who-is-eddie-and-the-getaway

Who Is Eddie And The Getaway? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Eddie And The Getaway? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-eddie-and-the-getaway

Eddie And The Getaway

Quick Facts:

Full name – Eddie And The Getaway
Birthdate – 5/6/2000
Hometown – Phoenix, Arizona
Current city – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical influences – Creed, Brantley Gilbert, Nickelback, Daughtry, Third Eye Blind
Current Project – “Tumbleweeds and Nicotine” (as of date of article: 9/24/2025)
The Beginning:

In this week’s spotlight, we highlighted an artist that is truly carving his own path in the genre. Eddie of Eddie And The Getaway joined us to chat about his latest project, Tumbleweeds and Nicotine, his path to country music, and everything in between. Keep reading to learn more about his incredible story.

“I was born in Michigan, and I grew up in Arizona, and then I kind of started playing drums when I was about five, and then my parents kind of realized it was like the worst instrument to give a kid ’cause it’s loud as hell,” began Eddie. “So, I started playing guitar, and then kind of singing and doing all that stuff. As I got into middle school, started even playing in bands in Arizona.”

From an early age, music was the thing that captivated Eddie’s interest. He recalls having a lot of energy as a kid, always wanting to jam out on the guitar or the drums, as he constantly absorbed music. At around seven or eight years old, he attended a Coldplay concert, and it was in that moment that his future seemed clear to him. That dream was later confirmed again, when he attended a U2 concert.

“I just remember seeing that, and then a couple of years later, seeing U2 and my sister actually got pulled up on stage. Bono pulled her up on stage and they couldn’t pull me up because I was a chubby little fucker,” shared Eddie. “I just remember that moment and being like, I want to be the one pulling somebody up on stage, and I just know, like, what music did for me and my soul and the times, it kind of felt kind of, you know, you feel lost to different times, as you grow up and stuff. “

The Turning Point:

Armed with a deep love for music and appreciation for the late 90s and early 00s era with artists like Nickelback and Third Eye Blind ruling the airwaves, Eddie knew music was his calling. “I started playing in bands in Arizona, and touring and playing in Mexico and, you know, Las Vegas and California, that region.”

Eventually, during pandemic times, Eddie made the move to Nashville, Tennessee. “When I was 19, so it was right before COVID hit, so I left Arizona State, finished up online, in Nashville and, yeah, just kind of just stumbled down. I knew I wanted it to do music from a super young age, but, like, how it all kind of happened was really random just meeting people on TikTok and, you know, writing and producing stuff for them and then having some of my own songs kind of take off.”

For Eddie, music was always his outlet. He recalls writing songs as early as in seventh grade. “I just remember listening to certain songs and kind of feeling like I wasn’t the only one that was going through what I was going through, and I feel like I owe that. […] I think when it comes to like, why I love music, it’s because of that, like being able to help people and almost talk about the things that are hard to talk about in real life, but you can say it in a song and people can relate to it. I think it’s the coolest thing ever.”

Despite knowing music was his path, Eddie shared feeling lost and certain times, when he first moved to Nashville, admitting that his mental health declined a bit before a friend helped him reconnect with his purpose.

“I was talking to a buddy of mine one day and nothing was really working for me as an artist, I’ve been writing and producing for other artists and their songs were popping off on TikTok. I was like, ‘why isn’t my stuff working’ and a buddy of mine was just like, ‘dude, like, you don’t write about actually like what you’ve told me and like what you talk about. Write something that’s real.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Eddie And The Getaway is absolutely releasing music that is as real as it can be! The singers-songwriter recently released his six-song EP, Tumbleweeds & Nicotine, featuring songs that speak to both the artist’s musical influences and his uniqueness.

“I just kind of wanted to have a group of six songs that some leaned more country, which, you know, I grown up in Arizona like even though it wasn’t the South, it was still very country out there. […] So having that kind of background, that like Western kind of, you know, country kind of thing, and then also just like the rock influence. When you listen to my music, you’re going to get stuff that is over on the country side, stuff that’s over on the full rock side, and everything in between. So that was one of the kind of angles that I wanted to do as I was writing these.”

There are songs on the project that lean more rock and feel radio-ready, while other songs connect to the more vulnerable side. For example, the title track speaks to the latter. “I think storytelling wise, having songs about, you know, just absolutely partying like shot for shot, just like going ham and having, you know, a crazy experience. And all my songs are always firsthand experiences of stuff that I’ve gone through. And I always like, try to keep that authenticity when it comes to my songwriting,” he shared, adding, “ I guess the other kind of thing that’s on that topic is like “Tumbleweeds & Nicotine”, which is just going through life. It’s kind of a metaphor on constantly moving, trying to move forward, but also like having bad habits and things that kind of stick with you and trying to shake them. So it’s kind of just wanted to kind of cover a lot of the things that I’ve gone through in the last year.”

Tumbleweeds & Nicotine is just the beginning for Eddie. He is already hard at work in the studio, working on more new music, and currently on the road. “We’re getting right back into putting out music every month, putting out a new single every four weeks, and we’re gonna keep that going and we have our headline to our first headline tour coming up. at the beginning of October and going through the end of November. And then, yeah, just lots of new music, lots of playing shows.”

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about futureEddie And The Getaway releases.

To keep up with Eddie And The Getaway, follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Eddie And The Getaway’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.

who-is-sam-sample

Who Is Sam Sample? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Sam Sample? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-sam-sample

Sam Sample

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Sam Sample
Birthdate – 12/11/1997
Hometown – Atlanta Georgia
Current City – New York City, New York
Musical Influences – Miley Cyrus, Zach Bryan, Fleetwood Mac, Shania Twain, Sam Fender, The Killers, Catfish and the Bottlemen
Current Single – “Better Things (West Coast Version)” (as of date of article: 9/15/2025)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight artist is a New York-based artist that we’re loving, Sam Sample. The songstress connected with our founder recently, and we couldn’t help but to want to share her story in support of music in New York City.

Growing up, Sample lived in Atlanta, Georgia with parents from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “We spent a lot of time visiting family there growing up. But my sister and I were both born and raised in Atlanta, shared the artist. “‘Sam Sample’ really emerged as Sam was a longterm nickname of mine that came from being a camp counselor and my rugby days and a lot of people kind of shortened my last name from sample to Samps and then to Sam. So I’ve gone by Sam for a long time, and so it kind of made sense when I started releasing music to do it under that name.”

For Sample music was something that always lingered in the background and eventually grew into a full-blown passion. “I always sang growing up, and then I started teaching myself how to play guitar when I was in late high school. I sang with the jazz band in college, and I sang a little bit with different groups in college, but I’d always written some songs, but I never really had the thought to release them.”

The singer-songwriter recalls falling in love with artists like Shania Twain, Fleetwood Mac, and later, Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan, who all influence her songwriting today as well.

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high-school, Sample head to New York City for college. “I studied neuroscience and cognitive science in school, and I thought I was going to go on a research science path, and then I ended up getting really interested in learning more about the brain through modeling techniques and data science, and I ended up working for a large tech company, and kind of establishing my life in New York,” shared the singer. “Now I fund my music from my corporate tech job, and it’s been really exciting to get to start producing music and releasing it and, you know, kind of bringing the sounds of my upbringing in Georgia mixed with the city life here in New York.”

Since building a life here in New York City, Sample has finally allowed herself to pursue her music, something she has always wanted, but didn’t think could happen. “I kind of had this realization. I’d gone through this big breakup and I was like, you know, if I don’t do this in now, I’m single and while I don’t have a family yet, like now really is the time.”

Sample blended her American and rock roots, creating a sound all her own that she calls AmeriRock. “I always loved the outdoor activities and, you know, going fishing and hunting and being outdoors and going to the lake and doing all of those things with my family, but I think there was something that I sometimes felt drawn towards the city or towards travel,” she shared. “I really wanted to, see what else was out there in the world and live in a different place and that really compelled me to try living in New York and that’s something that I think drew me, when I was younger, away from country music and then as I got older, back towards it – to realize it wasn’t really the country music that I was running away from. I just kind of wanted more experiences and that sort of thing.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Sample continues to make strides toward doing music and only music, as she builds her growing fanbase and releases even more music. She’s worked with incredible producers, including The Lumineers producer, Ryan Hadlock who she connected with through a cold call email.

“He asked me to send some of my demos, and I did, and he liked my stuff. So I got a chance to go out there and work with him and record a couple songs that were on my debut album, and it was so cool to kind of have the comparative experiences of being in this major studio where some of my favorite music was recorded compared to kind of the more DIY style,” shared Sample.

Eventually, the songstress was able to release her debut album, I’m Moving to The Moon featuring songs like “What’ve I Got On You” and “Rock Song.” She’s since expanded her growing catalog, releasing her newest song to date, “Better Things (West Coast Version).”

“”Better Things (West Coast Version)” is a song about, when you have gone through a big change in your life, in my case, it was about a breakup, but it can really be about, any big change you’re looking to make in your life and believing that there are better things in store for you. I have gone through a time where it didn’t always feel that way or it felt like my life was going to be worse following this event. And I wrote this song about an experience I had where it was kind of one of the first times since that breakup that I felt like, “wow, my life is way better and this was for the best.” And there were better things in store for me the whole time, even if I couldn’t see it at the time or believe it myself. and now, now I’m really feeling that.”

“Better Things” is just the start of more music to come in 2025. Fans can expect another new song, “Embargo” to be released next month. “There’s a lot of new music coming and trying to figure out the release strategy and timing of that, but, I’ve been going through a big writing phase recently and it’s been fun to be back in the studio and working with some old collaborators and some new ones, and I’m really excited about all the music stuff.”

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Sam Sample announcements and releases.

To keep up with Sam Sample, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Sam Sample’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.

who-is-ashland-craft

Who Is Ashland Craft? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Ashland Craft? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-ashland-craft

Ashland Craft // Photo credit: Nicole Murphy

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Ashland Craft
Birthdate – April 30th
Hometown – Piedmont, South Carolina
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Shania Twain, Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Milsap, Conway Twitty, Bonnie Raitt, Def Leppard
Label – LEO33
Current Single – “Lie A Little” (as of date of article: 9/8/2025)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight is an artist we have been sharing for several years now, Ashland Craft. Craft is an incredible vocalist, a true artist, and a songwriter that writes about what she knows. While the songstress has had many different moments in her career, currently, she is creating her best music to date. We chatted with Craft about her new music, how much became her calling, and everything in between.

“I was raised in a town called Piedmont, South Carolina, which is, right outside the city of Greenville, South Carolina,” shared the singer. “Blue collar parents who had the same jobs their entire lives and worked really hard. Because of her parents, Craft was raised with an unmatched work ethic, as well as, an early love for music.

I grew up in church, singing some songs and music kind of got a hold of me at a really young age, so to me, it’s kind of the one thing that I’ve always loved and known and felt confident,” shared the singer. She recalls enjoying artists like George Jones and Shania Twain. “It’s so hard for me [to choose favorites] because I think I just love music so much I was absorbing everything, but if I had to list a couple that really made an impact on me, I would say, George Jones, a lot of his writing and realism in his music and being brutally honest about stuff like, I loved that aspect. My dad loved George Jones and, Merle Haggard and all of those, you know, icons. So I really appreciated from a young age to them just like telling how it was, I guess. Even if if it was hard or uncomfortable. It’s just like somebody related to that, and I thought that was really special. Shania Twain, honestly, is another pivotal artist for me.”

The Turning Point:

Despite loving music from an early age, Craft was not aware of the huge music industry that she would eventually take part in. “I think where I’m from, I didn’t necessarily think music was an option as a career. It was always a dream and something that it just led me through life, truly. I just made decisions. I didn’t even think about it. I was just like, we’ll go wherever the music takes me.”

For Craft, music was an outlet that became one of the most important things in her life. “I went through some very hard things as a kid, and that became, like, almost therapy for me when I felt, you know, misunderstood or not heard out, or, you, just any situation, really, is when I turn to music, and I felt seen. So, I think that is probably one of the biggest reasons that kind of led me here today.”

As her life unfolded, Craft found herself auditioning for The Voice and playing dive bars gigs around town. “I’ve just tried to spend or fill all my time with music in some way, shape, or form, and that eventually brought me here to Nashville, where I’m just trying to release music and let people see good kind of music that, like, made me growing up.”

Along the way, through trial and error and opportunity, Craft truly found her voice, her team at LEO33, and her sound. “Every time I did something with music, it was just like a natural call and, and I never wanted to leave,” she shared.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Craft is all in on her music. Most recently, Craft released her record Dive Bar Beauty Queen featuring eleven songs. The record as a whole pays tribute to the songs that inspire her, the artists that blazed the path she is walking, and the songs that poured out of her on this journey.

“We were getting to the end of the process, about a year in, and I had sent my label this song that I had written when I was nineteen, and I sent them “Dive Bar Beauty Queen” and they were like ‘we have to release this.’ And for me, that was a big leap of faith in myself, because I just remembered the age that I was when I wrote that. You know, I hadn’t really gone through many as many experiences as I had up to this point, but I think that was the enticing factor of getting that song is I think my biggest goal is to show the journey from kind of start to finish or at least start to where I am now and I think we all just collectively decided there was not a song that was more me to a tee than that one, and it was the only song I really written by myself.”

“Dive Bar Beauty Queen” became the pillar for the entire project, allowing fans to see the love and honesty that Craft’s music is all about. “I really wanted people to see this side to me. I didn’t just, like, move to Nashville and then just, you know, start jumping on tours,” she shared, adding, “I’ve had a lot of folks, like, stick around as long as they have, and we’re selling tickets to my first headlining tour, and I’m just excited to be able to give a way longer set than we I think typically have in the past.”

For Craft, the music and the fans are everything. She will continue to showcase that as she tours with fellow artist Meg Patrick. Fans can grab tickets here. Stay tuned for even more coming from Craft!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Ashland Craft announcements and releases.

To keep up with Ashland Craft, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Ashland Craft’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.

Clayton-mullen-VARSITY BLUES: OT

Who Is Clayton Mullen? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Clayton Mullen? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-clayton-mullen-Photo Credit: Jordan Dziekan

Clayton Mullen // Photo Credit: Jordan Dziekan

Quick Facts:

Full name – Clayton Mullen
Birthdate – 11/10/2000
Hometown – Villanova, Pennsylvania
Current city – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical influences – John Mayer, Jason Aldean, Sam Hunt, Ed Sheeran, Luke Combs
Current Project – “Pocket Aces” (as of date of article: 9/1/2025)
The Beginning:

As country music continues to get bigger and bigger, artists, specifically songwriters are finding innovative new ways to blend sounds with the story-telling lyrics that make country music so great. In today’s spotlight, we shine our light on an artist who has found his own way of doing just that. Clayton Mullen’s story is full of authenticity, alignment, and hard-work. Keep reading to learn more about his story, his brand new project, and where he’s headed next.

“I was born in California, outside of L.A., but I grew up in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and a place called Weston, Massachusetts, which is about 30 minutes outside of Boston,” began Mullen. “My dad always played the guitar growing up. […] My two older sisters, they were classically trained singers, so while singing wasn’t like a big part of that, for me, specifically growing up, it was definitely around me and in my family”

Mullen even recalls a more distant family member working as a songwriter. “[Music] wasn’t like this total, random thing for me. I think if you go back and look at, you, my upbringing that it kind of makes sense on how I ended up falling into country music.”

For Mullen music was about exploration and curiosity, rather than honing a talent at first. “I don’t know if I’dove into artists. I more just found songs. I would say, because I wasn’t, like, huge in the music, which was something I would listen to, you know, whatever, in the car in my headphones, but I do remember always liking music that was different than everybody else was liking,” he shared, reminiscing about liking genres when they weren’t “cool.” Later on in his musical journey, he drew inspiration from artists like John Mayer and Sam Hunt.

The Turning Point:

While Mullen’s clearly had music in his DNA, it wasn’t until he graduated high-school that he started to hone in on his talent.“I kind of knew I could sing just because I was singing in the shower every once in a while, but I was always nervous to sing in front of people,” he shared.

However, when he went to college in Texas to attend TCU, he decide to join the fraternity band during his freshman year. “The fraternity band thing kind of came about just because me and a couple of the guys were hanging out one night and, you know, having a couple of beers, so I worked up some courage to sing in front of them. […] It’s just kind of one thing went to another and I started playing music, and that’s kind of how it happened.”

As his built more and more confidence singing in front of an audience, he started organically songwriting as well “Songwriting It really just kind of just happened […] When I was at TCU, I met a guy named Palmer Anthony, who’s another artist in Texas and one of my best friends, and we started co-writing, and that was show my first experience in co writing, and he really taught me how to construct the song, and then, from there, you know, I put out those songs and then got connected with publishers in Nashville, and that’s when I, like, very early on in my writing career, I was writing with some of the best writers in Nashville, so it really ups the level of my songs pretty quickly.”

After graduating college, Mullen found himself at a crossroads, where he could work a sales job or move to Nashville to pursue his music career. Fortunately, he was in a place where he could make the latter happen. “It wasn’t like I was like, “oh, I need to do this professional and if I don’t, then I’m screwed.” I just was following it because I loved it and then those doors opened themselves and I became very fortunate that after school, when it was time to decide whether I was going to go work a sales job or move to Nashville, I was set up in a position where I could move to Nashville and do it for a living and sign a publishing deal.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Mullen’s just released the deluxe version of his album Varsity Blues featuring seven songs that truly speak to his unique talent as a singer and as a songwriter. The deluxe project, called, Varsity Blues: OT features two brand new songs including fan-favorite, “Pocket Aces” and “Hearts ad Records.”

“‘Varsity Blues’ is a project that I’ve been working on, since I moved to town, and it’s a project that I knew, I wanted to talk more about growing up and kind of like this all American upbringing that I felt like I lived, and about sports and young love and heartbreak and all that stuff,” shared the singer. “I was putting my story to some of the stories that I used to love growing up. So it was heavily influenced by the music I listened to, and obviously my story.”

The record as a whole was intentionally put together to share a common thread with the themes and the stories, while also remaining true to the type of music that Mullen’s wants to create more of. ” I wanted to build the project around that type of feeling, and I knew “Pocket Aces” was a song that the fans really enjoyed, so that one was definitely a no brainer, to be part of the project, but it just took a little bit longer to make sure we got the production.,” he shared, adding, “I think all these songs thematically live in the same lane, and I wanted them to be part of one project and, yeah, I’m just really happy with the way that we did it in the storytelling that we were able to portray in the songs.”

Varsity Blues is just the beginning for Mullen. He has big plans in the works and is excited for fans to continue to jump on this crazy ride with him. “We’re working on a whole bunch of new music to close out the year as well as start the top of 2026 and there’s other opportunities that we’ve had that you know, our music might be featured in a couple of movies, which is cool, too. So that stuff we can’t really dive into yet, but there’s definitely some fun stuff on that horizon.”

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about future Clayton Mullen releases.

To keep up with Clayton Mullen, follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Clayton Mullen’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.

who-is-the-band-loula

Who Is The Band Loula? The Story Behind Their Journey to Country Music

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Who is The Band Loula? The incredible country group joined us to chat about their journey to country music. Get to know the rising stars here…

who-is-the-band-loula

The Band Loula // Photo credit: Sara Katherine Mills

Quick Facts:

Full name – The Band Loula comprised of Malachi Mills and Logan Simmons
Hometown – Gainesville, Georgia
Current city – Nashville, Tennessee
Label – Warner Music Nashville
Current Project – Sweet Southern Summer EP (as of date of article: 8/25/2025)
The Beginning:

On the heels of releasing their debut EP, Sweet Southern Summer, we chatted with Malachi Mills and Logan Simmons of The Band Loula in this week’s spotlight feature. The Band Loula joined us to talk about their record, their origin story, and everything in between. Keep reading to learn more!

Growing up in Georgia, Both Malachi and Logan found themselves immersed in music from an early age. “My upbringing was very much musical, I would say, but, I didn’t really get into any professional sides of music until Malachi was involved. But I always was singing [and grew up going to Tent Revivals],” began Logan. So I grew up listening to gospel music, singing gospel music, a lot of bluegrass music and I was around music all the time, but really didn’t start singing. publicly or like performing until probably middle school or high school, started singing at church some.”

For Malachi, church was also an important part of his upbringing and his early musical tastes.“I always knew I liked to sing. It was just kind of a natural. I just knew that I had this desire inside of me, and I first got to express that in church,” he shared, adding, “I listened to a lot of gospel music growing up. […] I somehow really developed a love for, Motown. […] Then whenever I was I was 16 and could drive, I got all of my brother’s old country CDs, and so I started listening to country music, and, you know, the radio, and whenever you’re in Georgia, you just always around country music.”

Despite both loving music, Logan’s stage-fright inhibited her from being on stage, until Malachi helped her through it, when they finally met at just fourteen years old.

The Turning Point:

“Malachi and I met when we were 14. and we started singing in church together,” shared Logan. “About the same time me and Logan met was the first time I’d ever really sang in front of anybody,” added Malachi. The twosome knew of each other for quite a while before Malachi approached Logan with an idea to sing together professionally. “We didn’t really start singing just for us two, somewhere outside of church until we were a little bit older. So, the band was not really conceptualized till probably 2020, 2021.”

Despite working on music for several years, Malachi didn’t feel all in until Logan joined the band, officially forming The Band Loula.“Whenever we started singing together and making YouTube videos, it was just one of those things that kind of naturally came together, and like Logan mentioned, there was some magic there, some chemistry that you can’t really fake,” they shared. “We decided to be a band, and we still never rushed anything. We tried to make sure, and put our best foot forward and work hard with it, but also, build it naturally, and we we just started writing songs and booking shows and doing the thing.”

When The Band Loula officially formed, Malachi had already made connections in Nashville, writing and networking with fellow artists and industry people, who later would help them sign their record deal with Warner Music Nashville and release their debut EP.

Today:

Flash forward to today, The Band Loula officially released their major-label debut EP, Sweet Southern Summer featuring six songs.

“We not too long after getting to Nashville ended up developing a relationship with John Osborne, who is the producer on this record with additional production from a good friend of ours named Greg Bieck,” shared the Band Loula. “We kind of we kind of pieced it together, with intentionality, of course, but we pieced it together because we’re in the stage of releasing singles, and, we wanted to really just see what people were resonating with as we were releasing it, and, I think we figured it out, you know, like, it was all this common threads of these, like, Southern experiences that we have culturally, maybe spiritually, or socially, and it’s just this, you see a common thread of Southern experiences in there.”

Sweet Southern Summer fuses the singer-songwriters southern rock, country, and folk influences together effortlessly. With lyrics that push the envelop, melodies that stick in your head, and purposeful instrumentals, the record as a whole is exactly what The Band Loula had hoped it would be.

“Having a first body of work from a small band is it’s a very big deal to us, and it’s, I think I said this the other day as well, and I want to hold on to it that little milestones to a little band are huge milestones,” shared the singers. “Together in our combined experiences creates this really cool atmosphere in the writing room where you, able to write songs that are maybe a little bit on the line or over the line, but they’re true. They’re just true and honest to us, and that’s what we always want to keep at the center.”

This is just the beginning for The Band Loula. Expect the band to get even bigger, release even more music, and hopefully tour their record sooner rather than later. Stay tuned!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming The Band Loula announcements and releases.

To keep up with The Band Loula, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

The Band Loula’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.

who-is-zandi-holup

Who Is Zandi Holup? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Zandi Holup? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-zandi-holup

Zandi Holup / Photo credit: Seth Hayes

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Zandi Holup
Birthdate – April 11th
Hometown – Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Current City – Nashville, TN
Musical Influences – Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Dolly Parton
Label – Big Loud Records
Current Project – Wildflower (as of date of article: 8/18/2025)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight artist is an artist in every sense of the word. Zandi Holup believes in unapologetically sharing stories through music, while remaining true to her unique sound and style as a singer-songwriter. We chatted with Holup about her upbringing, her newest project, and everything in between.

“My family and I moved to Northern New Jersey when I was little girl, and I grew up there. Then I went to high-school in New York City.” ” began Holup. “I got into music when I was little because my parents put me in plays. Because I was a little bit shy and timid, and I helped me come out of my shell, so they put me in singing lesson. I grew up around music my whole life, my dad, my aunts, and even my grandmothers write songs and sing, and play guitar, so I’ve always been around that type of stuff.”

From an early age, music was a constant in her life. Holup drew inspiration from a variety of artists, finding herself in the music she fell in love with. “ I was really influenced by folk music at a young age, and also I absolutely fell in love with country music. […] I always heard different country music growing up. Dolly [Parton] took my heart, and that’s what got me into story-telling, listening to those artists and wanting to write stories like them,” she shared.

Holup also fell in love with artists like Lorreta Lynn and Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan. “A lot of Dolly Parton’s earlier work that’s a little darker really influenced me. Also Loretta Lynn, I love her as a story-teller and a truth-teller. I love Bob Dylan and Joan Baez as well and Joni Michell, she’s one of my favorite poets. I think different record also inspire different things.” Much like her favorite artists, Holup found herself using music and songwriting as a therapeutic outlet.

The Turning Point:

For Holup, music was always her calling, and the arts was her passion. “I’m definitely more of a creative-brained person than an anything else  brained person,” she shared, adding, “I’ve always had a big case of wanderlust. If there’s a dream, I’m going to chase it. I’ve never been the kind of person to not want to make my dream into a reality, I’ve always just been ready to go.”

At just eighteen years old, the singer left New York and headed to California to chase her dreams. Eventually, she found Nashville and was inspired to chase her dreams in a new city. “I basically just had a suitcase, and I went to Nashville. After about a week of some things I had set myself up to do, I decided to move here. I found myself a little apartment, and I got a job, and I just started waitressing and hosting, and doing songwriting rounds and open mics. I just was doing anything I could to keep hustling and hustling, and making a name for myself.”

Shew as told “no” many times, but still kept with it, using social media to pioneer her music along the way. During the pandemic, Holup would spend several hours a day creating content and growing a massive fanbase who fell in love with her original music. Her efforts caught the attention of Big Loud Records, and eventually, Holup signed her record deal, finding a team that truly supported her unique talent and vision.

“I  had to find myself in all of it, and I think I finally got there, and is tarted posting my music on the internet because a lot of people in Nashville didn’t really notice me or care to notice me. I was told a lot that my music was too dark or too depressing or that people wouldn’t want to hear it on the radio. But I just knew that I didn’t want to change, and not be true to myself and what I wanted to talk about and what I wanted to say,” she shared, “I found people who enjoyed my art when I went on social media, and it was a game-changer for me.”

Today:

Flash forward to day, Holup finally released her major-label debut album, Wildflower. The record features eleven beautifully-crafted songs that speak to the singer-songwriter’s creative spirit and her artistic voice. “There’s elements of country in my music, there’s elements of folks, there’s elements of a whole bunch of different genres that I’ve just kind of put together. I would say it’s story-teller music,” shared Holup.

Wildflower is comprised of songs that Holup has written over the years, including songs that fans have fallen in love with on the singer’s social media. “These eleven songs were really chosen by the people that listen to my music. I had been posting music on social media, and I pretty much put all of the songs that people were really enthusiastic about, that they related to, and that the loved, that they wanted me to record, but that is how this record was chosen,” shared Holup, adding, “There were just a couple of songs that I had put on this record that were chosen by me or someone I worked with, but most of the songs were chosen by the people that support me and listen to my music.”

While each and every song is special in their own right, one of Holup’s personal favorites is, “Mary Jane,” inspired by a true story about one of her friends. “One of my favorite songs that I’ve ever written as an artist is “Mary Jane,” which is on my record,” began Holup. “I love metaphorical storytelling. It’s one of those things that I admire the most in a lot of my heroes, so I was out to write a metaphorically song that could connect to people. “Mary Jane” is a song I wrote about a friend of mine who suffered from drug addiction to heroin, on and off for about fifteen years, and their in recovery now, which is a very big accomplishment, and I wanted to write a song to tell their story because I thought their was a lot of pain and beauty that I wanted to show people. It was a story of redemption and triumph, so I wrote this song to paint his story through my eyes.”

In her blossoming career, it’s clear that the songstress plans to remain as authentic as possible. Her desire to share music is from the depths of her soul and her lyrics are the embodiment of that. While we are not quite sure what is in store for the singer for the rest of the year, Holup put it perfectly. “This is just the beginning.”

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Zandi Holup announcements and releases.

To keep up with Zandi Holup, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Zandi Holup’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.

who-is-alexandra-kay

Who Is Alexandra Kay? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Alexandra Kay? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

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Alexandra Kay // Photo credit: Alysse Gafkjen

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Alexandra Kay
Birthdate – September 5th
Hometown – Waterloo, Illinois
Current City – Nashville, TN
Musical Influences – Faith Hill, Martina McBride, George Strait, Christina Aguilera
Label – BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville
Current Single – “Straight For The Heart” (as of date of article: 8/11/2025)

The Beginning:

Each and every artist in country music has their own story and path. Some artists have luck on their side, some preserve through a ton of trials and tribulations, and others have a slow rise to stardom. Today, spotlight artist, Alexandra Kay is the true epitome of hardworking and relentless dedication to her craft. We chatted with Kay about her journey to where she is now, her new record coming out soon, and everything in between. Keep reading to learn more about her inspiring story.

“I grew up right outside of St. Louis in a smaller town in Illinois called Waterloo, Illinois, I  didn’t grow up in a family of musicians, not at all,” began Kay. “I just kind of listened to what my parents listened to on the radio growing up, and that was country music, I really fell in love with the storytelling, and became infatuated with music in general.”

The songstress recalls music being a huge part of her childhood. She was a huge music fan. I  loved everything from rock music like Kiss, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones. I also loved Michael Jackson, The Jackson Five, The Supremes, Muddy Waters, I loved that era of music,” she shared. “I remember the first CD I bought with my allowance money was the Jackson Five Greatest Hits and I became really into Motown when I was younger and I think that’s when my parents were like “oh okay. Lexi’s in some interesting music.” After that I just kind of started seeing myself in the entertainment business. I told my parents when I was pretty young that I wanted to try out for Disney channel and get into acting. I was always very theatrical.”

With a love of music in her heart and a gift for writing too, Kay spent her free time cultivating her craft, all the while, priming herself to play collegiate softball. “I had a gift for writing when I was younger and I placed in some big Young Author’s contests, and I think that was when I started to develop my song-writing skills. As I got older, I played a lot of softball, that’s what my parents focused on. We were all set to be collegiate athletes,” she shared, adding, “We all played for these elite national teams. I did that from when I was eleven until I was eighteen, and then I chose to take my first year off of college and to chase my music career.”

The Turning Point:

Despite being multi-talented in both music and sports, Kay’s heart was set on music. She found inspiration in 90s country music like Faith Hill, George Strait, and Alan Jackson, but also found herself deep in the St. Louis music scene, enjoying hip-hop and R&B too.

“That’s when I dipped my toes into the St. Louis musical scene. […] I did a lot of hooks for rappers in the area, and then I did some work for Nelly and Huey, and then I signed my first record deal in 2012 to a St. Louis-based record label, and I’ve been going ever since,” shared Kay.

Towards the end of 2013, early 2014, Kay ended up leaving the label, and social media became a huge part of her career. ” I decided that I really wanted to hit social media hard, and that’s exactly what I did.” She went viral on Facebook early on, and decided to try to repeat that momentum during the pandemic, when TikTok became a vital platform for artists.

“I just tried to go with the times, and I was like “why not give it a try.” I made a coffee and sang a song by The Chicks, and it had 3 million views by the end of the day, and before I knew it I was singing with Randy Travis and Tim McGraw, and I was on tour with Tim McGraw as a completely independent artist. I had millions and millions of streams, and I had a real fanbase. […] I’ve been on eight tours in the last two years, we haven’t stopped touring since then, and the fans keep showing up, and I’m so grateful.”

For six years, Kay surprised everyone besides herself and worked relentlessly to make it a singer-songwriter in country music. “The time period in my life that I’m the most proud of is definitely those six years of being independent. […] Instead of quitting, I would drive to Nashville ever Monday, it was about a 4.5 hour driver, and I’d come home Friday, and I’d be with my then husband for two days and drive back on Monday. I would just couch surf and hopefully meet people that would let me stay with them, and I’d write songs while I was out there, and I did that for two years.”

Earlier this year, Kay finally found her “home” in a record label with BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville. “I would take label meetings every year. […] I made a very, very conscious decision, and we took our time to decide what label we were going to go with, I knew it with every fiber in my being that BBR was my home.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Kay is embarking on arguably the biggest moments in her career as a signed artist. Her record Second Wind is slated to be released on October 24th. The record is an incredible project that is sure to garner even more fans to her music.

“I started writing ‘Second Wind,’ the album last year,” began Kay. “What I really wanted to do and what I kept at the forefront of my mind when it comes to this record is I didn’t want the fans to listen to it and think it was so incredibly different from ‘All I’ve Ever Known’ the album because the truth is that’s not how healing happens. You don’t go from feeling how I felt in ‘All I’ve Ever Known’ then jump to pure happiness and love again. So what’s really cool about this record is you get these songs that happened during this transition period. I’m really excited for fans to feel my healing through beginning track one all the way to track fourteen. […] I really take everyone on a ride on how to transition to trusting someone with my heart again and really living in that.”

The released tracks showcase so much growth, fearlessness, and maturity. Songs like “Straight For The Heart” and The Last” are just another piece of Kay’s story, something that fans time and time again seem to find themselves in.

“”Straight For The Heart” is actually my first outside cut by myself, so I actually heard this song while sitting in a pitch meeting for some songs. As soon as it played, I had to have that song. I love it. I love that it really describes how I felt with this kind of female intuition of knowing that things were going south and being strong enough to know that I didn’t have to get let down easy. […] Even though I wasn’t a creator of it, I’m really excited to be a vessel for it, and take it out into the world.”

Kay is laying her heart out on the line for her music and her fans. Second Wind is a record that every fan should gear up for. Kay is a true superstar in the making!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Alexandra Kay announcements and releases.

To keep up with Alexandra Kay, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Alexandra Kay’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.

who-is-elizabeth-nichols-2025

Who Is Elizabeth Nichols? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Elizabeth Nichols? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

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Elizabeth Nichols

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Elizabeth Nichols
Birthdate – June 21
Hometown – Louisville, KY
Current City – Nashville, TN
Musical Influences – Kacey Musgraves, Toby Keith, John Prine, Blake Shelton, Dolly Parton
Label – (if applicable) PULSE Records
Current Single – “I Got A New One” (as of date of article: 8/4/2025)

The Beginning:

Every now and then you come across an artist that has undeniable, raw talent. Elizabeth Nichols is that girl. Despite not knowing music was in the cards for her until recent years, the songstress is an incredible songwriter and story-teller with vocals to back it up. We chatted with the singer-songwriter all about her music career, her new songs, and of course, where’s she headed. Keep reading to learn more!

Nichols was born in Plano, Texas, but spent her formative years in Louisville, Kentucky with her family. A daughter and a granddaughter of a pastor, the singer was always surrounded by music. “I grew up singing in church and listening to a lot of gospel music. […] I also listened to a lot of country music. My family all loved a lot of country music.”

She recalls even wanting to be Hannah Montana at an early age. “When I was nine, I wanted to be Hannah Montana. I was her for three halloweens in a row, and then once I hit school aged, it was not my plan, I did not think it was in the cards for me,” she shared.

Although she didn’t grow up with a fully-fleshed out dream to be an artist, Nichols was always a writer and story-teller, finding inspiration in artist and their lyrics. “I love Toby Keith. I think he is so funny and uses humor in his lyrics so well. I think country is kind of a funny genre. It doesn’t always need to be so serious. I love Kacey Musgraves, I think she’s so clever with her lyricism, I love Miranda Lambert, big fan. I love John Prine. I think I really gravitate towards lyricism and clever lyrics. […] I think it’s funny because in my songs, even the gospel songs that I listen to growing up, comes out in the harmonies. I love funky, cool, harmonies, and stacking those, and building choir. I think that’s there too.”

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high-school, Nichols attended college in Oklahoma, where she eventually connected back to her early days as a music lover. “I was a writing major in college, English writing, I graduated in 2022, and I did my masters in accounting in Australia, and I was there, but I was missing writing,” she shared, adding, “I was missing home so much, I get homesick. I love America, I was very homesick. I would write these country songs because I was missing home, and there was these boys that I was talking to in Oklahoma, and they’d make me angry, and I though it was fun writing songs about them.”

Although she had never written a song before, she started to process her emotions through song-writing. “I couldn’t play them for anyone, so I made a TikTok account, and I blocked everyone I knew, and made it my first name and my middle name, so no one could find it, and I just started posting on there,” shared the songstress. “I remember when my first video that actually got views, I was like “oh no, they are going to find this.” I’ve gotten over that though for sure. I’ve had to.”

With just a year of writing under her belt, Nichols made the move to Nashville, Tennessee. After Kelly Clarkson sang her song on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Nichols quickly shifted gears and her sole focus became her music career. “I always loved school, and I thought I was going to just do that, but it’s all a blessing. I like this a lot more.”

Today:

It may be hard to believe, but Nichols has already released her debut EP. Tough Love features her viral song, “I Got A New One” and six other songs. The record as a whole features two solo writes and Nichols is a writer on every single track, an impressive feat for a newcomer.

“‘Tough Love’ is cool because it’s a collection of the the last year and a half, and my journey of songwriting. The first seven months that I was writing was home in Oklahoma by myself. I didn’t even know co-writes were a thing,” shared Nichols. “There’s a few songs on there that I wrote alone before I ever knew anything about anything. It’s cool to kind of see the progression like the first song whenever I moved to Nashville was “I Got A New One,” and then songs I wrote a few weeks before the project came out are on there.”

When it comes to “I Got A New One,” the track was inspired by the singer’s knack for story-telling. “”I Got A New One” was my first co-write moving here, I came in, and I had this idea. I kind of look at songs as stories, so I go in with an idea, and I always kind of have a plot of where I want it to go, and what I want to happen because I’m so used to writing books and short-stories, and that kind of writing, and you always start with a roadmap,” she explained.

“So I knew that I wanted the first verse to be I’m fighting with my boyfriend, he doesn’t like what I’m wearing and I knew I wanted to be like so I got a new one, and you think it’s the dress, but you know. So we took that, and I had that idea and that storyline, and we made that music. I also knew that I wanted the chorus to be different guys. It’s just a bit different. […] We took a chance, and we did what the song needed, and that’s what was best for that song.”

This is truly just the beginning for Nichols. She plans to build on this momentum, adding shows to her tour schedule, as well as, continually working on new music for fans. “There’s never a lack of music. There’s always too much which is a good problem to have.” We’re gong to keep giving people songs that I love, and I’m excited for people to hear. It’s an honor.”

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Elizabeth Nichols announcements and releases.

To keep up with Elizabeth Nichols, follow her on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook.

Elizabeth Nichols’ 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.

who-is-cole-goodwin

Who Is Cole Goodwin? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Cole Goodwin? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

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Cole Goodwin // Photo credit: Ike Everard

Quick Facts:

Full name – Cole Goodwin
Birthdate – 11/20/2000
Hometown – Pooler, Georgia
Current city – Pooler, Georgia
Musical influences – Vince Gill, Hank Williams Jr., Mark Chestnut, George Strait, Waylon Jennings
Label – Big Machine Records
Current Project – “Girlfriend’s Got A Boyfriend” (as of date of article: 7/28/2025)
The Beginning:

Country music is full of incredible artists, who as humble as they are talented. Cole Goodwin is one of those artists. We chatted with the singer-songwriter about his journey in country music so far and his brand new music. Keep reading to learn more!

“I’m from Pooler, Georgia, right outside of Savannah, and I actually got a late start to the whole playing music thing, but I’ve always been infatuated with music, and I was always around it. My mom sang in a band back in the day, and still gigs around town,” shared Goodwin. “She’s been a real big influence, and I’ve always been obsessed with music, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever […] I thought guys like Hank Jr., Merle Haggard, and Waylon Jennings were the coolest people on earth. I would go home and spend hours and hours after school just watching old show footage of them back in the day.”

Goodwin recalls having a ton of music at his fingertips, finding inspiration in different sub-genres of country music. “ I loved everything from Bob Segar to AC/DC to Merle Haggard to Gary Stewart to Hank Jr. You name it, everything,” shared the singer. “It was a bunch of southern rock, classic country, outlaw country, southern gospel, that kind of stuff is what I cut my teeth on. But my heart’s always been in the classic country thing.”

Despite loving music, Goodwin spent his earlier childhood focused on baseball; however, he eventually started to dabble with the guitar. “That was kind of the extent of music for me back in the day because I played travel baseball year round. That’s where I spent most of my time on the weekends, on the baseball fields. But once I got burnt out on baseball, and got to high-school, I figured out I could play guitar and go fishing on the weekends, and I quickly became a baseball fan instead of a baseball player.”

The Turning Point:

After graduating high-school, Goodwin attended Georgia Southern University to pursue a marketing degree. He also ended up really focusing on music too.

“I guess I started playing guitar about freshman year of high school, and then I dabbled in piano some,” began the singer “Then once I got to college, I really focused on becoming a songwriter, and I wrote a lot of songs by myself, and really tried to get better at that. It kind of all started snowballing and I started booking all these shows and playing the heck out of them. It turned into this. It’s been fun, but not that long. It’s been a short ride, but a really fun one. I’ve only been at it about four years so far.”

While at college, Goodwin often asked his parents if he could quit to pursue music; however, he’s glad that they ultimately said no. “There were multiple times I called Mom and Dad, and said I wanted to quit [college] and just try this music thing, but I’m so, so glad that they would not let me do that because I would have been swallowed up. […] I guess whenever we got to start playing shows, I took it more seriously.”

Slowly, but surely, and actually much quick than most, Goodwin started making a name for himself on the music scene, making connections along the way. “It kind of just turned into ‘wow people are starting to take this serious,’ and I needed to buckle up and be my best at it. Everything has kind of happened organically for me, as far as meeting people, which I love. […] It’s always been handshakes and word of mouth, which I’m a huge fan of.”

Recently, Goodwin officially signed with Big Machine Records, progressing his career even further!

Today:

Flash forward to today, Goodwin is cranking out music, and showing off his talent to fans everywhere. He is currently on tour with Luke Bryan and is continuously making waves with his music. When Goodwin and his team announced his signing, the singer put out a song called, “Girlfriend’s Got A Boyfriend,” which quickly became a fan-favorite.

“That one is a funny song obviously. I’m a really sarcastic person and a really goofy person, so it’s right in my personality. I wrote it with a buddy of mine Jack Hummel and another buddy of mine Connor McCutcheon. That’s the first song we wrote together. I had the idea a week or so before. I have twin little sisters, and one of them was talking to this fella back home, and he had posted a picture with another girl, and I made a joke in the car one day, and said “looks like so and so has a girlfriend, but it ain’t my sister.” So I took that Idea into the room, and we wrote it in an hour and a half. […] I immediately added it to our setlist, and we started playing it out a lot, and people were loving it.”

Goodwin also recently released another new song, that showcases his vocals in a whole different way. “Dust on the Dancefloor” is a heartbreakingly beautiful and honest country ballad that truly captures Goodwin’s talent in a new light. “I also wrote that one with Jack Hummel. It’s remained one of my favorites since we wrote it. I love a slow, country ballad,” shared the singer.

With more music to come, it’s clearly just the beginning for the rising artist. Stay tuned for what’s to come!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Cole Goodwin announcements and releases.

To keep up with Cole Goodwin, follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Cole Goodwin’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.

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Who Is Hudson Westbrook? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Hudson Westbrook? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-hudson-westbrook

Hudson Westbrook // Photo Credit: Ian Noh

Quick Facts:

Full name – Hudson Brown Westbrook
Birthdate – 05/21/2004
Hometown – Stephenville, Texas
Current city – Fort Worth, Texas
Musical influences – Turnpike Troubadours, Tracy Lawrence, Parker McCollum, Koe Wetzel, George Strait
Label – River House Artists / Warner Music Nashville
Current Project – “House Again” (as of date of article: 7/21/2025)
The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on incredibly talented, Texas native, Hudson Westbrook. We chatted with Westbrook about his incredible rise to stardom, his upcoming debut album, and everything in between. Keep reading to learn more!

“I went to high-school and I was playing all the sports, and playing guitar was kind of for fun. I didn’t really take it too seriously for a while,” began the singer. Despite, loving music and guitar, like many kids, he did not see music as a future career right away. “It was kind of I’m going to learn songs and cover songs, and that’s all I’m ever going to do with the guitar, just learn the chords, and it could be a party trick. I always loved music and playing music, but I never really aw it coming in this sense or this fast, but now it’s really cool because everyday I’m growing more and more, and learning more and more.”

Throughout his upbringing, music was a constant. Westbrook found himself listening and connecting with artists across genres. “I think that in the past I listened to a ton of Flatland Calvary. I listened to a lot of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, I istened to a bunch of Koe Wetzel and John Pardi,” he shared, adding, “I feel like John Mayer and Koe and all them really did that was it felt like you could relate to exactly what they were saying and it was personal, it was relatable topics and it was things that, you know, aren’t all about boots and jeans and, you know, maybe might not be the most country thing in the world, but I love John Mayer’s melodies and I love Jack Johnson, just his vocals.”

The Turning Point:

Eventually Westbrook graduated high-school and attended Texas Tech. “I ended up going there and just majored in chemical rights, trying to be a land man in the future, and then I was also breaking bulls at the same time. […] I didn’t really mind college. […] At the same time, I was making music for fun, and I posted it, and it blew up out of nowhere. That’s the short story,” shared the singer.

In April of 2024, Westbrook has a video of him singing his song “Take it Slow” go viral, ultimately changing the course of his life from that point on. “There was a label River House that was in Nashville, and then I also had a buddy named Grant Gilbert, and Grant was like, ‘hey, let me hook you up with these people in Nashville. I know you have absolutely no idea what to do.’ Because I thought, now I have a song blowing up. I don’t have a van, I don’t have a trailer, I don’t have a band. And I don’t have anything ready. And so I bought a van. I bought a trailer all in a matter of three weeks. I bought a band trailer. We got the band together.”

While keeping him home base Texas, Westbrook began making frequent trips to Nashville and found his team “We rehearsed a set and we started touring three weeks after I dropped that song. And then I dropped another one. Ended up signing with River House between those two songs because it was taking off, but I just  needed someone who knew what to do. And so I kept making the music.”

Westbrook added, “I’m like the best things happen on accident ya know, but you have to be there when they happen, and be ready to soak in so much, and I’ve realized so much music in a year span, and I’ve learned so much through that. It just shows how much I really do love music. […] I feel like the work as it kind of translated from football and all that type of stuff, or like football, baseball, basketball, playing sports, and going to college is now just translated to like, okay, now I’m an artist and I’m going to put everything I have into that now, you know, and make sure that the same effort that I would be putting in at a job right out of college is the effort I need to be putting in with this, you know, like I want to make a name for myself.”

Today:

Flash forward just a little over a year later, Westbrook is about to release his debut album, Texas Forever, out Friday, July 25th. The record features seventeen songs all co-written by the singer. “I don’t think for the time being that I won’t be on a song that I put out for a while. I want to make sure my voice is heard, at least at an early stage, because this is when you feel stand, you know, this is when you’re in the roots, so I want to be in the songs, you know,” he shared.

When it comes to the album, the record has really come together since December 2024, when Westbrook began working on it. “The main thing in that whole process was I still live in Texas, and now I’m going back and forth from Lubbock or from Fort Worth to Nashville to Wright. And I come up to Nashville when I need to, you know, record, but I still want to live in Texas, still stay in Texas and not change that aspect,” he shared, adding, “There’s a lot of love and a lot of breakup songs. But at the same time, there’s one life song on there. I feel like love and breakup is where I am in life right now. And I couldn’t tell you how to raise a kid yet, so that’s kind of the route of the whole album is heart break and love and so I really try to stay on that topic.”

Over the last nine months or so, Westbrook wrote songs that he hopes fans will relate to and also understand him a bit better. The record features fan-favorite songs like, “House Again,” “Damn Good Taste in Whiskey,” and the title track, “Texas Forever” too, with the other songs being purposefully selected to showcase Westbrook’s story.

“I think the best way to know if you should cut a song or put it out is how you feel when you show it to someone. Like, not how you feel personally about it. Like, if you got 100 songs and you got to show someone 17 of them, which ones are you going to show them, you know? Because I do want them to be sure to sell, but at the same time, you are doing it for a living, you know? And so I always try to think, like, what song does this part play in my career? And so I was super intentional.”

Westbrook will continue his rise to stardom as the year unfolds. With touring plans already under way, the record almost out, the singer-songwriter and his team are already talking about the next iteration of songs. Westbrook is the real deal, so if you’re not already a fan, now is the time! Stay tuned!

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