Her maternal grandfather, Robert "Bob" Eaton, was a member of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s and was signed to Decca Records.

Cortney made her television debut at the age of five on this show, where she sang "I'm Not Lisa" by Jessi Colter, citing Conway Twitty as her favorite country performer.

Attempts were made to discourage Cortney from pursuing a career in music, but she married and started a family while continuing to sing and play guitar.

Nashville embraced the new setup with Cortney as a one-woman band, and she caught the attention of Lou Barlow of Sebadoh and opened a show for them.

A review described her music as rooted in country, with "a mix of electro, indie, blues and jazz" and referred to her "celestial harmonies" and "haunting voice".