Who is Bryce Leatherwood? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music
Who is Bryce Leatherwood? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…
Quick Facts:
Full Name – Bryce Leatherwood
Birthdate – 2/3/2000
Hometown – Woodstock, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Conway Twitty, The Allman Brothers, Tim McGraw
Label – Republic Records
Current Single – “The Finger” // as of date of article: 12/18/2023
The Beginning:
Today’s spotlight sines on an artist that you may recognize! Bryce Leatherwood, recent winner of the hit show, The Voice chatted with us all about his upbringing, his time on The Voice, and what fans can expect coming into 2024.
“I’m from Woodstock, Georgia. I grew up in a small little town and got to experience the best of country and the outdoors, and country music through my grandfather, who lived in Macon, Georgia,” began the singer-songwriter. “He had a farm down there, and I worked the summers there with him. He was my biggest hero and I got to learn the best of Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, George Jones, and that’s where I grew up. It really shaped me and made me a respectful southern gentleman.”
Leatherwood took a liking to traditional greats of country music at an early age, but he also appreciated country and rock artists that his father introduced him to. My father was a big country music fan,” shared the singer, “I was raised on Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, artists like that, and besides country music, Southern Rock & Roll. My father’s a big Lynyrd Skynyrd fan. […] I found southern rock to be as much of a love for me as country music.” Additionally, the singer recalls falling in love with Chris Stapleton’s Traveller album, mentioning Stapleton as one of his influences as well.
The rising artist still finds ways to infuse the country and southern rock sound into the music he loves and creates today. “I think country music and Rock & Roll share very similar qualities, and it was a great time to grow up as a kid and have an old soul.”
The Turning Point:
Despite loving music at an early age, Leatherwood did not see it as a potential future until college. “I always saw music as an escape from the real world. Growing up, I never really showed my talent. In high school, I thought I had to be a tough nose guy, and didn’t do any music,” he shared. “When I moved to college at Georgia Southern University, I figured out quickly that I could drink for free and get paid to sing, so I decided to pick it back up, and I made a little career out of it down there and earned my stripes.”
As he garnered fans and honed in on his talent, Leatherwood knew that country music was in his future. After auditioning for the 22nd season of the hit show, The Voice, the singer appeared to be living in his purpose. He went on to win the show, and secured himself a record deal.
“I went out there and I stuck out pretty well, ya know the redneck with an accent […] It was a long, tough experience, it was hard being away from home and what you know for so long,” he shared. Adding, “Getting to perform for millions of people every Monday, Tuesday night, it was a very, very cool experience, getting to inspire so many people. […] It was truly a life-changing experience and thanks to that show, I get to do what I do professionally.”
Immediately after the show, Leatherwood made the move to Nashville, Tennessee. “After leaving the show, I moved directly up here to Nashville after Christmas and slept on a couch for five months. I finally got a room up here in July. […] I was writing songs Monday to Friday over here at SONY,” shared the singer. “I’ve just been making waves here. I’ve gotten some songs that I have written. I’ve written over 75 songs this year and kept busy writing and growing my catalog. I’ve also gotten the opportunity to pitch songs for artists who are even bigger than me.”
Today:
Now, Leatherwood is emerging a recording artist and entertainer. In just one year, the singer has garnered praise from both country music fans and the industry. Earlier this year, the singer shared his major-label debut song, “The Finger.” “For how much I’ve written, there’s sometimes songs that you hear that you’re given the opportunity to cut that just say ‘that’s me, that’s exactly who I am.’ I’m always going to put music out there that’s me. I’m never going to shy away from that.”
While Leatherwood didn’t pen the song, the track is the perfect example of the type of music that the singer wants to share and showcase with his growing fanbase. “I was like ‘that’s my song’,” shared the singer upon hearing the song for the first time.
For Leatherwood, it is important that his music speaks to his experiences, as well as, cultivates a feeling in his listeners. While 2023 was a monumental year for Leatherwood in a lot of ways behind the scenes, 2024 is slating to be a year to remember for the singer, who promises that there is much more coming down the pipeline next year. “2024 is going to be a big year for me. We’ve got some things in the works.”
Stay tuned and keep your eyes and ears open for more from Leatherwood!
Connect:
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Bryce Leatherwood’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.