Downhill Swing is a weekly two-hour show that aims to recontextualize and reevaluate 80s country’s position in the genre’s modern history.
Often neglected or even spurned, country radio in the 80s was at times a tug of war between aging outlaws and future superstars who had yet to find their legs – a time of transition for certain, but to accept that as proof of lower quality would be to take the easy way out. The gems just take a little digging and considering, but that makes them even more worthwhile. Being nestled next to the rugged authenticity of the 70s made anything short of a bar brawl seem like selling out, but time and distance have been kind to the hits of the decade. And their post-disco sheen was an impetus for those seeking a counterculture to plant the early seeds of a more widely accessible & newly labeled alt-country.
Downhill Swing is hosted by Cecile Duncan, who grew up in a home that neither knew nor cared what 80s country’s reputation was, and as a result was country when country wasn’t cool. Follow her on Twitter.