South by Southwest
Country duo South by Southwest is Rachel Tedder and Alistair Madders. The two met while teaching English at Berlitz, discovered their shared love of singing and guitar, and decided to jam together. South by Southwest had their first spontaneous performance at Al's solo show in Melle, Germany.
South by Southwest live in Melle
Alistair Scot Madders
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Al was born September 30th in the wonderful scenic countryside of Devon, England. He grew up in the middle of Dartmoor National Park, Devon and started playing guitar at the age of 10. In his youth, he sang in the local church choir, played in various school bands, and performed in musical theater productions.
After joining the British Army, he
moved to Germany in the early 1990s, where he was the
lead singer of the cover band “Back to the Roots” for over 10 years.
As a studio singer, he can be heard on several album productions, including Heggen Band’s Ups and Downs,
Midi-Music-Studios concept album Visionen 2000, and as background and supporting vocals for Kidroom Music, Münster (Michael Voss).
He later founded the German Schlager Duo “Al und Chris,” who signed with Telamo Music in 2012
and recorded Lieber 1000 als eine Nacht.
Now he is pursuing solo projects and collaborations in country and 80s popular music.
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Rachel M. Tedder
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Rachel hails from Marietta, Georgia, USA. Her musical training began with a competitive high school choir; she began playing guitar at the age of 16. In her youth, she played in various bands in churches and with friends.
From 1997-1998, she toured with Captive Free Northwest, a band sponsored by Youth Encounter, Minneapolis, MN, USA. There she played guitar and sang lead and background vocals. While working on her master's degree in vocal performance, she was the band leader for contemporary worship at Harrisonburg Baptist Church, Virginia, USA.
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Since moving to Germany, she has worked as an English teacher, proofreader/editor, and singer in various style and venues from pop to classical.
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