Karen joined the team in June 2004. She's responsible for programming the show as well as writing and maintaining the Brand New Country website.

Karen's desire to work in radio began when she first heard the late Roger Scott on Radio 1 in the late 80's. She volunteered for Mayfield Hospital Radio in Edinburgh, spending 2 years producing the Wednesday night request show (and refusing to go on air!). After 4 years at St Andrew's University she did an HNC in Radio Broadcasting at Glenrothes College and helped out on Radio Forth (where she met John Collins for the first time), Radio Lollipop and Radio Scotland.

In search of a radio-related job that actually paid, Karen moved to London to work for Satellite Media Services (SMS) who were at that time responsible for sending radio commercials & the IRN news service to ILR stations around the UK. Highlight of this job was meeting all the former Radio 1 DJs she'd listened to as a teenager (Bruno Brookes, Gary Davis, Simon Bates and Johnny Walker) who came into the (short-lived) studio. After 2 years, and sick of night shifts Karen moved to Classic FM, initially as a Sales Assistant but latterly as a Marketing Executive. Karen's final job in London was as an internet developer with an internet company who specialised in writing websites for media companies. They allowed her to move back to Edinburgh where she worked from home for 4 years.

Karen's love of radio and Americana music continued. She joined another Edinburgh Hospital Radio Station - Red Dot Radio where she presented a 1 hour feature show of Americana and Country music. However, on becoming Station Manager her first task was to sack herself for playing miserable music which wouldn't exactly serve to cheer up the hospital patients! In 2001 after her first (of 8) trips to Austin's SXSW Festival she began presenting and producing a show on internet radio station SpydaRadio - "The Miller Tells Her Tale". Seven years on this show is still going strong, although now it's a podcast, and is Karen's way of introducing listeners to music by independent artists little heard on other stations. The Miller Tells Her Tale was included in a Sunday Times Doors Feature on 15 January 06: "The Miller Tells Her Tale delivers a terrific selection of rarely heard music... dripping fresh with bourbon-sozzled heartbreak".

Karen now also presents "Now That's Americana" on CMR Nashville, Europe's 24/7 Country Music Radio Station. The show goes out on Fridays and is repeated every few hours until Saturday evening.

Karen worked for the reknowned Glasgow world music festival Celtic Connections in late 2007/early 2008 booking transatlantic flights and acting as artist liaison for many of the Americana artists appearing. Hard work but very enjoyable.

Aside from her work on Brand New Country, The Miller Tells Her Tale & CMR Nashville, Karen is also responsible for the Gig Guide on the Bob Harris website. When she lived in London she'd often help out on his Saturday night show on Radio 2 (and got a mention in Bob's autobiography which was a thrill!). She also enjoys going out to see live music whenever possible.