Who Is 2 Lane Summer? The Story Behind The Duo’s Journey to Country Music
Who is 2 Lane Summer? The singer-songwriting duo joined us to chat about their journey to country music. Get to know the rising act here…
2 Lane Summer // Photo credit: Matthew Berinato
Quick Facts:
Hometown – Naperville, Illinois + Jackson, Mississippi
Current city – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical influences – Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Michael Jackson, Chris Tomlin, Eric Church
Label – QHMG / Quartz Hill Records
Today we’re sharing the story of 2 Lane Summer, comprised of Joe Hanson and Chris Ray. The duo is an exciting new duo in Nashville, who came together almost serendipitously. Keep reading to learn more about their stories.
Before forming Two Lane Summer, Chris and Joe each had their own journey with music. Growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, Chris was surrounded by music through the church, where he first started singing and playing. “I grew up in the church,” Chris shared. “That’s how I fell in love with music.” Country music quickly became another important influence, especially because of its storytelling. Chris credits artists like Randy Travis, Keith Urban, and Rascal Flatts as some of his early favorites.
For Joe, music started in Naperville, Illinois, just outside Chicago. Like Chris, he also grew up playing in church, while his parents constantly introduced him to artists like Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, and Alan Jackson. “I think my parents brainwashed me,” Joe joked. “A whole bunch of music was always being played.”
For both singers, music eventually became the only real option. Chris started his first band when he was just nine or ten years old, performing throughout Mississippi and knowing from an early age that he wanted to pursue music “Either I make it or I die trying,” Chris shared.
Joe briefly took a different path, attending college for business before quickly realizing that wasn’t where he belonged. “I’m technically still on winter break,” he joked about leaving during his sophomore year.
Eventually, both musicians found their way to Nashville, each pursuing solo careers as artists and songwriters, unaware that their paths were about to cross.
The Turning Point:
In the summer of 2022, a mutual friend put the two in a writing room together, and they immediately clicked. Along with similar musical influences and backgrounds in the church, the two discovered that their voices blended effortlessly. “It was so organic and natural when we started singing,” Joe shared. “It was almost like, wait, we haven’t been doing this our whole life?”
That writing session ultimately became the beginning of Two Lane Summer, a name that represents two individual paths merging together into one. For the duo, joining forces also felt like an opportunity to bring something different to country music. “We wanted to just bring something fresh to country music,” Chris shared, adding, “Bringing different cultures together, that’s what really makes Two Lane Summer.”
Their sound quickly became a blend of both artists’ influences. While their harmonies are a major part of what makes the duo stand out, both Chris and Joe also take turns singing lead, allowing listeners to hear each of their individual styles throughout the music. As they continued writing and sharing their music online, their audience began to grow.
Eventually, Quartz Hill Records took notice, and they found themselves signing a major record deal. “They just saw us on the socials and were like, ‘Hey, we love what you guys are doing,’” Chris shared.
While things may have appeared to move quickly from the outside, both artists had already spent nearly a decade honing their craft individually, followed by another couple of years writing together and figuring out exactly what they wanted Two Lane Summer to be.
Today:
Flash forward to today, and Two Lane Summer is officially introducing fans to that vision with their debut album, Flawless. For Chris and Joe, the project was built around one simple idea, they wanted listeners to feel good.
“There’s just a lot of negativity in the world, and we just wanted to shine a little light with this project,” Joe shared. Whether it’s a love song, a party song, or a track about life in the country, the duo wanted the entire record to carry an uplifting message. “Life is crazy. Life is hard,” Chris added “We just wanted to make people feel better.”
After years of songwriting, narrowing the track list down wasn’t necessarily easy. The two joke that they probably have “80 albums worth” of songs, but ultimately chose the ones that best represented the message they wanted Flawless to share.
For Joe, one of the most meaningful tracks is “Me and Yours,” the first song he and Chris were officially scheduled to write together. “God’s brought us so far in this journey, and it’s just been a crazy ride,” Joe shared, reflecting on what the song means to him now.
Chris, on the other hand, gravitates toward “No Going Back,” a track that showcases another side of the duo’s sound “It’s the swagged-out song,” he shared. The song also allows some of Chris’ R&B influences, including Michael Jackson, to shine through, further showcasing the wide range of sounds that Two Lane Summer brings to country music.
Looking ahead, the duo has plenty more planned. They hope to take their music to country radio, spend more time on the road, and potentially release a deluxe version of Flawless. For two artists who spent years pursuing their dreams separately, it’s safe to say merging those two lanes was exactly the right move. With a debut record officially out in the world and plenty more ahead, Two Lane Summer is only getting started.
Connect:
Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about future 2 Lane Summer releases.
To keep up with 2 Lane Summer, follow the duo on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
2 Lane Summer’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.
