It’s hard to imagine a hotter band in any genre right now than The Red Clay Strays. Coming off of their first ACM Award win for Best New Duo/Group, the band has established themselves as one of the premiere groups in country music over the past few years. With viral hits such as “Wondering Why,” “Wanna Be Loved” and “I’m Still Fine,” Red Clay has absolutely skyrocketed up the ranks of today’s alt. country scene for good reason. Though it’s hard to classify them given their country, soul, southern rock and gospel roots, there’s no denying that they’re one of the most talented bands out there today.
This was showcased once again with one of their newest TikTok, a live performance video of none other than Hank Williams Jr.’s “Weatherman.”
Though it was never released as a single, “Weatherman” appeared on Hank Jr.’s legendary 1981 album, The Pressure Is On, which contains career staples such as “All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)” and “A Country Boy Can Survive.” Despite the track not receiving a ton of success commercially upon release, it has recently become one of Hank Jr.’s most popular songs online over the past few years. With over 56 million streams on Spotify alone, it most notably became a viral sound on TikTok back in 2023 with memes using the song in the background garnering millions of views per post.
Though many, especially older fans, are typically critical of a young band covering songs from legends such as Bocephus, nearly everyone in Red Clay’s comment section were absolutely loving the cover of “Weatherman” with many noting that it’s the best cover of the song they’ve ever heard.
“The only version I’ve ever heard besides Hank that is worth a sh*t. Probably be a hit again 👍👍👍“
“Holy Cow this is [the] best version I’ve heard since Hank Jr. came out with it.”
“Oh my God, please release your own version of weatherman
“Not many do it like Hank but you sure did it justice. 🤝“
“So I didn’t think there’d be a hank cover I love but here we are…”
“not joking for a second when I say there ain’t a man on God’s green earth that’s done a cover of this song justice besides Brandon Coleman”
“I need this on Spotify as soon as possible”
As many of the comments said, it’s not an easy task to nail a cover from such a beloved song from an artist such as Hank Jr., but Red Clay absolutely did. It’s no stretch to say that frontman, Brandon Coleman, has one of the most exciting voices in the genre today, sounding somewhere between Elvis and Chris Stapleton, and it’s displayed brilliantly here on “Weatherman.” I need an official release of the cover ASAP.
The Red Clay Strays will be embarking on their upcoming Get Right Tour soon beginning in July. Upcoming dates include the following:
- 7/3-5 Orange Beach, AL
- 7/20 Los Angeles, CA
- 7/24 San Francisco, CA
- 7/26 Bend, OR
- 7/27 Nampa, ID
- 7/31 Minneapolis, MN
- 8/2 Milwaukee, WI
- 8/3 Cleveland, OH
- 8/12 Columbus, OH
- 8/13 Indianapolis, IN
- 8/15 Wilmington, NC
Watch here: