From Lockdown Videos to a Life Together: Jayne's Story
"Kodiak Avenue began its journey in May 2015, driven by a passion for acoustic country and a desire to create meaningful, unforgettable moments through music. We quickly became a sought-after act for weddings and high-profile events across the UK, and over the years we've performed as a duo, trio, and a full band; but at its core, Kodiak Avenue has always been about heartfelt acoustic country music and fostering a genuine, authentic connection with our audiences.
Everything changed in 2020 when the pandemic brought live events to an abrupt stop. With all our upcoming bookings cancelled and the original guitarist moving into full-time remote work, it felt like that might be the end of Kodiak Avenue, but for me, stopping music altogether wasn’t an option. In a time of uncertainty and isolation, I found a new way to keep the spirit of Kodiak Avenue alive - through virtual collaborations.
What started as a creative lifeline quickly turned into a thriving global project. I started connecting with musicians from the UK and internationally, recording our own versions of popular country songs, and I took on the roles of producer, sound engineer, and video editor, piecing everything together remotely with split-screen visuals showcasing each musician. It was such a rewarding, collaborative process for so many people during such a difficult time, and one that brought many new friendships and artistic opportunities.
It All Started With a Song
The response to the collaborations was overwhelming. Hundreds of musicians contacted me from around the world wanting to be involved. The Kodiak Avenue Virtual Band was featured twice on Country Hits Radio (now called Absolute Radio Country - listen here), and we even received a personal message from country superstar Carly Pearce, who praised the project.
Our work caught the attention of the Nashville scene too. Renowned producers from Music City reached out with kind words and encouragement, applauding the quality and spirit of what we were creating. We were also featured on radio stations across the U.S., including country stations in Oklahoma and Anchorage, Alaska. These unexpected moments of recognition reminded us that even in isolation, music had the power to reach across borders and bring people together.
One of the musicians I met through these collaborations was Ifan. Extremely talented and equally passionate about music, he became my go-to guitarist for many of these projects. We created several videos together during lockdown, never realising how pivotal those collaborations would become.
Our first collaboration together was a cover of “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban which you can watch below:
One Message Changed Everything
After lockdown lifted and I found myself newly single after the end of an eight year relationship, I knew I was ready to start performing live again. I posted online in search of someone to form an acoustic country duo with me. When I told my parents, my dad said, “It would be great if you could get someone like Ifan!” having seen our videos and recognising his incredible talent. As fate would have it, within thirty minutes of posting, Ifan messaged to say he was interested. Although we’d been working virtually, he lived only half an hour away from me.
We met up the following weekend, played together in person for the first time, and over the following months we became great friends and eventually fell in love, but we were afraid to tell each other how we felt in case it jeopardised our professional relationship. At Christmas time, we went to Winter Wonderland as our first social outing, and it was a magical night. We went in an ice bar, danced together, toasted marshmallows, went on the big wheel, and ended the evening in a ball pool! It was clear that we couldn't hide any feelings any longer, and that this was actually our first date - we just didn't realise it.. and the rest, as they say, is history!
Today, we’re more than just musical partners. We’re husband and wife, living in Cheshire and raising our baby girl. Music brought us together in the most unexpected and magical way, and it continues to be the heart of everything we do.
When we got married, I walked down the aisle to 'From This Moment On' by my favourite singer, Shania Twain, so it felt only natural that we’d take our love for Shania and create our own tribute act that celebrates the magic of her music."
"Great job on the YouTube collabs!"
- CARLY PEARCE, INTERNATIONAL COUNTRY SUPERSTAR
 Our first practice |  Our first date |  Kodiak Avenue Wedding Day Wedding Singer Cheshire |
|---|---|---|
 Our Wedding Party |  Birth of our daughter |
"From the first day working with Jayne, I knew we worked great together as musicians. Since then, we’re married, have a baby, and have played music together all over the UK. It’s a dream come true!
- IFAN
Listen to Kodiak Avenue on Country Radio & YouTube
Here are two standout moments from lockdown when our virtual band was featured on country radio. Our cover of “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban was played twice on Absolute Radio Country, giving us incredible exposure and validating the hard work behind our remote projects. We were also thrilled to be featured on country radio stations across the USA.
Here's another of our collaboration videos, a song called 'Want Me Too' by Nashville artist Charlie Worsham. We love this song and still perform it acoustically as a duo, along with 'Somebody Like You' by Keith Urban!
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