coast Road”

Renee Cullen may be living oceans away from the small seaside town where she grew up in on the Coromandel Peninsula of New Zealand, but her new single “Old Coast Road’ transports you back there.

Produced by British record producer and audio engineer, Stuart Epps, who has worked with many artists including Elton John, Led Zeppelin and Oasis, “Old Coast Road” will be the first single to be released from Cullen’s debut EP, set for release next year.

Now living in England, “Old Coast Road” is ultimately a memoir about Cullen’s family and the long summer days they would spend by the sea in New Zealand.

“It’s an easy listening feel good summer tune, which should appeal to all ages,” says Cullen. “It just makes me think of home, family and summer!”

“Old Coast Road” is dedicated to Cullen’s father, Raymond Cullen, who tragically drowned in a diving accident off the coast of Whangamata, New Zealand in 2003.

Cullen wrote “Old Coast Road” with her guitarist and music partner at that time Oier Ateka who is from the Basque country in Spain.

“Oier and I wrote 4 songs together in total so I am really looking forward to releasing the others. We had a great writing relationship and I was really sad when Oier moved back to Spain”

Before Oier moved back to Spain, Cullen wanted to record the songs they had written together and that was when she met Stuart Epps who was introduced to Cullen through mutual friends. Oier and I turned up to Stuart’s Studio in Cookham and we recorded our tracks,

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Stuart was very impressed and told me that our music was too good not to share with the world. “When someone like Stuart Epps is saying this to you, it makes you think- maybe I do have something?” says Cullen.

“I have had the pleasure to Produce Renee Cullen's new single "Old Coast road,” says Epps.

“It’s not often these days I work on a project where I am not only impressed with the singer, but in this case she is also the songwriter. It is brilliantly sung but is also a very well crafted song - harking back to some of the best music from Fleetwood Mac and some of the other greats.

The perfect track to listen too in the car, especially in this cold weather - imagining driving down that old coast road in the baking sun of New Zealand.
It’s a good time, feel good, hit!”

Cullen moved to London in 2004 where she eventually met her Australian husband, Paul Harris, who is founder and director of one of London’s largest teaching agencies, Vibe Teacher Recruitment.

In December 2011, they moved to the riverside village of Cookham in Berkshire with their four young children. Whilst a small village, Cookham is renowned for its music - in particular world famous, Mill Studios.

Renee grew up in an extended family where music was a normal part of every day life. Cullen’s mother was a nationally acclaimed country music singer, and Renee first performed on stage, at Thames Country Music Club at the tender age of four.

Cullen started writing poetry from a young age and when she taught herself guitar in her mid twenties she first started writing her own music. “I have always loved poetry and that’s what songs are. That’s why I love music because every song tells a story,” says Cullen.

Cullen studied Drama and Performing Arts at Waikato University graduating in 2001. Many of her cousins are musicians in their own right, which drives Cullen on to live up to the family musical talent.

When Renee’s sister Gina first heard “old coast road” she cried and then she put the song on repeat for the rest of summer! This was the moment that Cullen first thought that she might have something worth listening to.

Gina is a singer herself and a perfectionist, “I knew when my sister listened to the track that maybe I had something good, she cried, which doesn’t happen often- she loved the song and she is usually brutally honest with me!’

Renee’s whole family, including the kids got behind her in the production of the music video along with her childhood friends Karsha Johansen and Stacey Garland, who’s son Ngaru directed the video.

“They helped organise, record, direct, edit and were actors in the video. I’ve been really touched with how they all embraced it and got behind me. If it wasn’t for my family and closest friends, I would never have released this track or produced a music video,” Cullen said.

“Old Coast Road” is available to download from iTunes and all good music suppliers: https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1176287128?ls=1&app=itunes

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http://www.reneecullen.com

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