When you talk about the current state of independent/alternative country, there are a few names that instantly pop into mind. While, of course, Zach Bryan, Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers have become sort of the poster boys for the subgenre, you’d be hard-pressed to not hear the names of Wyatt Flores and Charles Wesley Godwin get brought up in terms of who’s the best of the best. A collaboration between the two has been a dream of many (myself included), and Flores gave us a little taste of the magic that’s present when the two collaborate on YouTube with the…
Author: Brennen Kelly
Brennen Kelly
Hailing from the Chicagoland area, Brennen graduated from Valparaiso University with a BA in Communication and a minor in Cinema and Media Studies. After covering Arts & Entertainment at his university's newspaper, he began writing for Country Chord in March of 2023. Known for his love of independent country and authentic songwriters, Brennen has a long-history of championing the likes of Zach Bryan, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers and many others.
After being postponed due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene back in October 2024, Field & Stream Fest was forced to move the event to October 3-5, 2025. With the postponement, the festival, spearheaded by Eric Church and Morgan Wallen’s partnership with the brand, made some adjustments to its original lineup, adding more acts and replacing a headliner. Hours ago, they took to Instagram to announce the full lineup: Field & Stream Music Fest will feature the likes of Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Riley Green, Bailey Zimmerman, Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top as headliners over its three-day run. Underrated…
After releasing one of the most successful debut albums in the streaming age with Religiously back in 2023 and continuing his success throughout 2024 with his fourth consecutive #1 hit, Where It Ends, there’s no denying that Bailey Zimmerman is one of the hottest stars in pop country at the moment. With his current single, “Holy Smokes,” continuing to climb the charts, Zimmerman just announced that he’s hitting the road this summer on his brand new New To Country tour, named after his single released back in June. In the Instagram post announcing the tour, the “Rock and a Hard…
Slow news day. As of late, it seems as if Zach Top can do no wrong. Whether it’s bringing back the classic ’90s sound that everyone has been craving, ripping cigarettes on stage or pouring beer in his Cheerios, Zach Top has quickly become a star in the genre. Even out of the studio, it seems like Top is gaining fans by the second, appearing with the likes of Riley Green and Post Malone in concert and providing some hilarious interview clips wherever he goes. Yesterday, Nick & Kristen, a married radio duo based in Portland, Oregon, took to TikTok…
Need it ASAP. Coming off a breakout year in 2024 which included a Billboard Music Award nomination for Best Country Duo/Group, over 500 million streams on Spotify alone and a plethora of different festival appearances including Lalapalooza, it’s safe to say Treaty Oak Revival is one of the hottest bands in the genre. Keeping the momentum into the new year, Treaty Oak just took to X to announce that they are officially in the studio recording their brand-new album with the post reading, “So it begins 👀 #album3.” The new project will mark the third entry in the Texas band’s…
A return to form in 2025? There’s no denying that Parker McCollum has reached star status at this point. With three #1 hits under his belt, four certified platinum tracks and a headlining appearance at nearly every country festival over the past year, the “Hell of a Year” singer has undoubtedly made an impact in the mainstream after years of being a Texas country darling. The major success hasn’t come without its share of criticism, however. Despite not changing his sound dramatically, much in the vein of many artists currently occupying country radio’s Top 10 list, many have accused McCollum…