A British Songwriter in Country Music's Court

Nick Lowe didn't mince words as to why he was talking about songwriting at the Country Music Half of Fame on a Saturday morning. "I really don't know," he said wryly after apologizing for his weekend wear, which made him look a teenage record store clerk (albeit one with shock white hair).

The HOF landed a big non-country star for its Songwriter Session, and Lowe didn't disappoint in offering details about his writing process, his country ties and his famous former in-laws. Lowe can't escape his bonds to country music royalty( he was married to Carlene Carter, daughter of Carl Smith and June Carter and step-daughter of Johnny Cash).

Lowe recounted his first touches of country music (his mother's Tennessee Ernie Ford records) and the influence of British skiffle records on his own sound. With his songs, Lowe says he starts with something personal before pushing the song into places that make him feel as if he's covering someone else's song. With a cover, he quipped, he takes the opposite approach. When covered, Lowe prefers the songs which drift away from his template to those that stick too close. "I like to hear when it goes somewhere else," he said.

For his set, Lowe breezed through seven songs covering his entire career. He opened with Stoplight Roses and Sensitive Man off his upcoming record The Old Magic. It was not a stretch to hear the latter sung by Elvis Presley. I was pleased to hear the bleak tone of Raining Raining from Nick the Knife.

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding was the clear highlight. Lowe owned his song, even though Elvis Costello made it famous. He broke out some Rockpile with When I Write the Book and Raging Eyes from the Abominable Showman.

Lowe chose The Beast in Me as his encore, an apt pick given the time spent dissecting the song. Lowe conceived it on a drunken evening and the next morning had to play it for Johnny Cash, hangover and all. Two rough turns through the song didn't help its standing but he returned to it occasionally over the years. Finally, he finished the tune and it became a standout on Cash's seminal American Recordings.

The Beast in Me speaks to the resiliency of Lowe's career. His experience as a producer informed his brief career topping the pop charts, and Lowe knew the end would come. He reoriented toward songwriting and now has become an elder statesmen penning timeless tunes in the vein of Cole Porter and Roger Miller.