Who Is Blake Proehl? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music
Who is Blake Proehl? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising artist here…
Blake Proehl // Photo credit: Evan Harney
Quick Facts:
Birthdate – 01/12/1999
Hometown – Carolinas
Current city – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical influences – Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown
Today’s spotlight shines on an artist we have really been loving lately, Blake Proehl. Proehl chatted with us about his upbringing, how he found music, and where he’s headed. Keep reading to learn more.
Growing up, music was not necessarily on his radar. Instead, he came from a football family, spending much of his childhood moving around the country as his dad played professionally. “I did not do any music growing up at all,” he shared. “My entire family is pretty much committed to football. My dad played football for a really long time, so we kind of just followed him around the country.”
He followed in his dad’s footsteps, eventually playing football for the Minnesota Vikings. It was there that an injury unexpectedly gave him the opportunity to explore something completely different. Away from home in Minnesota, someone gave him a guitar to help pass the time while he recovered. “It was cold and lonely up there for a while, so I started playing some guitar and singing and started posting, just to venture out and try to have fun with it,” he recalled.
Although he had never seriously considered music, there had been a few hints that he could sing. His best friend’s grandmother used to encourage him to join choir after hearing him sing in the car, and he even remembers strangers complimenting his voice from time to time. Still, it wasn’t until he started posting online that he realized music might actually turn into something. A video with his grandmother went viral, earning him a significant number of followers in just about a week.
“I was like, ‘Oh man, there’s something here, maybe,’” he shared. “I felt like God was nudging me towards that in a way.” As the online attention continued to grow, he began playing his first shows. It was the live aspect of being an artist that really made everything click. “Once I had the first couple shows, I was like, ‘This is definitely what my favorite part is,’” he shared. “This feels divine in a way.”
Despite not growing up playing music, he was always a fan. Country music was a big part of his childhood, especially on family trips to Charleston. He grew up listening to artists like Florida Georgia Line and Dan + Shay; however, his biggest musical inspiration comes from outside the genre. “I have, like, level 10 out of 10 Bieber fever,” he shared “I’m obsessed with Justin Bieber. He’s a musical genius.”
The Turning Point:
Once people began connecting with his videos online, he knew he needed original music. While still in Minnesota, he started trying to write songs on his own. According to him, those early attempts will never be making their way out of the vault “Those songs were really, really bad,” he shared, adding, “You have to write a lot of bad songs to get to the good ones, and that was very true for me.”
His career started to progress and he eventually auditioned for American Idol. Although the experience gave him the opportunity to learn and make friendships he still has today, he admits that he probably wasn’t quite ready for it at the time. While many of his fellow contestants had grown up singing, his own childhood had been spent on the football field. “I definitely wasn’t necessarily ready for that experience,” he shared. “But it happened for a reason. I never would take it back or anything.”
About a year and a half ago, he officially made the move to Nashville, Tennessee. Proehl started writing more, getting into rooms with other songwriters, and building a catalog of original music. Eventually, publishers and labels around town started taking notice. Last spring, he signed with MCA and began releasing music, including fan-favorite “If He Ain’t Up.”
The song was written during one of his first sessions with a group of friends who have since become some of his favorite collaborators. Inspired by a real situation with an ex-girlfriend, the track also showcases the pop influences that have become part of his sound. “It kind of has a little bit of One Direction in it, which is a little bit of my sound,” he shared. “It’s like One Direction country a little bit as well. There’s a lot of pop influences in some of the melodies.”
Today:
Now, the rising artist is ready to give listeners an even bigger introduction to who he is with his debut EP, Hearts Don’t Break. Several of the songs on the project came together during one of his first writing camps in Nashville. During the two-day camp, he wrote a song called “Hearts Don’t Break Like That,” which quickly became one of his favorites and ultimately inspired the name of the project.
As for why he dropped the “Like That” from the EP title, fans will have to listen. “You have to listen to the song to understand this,” he shared. “I’m trying to have myself a little Swiftie moment. You know what I’m saying? A little Easter egg situation.”
Sonically, Hearts Don’t Break pulls from both his upbringing and the pop influences that have always inspired him. Proehl describes the project as having a coastal Carolina feel, mixed with pop-driven verses, big hooks, and country instrumentation “It’s just a good representation of me getting started as an artist,” he shared. “It’s some of my favorite songs I’ve written.”
With that being said, there is so much more coming down he pipeline from the singer-songwriter. “It’s literally just the start to so much music that’s in the vault,” he a shared. Along with the new music, fans can expect to see much more of him on the road. Live music remains his favorite part of the career, and he is already looking ahead to some big touring plans in 2027.
Connect:
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Blake Proehl’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.
