How time flies. Before he was one of the hottest acts in the independent country scene, Wyatt Flores was just another up-and-coming artist with only one song, “Losing Sleep,” being available on streaming. Despite receiving some buzz in certain indie circles, Flores hadn’t quite gotten the attention that he deserved. That all changed when he dropped his first full band single, “Please Don’t Go,” on July 14, 2022. Since its release, “Please Don’t Go” has become Flores’ most successful song to date, racking up over 128 million streams on Spotify alone. More notably, it became his first-ever RIAA-certified gold and…
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.
“So, let me know what I’m feeling, ’cause I’m having trouble breathing.” With the release of Western White Pines last year, Colby Acuff solidified himself as one of the premier artists in the independent/alt country scene. While it seems like a tough task to follow up a record as good as Western White Pines, it’s looking like he’s doing just that with his new, 16-track album, American Son, which is slated for an August 23rd release. Today, Acuff called on the fast-rising trio, The Castellows, for the fifth pre-released track off of American Son, “How Do I Feel Alive.” The “If I Were The Devil” singer…
Riding the highs of his sophomore album, The Man I Want To Be, Chris Young decided to double down on the neotraditional sound that he had grown to be known for with the release of Neon on July 12, 2011. The album contains 10 tracks (12 if you count the iTunes/Apple Music exclusives, “I’m Gonna Change That” and “Don’t Leave Her”). Young co-wrote nine of the 12 songs on Neon including “Tomorrow.” Popular Nashville co-writers such as Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Luke Laird and Chris DuBois also round out this star-studded writing group on the record. Neon’s biggest single is the 2x platinum hit, Tomorrow. The track is an absolute stunner to this day…
There’s no doubt that the Turnpike Troubadours are one of the most influential bands in country music. Despite not having eye-catching streaming numbers and chart success, the Oklahoma band has influenced some of the biggest artists in the red dirt scene ranging from Zach Bryan to Flatland Cavalry to Wyatt Flores. Today, none other than one of the hottest duos in the genre, Muscadine Bloodline, are the latest to tribute the band with their brand new single, “Tickets to Turnpike,” featuring none other than Turnpike’s very own Kyle Nix on fiddle. The pair teased the song for the first time…
The plot thickens. Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past month or so, you’ve surely seen the viral clip of Haliey Welch, also known as the “Hawk Tuah” girl, somewhere across the internet. In case you haven’t seen the clip, TikTok Creators, Tim & Dee TV, approached Welch and her friend, Bradford, on the streets of Nashville during CMA Fest and birthed the viral sensation that is now “hawk tuah.” Words don’t really do the interaction justice, so you’ll just have to watch it for yourself in case you still somehow haven’t seen it (which at this rate,…
“That’s why I hang my hat in Tennessee.” Out of the record-setting 60 #1 hits that the legendary George Strait has recorded, “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” remains one of the most popular to this day. Whether it is the iconic steel guitar and fiddle in the intro or the simply satisfying, clever rhyme that is “all my ex’s live in Texas,” it’s clear to see why this song has stood the test of time for The King. Written by the then-married duo, Whitey and Lyndia Shafer, “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” serves as a bit of a biography for Whitey. While discussing the…