Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Lee Coulter, born with swagga

“I was never fired or anything. I like to think that’s because I’m too pretty.”

Lee Coulter was the nice guy that went straight to the friend zone, “even when I was trying to be badass.” - Image by Sharisse Coulter
Lee Coulter was the nice guy that went straight to the friend zone, “even when I was trying to be badass.”

“Most of my songs consist of simple lyrical concepts in the form of a melodic pop song, broken down with raw, acoustic production,” says soulful troubadour Lee Coulter. “Then I like to change it up and do something totally different.”

Coulter first landed in San Diego after leaving his native Australia to follow his love and future wife Sharisse, an aspiring author, to Encinitas in 2002. When Sharisse’s first fiction book was published last year, the duo spent six months on a novel-music tour, crossing the country in a custom RV painted with green-and-blue tropical murals and their names emblazoned on the sides, hitting 55 cities accompanied by their four-year-old son.

It’s a lifestyle he feels lucky to have long enjoyed. “I only had three real jobs before playing music full time,” he says, noting that — even in his worker bee days — good fortune seemed his favor. “I was never fired or anything. I like to think that’s because I’m too pretty.”

This past February found him opening for rock-and-roll pioneer Chuck Berry. “It was at his venue in St. Louis called the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, and it was a sold-out show, packed wall to wall with Chuck Berry fans, some just fans of music history who came to get a glimpse. We played a 45-minute set that went really well, as we won some new fans, but the whole time I was thinking ‘Don’t say Chuck Berry.’ It’s one of the few rules you are told when opening for Chuck Berry is that you are not permitted to say his name.”

Coulter is currently recording his third album.

WHAT ELSE ARE YOU WORKING ON?

“Right now, I’m listening to many different versions of a CD that I’m currently mastering for a project that I’m a part of called Square Pegs Baby. It’s obnoxiously pop hip-hop borderline parody, so it’s been a fun change. I don’t typically listen to my own music but, when it’s time to master, it is a must to make the necessary adjustments.”

ANY ONSTAGE BATTLE SCARS?

Sponsored
Sponsored

“Just the typical drunk dancer at a paying-your-dues-type gig, falling into the mic stand, sending my mic into my lip and teeth. A little bit of blood, but not enough to stop playing. Knock on wood.”

USELESS TRIVIA?

“It is a fact that there will come a time when our sun stops burning. It won’t be soon, but let’s make the most of it anyway.”

BEST LOCAL VOICE?

Dawn Mitschele. It’s a voice that draws you in and sounds like someone you’ve know for years, even if you’ve never met her.”

IF YOU COULD TIME TRAVEL?

“I’d go to the year that Jesus was hanging out on the mountain, take my iPhone out, and have him clear up a few debatable specifics on video. It would also make for an epic Facebook profile pic.”

FAVORITE CONCERT?

“Simon and Garfunkel in Fresno in 2004. They were awesome, but it was even more special because they were the reason I started to play music when I was young.”

WHO DO YOU TAKE AFTER?

“I like to think I learned from the better sides of both my parents. An obvious trait I picked up is that my mum plays guitar. And she’s brown.”

IDEAL VACATION SPOT?

“It’s always a working vacation where I’m playing, so I can’t really say. But I do love Hawaii. They think I’m local there, until I start speaking.”

WHEN WERE YOU LAST YELLED AT?

“This morning, by my son, for not looking at him when he was speaking to me.”

MOST AWESOME BAND NAME?

“The best band name is probably The Band, because it’s practical.”

YOUR FIRST TIME DRUNK?

“I feel like I’m letting down my homeland of Australia, but I’ve never really been drunk. Actually, not true. My bachelor party in Lake Tahoe, more of a hangout than a party, got a tad bit ugly. I was 23.”

BEST PICKUP LINE?

“‘Hey, wife, you got a minute?’ Actually, I don’t think I ever used a pickup line in my life. Not that I didn’t need to. I was the nice guy that went straight to the friend zone, even when I was trying to be badass.”

FIVE THINGS WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

1) “I’m a frustrated filmmaker.”

2) “I’m a total nerd.”

3) “My favorite show is Mythbusters.

4) “I spend hours at time contemplating space.”

5) “If you put on some hip-hop, I will dance like I was born with swagga.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego seawalls depend on Half Moon Bay case

Casa Mira townhomes sued after losing 20 feet of bluffs in storm
Lee Coulter was the nice guy that went straight to the friend zone, “even when I was trying to be badass.” - Image by Sharisse Coulter
Lee Coulter was the nice guy that went straight to the friend zone, “even when I was trying to be badass.”

“Most of my songs consist of simple lyrical concepts in the form of a melodic pop song, broken down with raw, acoustic production,” says soulful troubadour Lee Coulter. “Then I like to change it up and do something totally different.”

Coulter first landed in San Diego after leaving his native Australia to follow his love and future wife Sharisse, an aspiring author, to Encinitas in 2002. When Sharisse’s first fiction book was published last year, the duo spent six months on a novel-music tour, crossing the country in a custom RV painted with green-and-blue tropical murals and their names emblazoned on the sides, hitting 55 cities accompanied by their four-year-old son.

It’s a lifestyle he feels lucky to have long enjoyed. “I only had three real jobs before playing music full time,” he says, noting that — even in his worker bee days — good fortune seemed his favor. “I was never fired or anything. I like to think that’s because I’m too pretty.”

This past February found him opening for rock-and-roll pioneer Chuck Berry. “It was at his venue in St. Louis called the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, and it was a sold-out show, packed wall to wall with Chuck Berry fans, some just fans of music history who came to get a glimpse. We played a 45-minute set that went really well, as we won some new fans, but the whole time I was thinking ‘Don’t say Chuck Berry.’ It’s one of the few rules you are told when opening for Chuck Berry is that you are not permitted to say his name.”

Coulter is currently recording his third album.

WHAT ELSE ARE YOU WORKING ON?

“Right now, I’m listening to many different versions of a CD that I’m currently mastering for a project that I’m a part of called Square Pegs Baby. It’s obnoxiously pop hip-hop borderline parody, so it’s been a fun change. I don’t typically listen to my own music but, when it’s time to master, it is a must to make the necessary adjustments.”

ANY ONSTAGE BATTLE SCARS?

Sponsored
Sponsored

“Just the typical drunk dancer at a paying-your-dues-type gig, falling into the mic stand, sending my mic into my lip and teeth. A little bit of blood, but not enough to stop playing. Knock on wood.”

USELESS TRIVIA?

“It is a fact that there will come a time when our sun stops burning. It won’t be soon, but let’s make the most of it anyway.”

BEST LOCAL VOICE?

Dawn Mitschele. It’s a voice that draws you in and sounds like someone you’ve know for years, even if you’ve never met her.”

IF YOU COULD TIME TRAVEL?

“I’d go to the year that Jesus was hanging out on the mountain, take my iPhone out, and have him clear up a few debatable specifics on video. It would also make for an epic Facebook profile pic.”

FAVORITE CONCERT?

“Simon and Garfunkel in Fresno in 2004. They were awesome, but it was even more special because they were the reason I started to play music when I was young.”

WHO DO YOU TAKE AFTER?

“I like to think I learned from the better sides of both my parents. An obvious trait I picked up is that my mum plays guitar. And she’s brown.”

IDEAL VACATION SPOT?

“It’s always a working vacation where I’m playing, so I can’t really say. But I do love Hawaii. They think I’m local there, until I start speaking.”

WHEN WERE YOU LAST YELLED AT?

“This morning, by my son, for not looking at him when he was speaking to me.”

MOST AWESOME BAND NAME?

“The best band name is probably The Band, because it’s practical.”

YOUR FIRST TIME DRUNK?

“I feel like I’m letting down my homeland of Australia, but I’ve never really been drunk. Actually, not true. My bachelor party in Lake Tahoe, more of a hangout than a party, got a tad bit ugly. I was 23.”

BEST PICKUP LINE?

“‘Hey, wife, you got a minute?’ Actually, I don’t think I ever used a pickup line in my life. Not that I didn’t need to. I was the nice guy that went straight to the friend zone, even when I was trying to be badass.”

FIVE THINGS WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

1) “I’m a frustrated filmmaker.”

2) “I’m a total nerd.”

3) “My favorite show is Mythbusters.

4) “I spend hours at time contemplating space.”

5) “If you put on some hip-hop, I will dance like I was born with swagga.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

How to make a hit Christmas song

Feeling is key, but money helps too
Next Article

City Lights: Journey Through Light & Sound, Hotel Holiday Tea Service

Events December 7-December 11, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader