The Red Clay Strays are America’s hottest band right now.
They’ve been grinding for years now, rising out of the Mobile, Alabama gulf shore scene and gaining a solid fan base with the release of their impressive debut album Moment of Truth in 2022. But with only those 12 songs in the catalog and a grueling road dog touring schedule to boast, the Red Clay Strays occupied an interesting place in relative country music obscurity for a while.
Still, for those who were familiar with their music, and especially those who had already witnessed their spectacular live show, there was a buzz about them. What they’ve been doing has been special, and it was just a matter of time until the opportunities arose for them to take the next steps in their career and play their music in front of the masses.
But as optimistic and hopeful as the fan base was for the Red Clay Strays’ success, I don’t think anyone could have truly projected the meteoric rise they have experienced over the last 7 months or so.
The shows were already starting to get bigger, opening for country music superstars like Dierks Bentley and Eric Church, among others, but it was after a session with Wyoming-based music media brand Western AF that their song “Wondering Why” experienced unprecedented virality, and the years of grinding finally seemed to start paying off. Things changed pretty fast.
Now, the Red Clay Strays’ are selling out venues everywhere they go, including three nights in a row at bucket list venues like The Caverns in Pelham, TN and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The fans keep playing their music, the venues are getting bigger but the tickets harder to get, and in the midst of this whirlwind of an ascension, the band has been working on their highly anticipated sophomore record with hit producer Dave Cobb.
Just as it seems like the Strays’ momentum couldn’t get any stronger, they made another big announcement yesterday, having signed with major label RCA Records. It’s great to see the good guys win.
“Well since the cat is out of the bag we figured we should go ahead and let y’all know because we want you to hear it from us first. We’re super excited to announce that we have signed with RCA Records. Signing with a record label wasn’t something we originally set out to do. It’s also not something that we rushed doing.
Over the last 6 months, it has become very clear to us that we’re going to need all the help we can get in keeping up with our rapidly growing demand while also reaching new fans all over the world. After many meetings and much praying, we all truly feel that RCA is the best choice for us!
We can’t thank y’all enough for the love and support you’ve shown us over the last seven years! We wouldn’t have made it this far without y’all. We’re excited to see what the future holds!
The sky is the limit for the Red Clay Strays, and we’re all lucky to be a part of the ride. If you’ve been living under a rock and somehow haven’t heard any of their music yet, here are a few of my favorites.
“Wondering Why”
“Stone’s Throw”
“Killers”
Recently adding a sixth band member to the outfit, the Strays’ are comprised of frontman Brandon Coleman, guitarists Drew Nix and Zach Rishel, bassist Andrew Bishop, John Hall on drums, and new member Sevans Henderson on the keys. Together, they put on one of the best shows in music, if not the best, and highly recommend catching a show if they come near your city and you’re able to get your hands on some tickets. You’ll be glad you did, because these guys won’t be playing venues at this size for much longer.
Check out their tour dates here:
4/6 – Grind City Music Festival – Memphis, TN*
4/7 – Tortuga Music Festival – Fort Lauderdale, FL*
4/14 – Cattle Country Fest – Gonzales, TX*
4/18 – Moon Crush – Miramar Beach, FL*
4/19 – Tuffy’s Music Box – Sanford, FL^
4/20 – The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon – Fort Myers, FL^
4/21 – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra, FL^
4/27 – Macon Amphitheater – Macon, GA~
4/28 – Rabbit Rabbit – Asheville, NC@
4/29 – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater – Wilmington, NC@
5/3 – Intrust Bank Arena – Wichita, KS#
5/4 – Calf Fry Festival – Stillwater, OK*
5/5 – Sweet Beats Music Festival – Sugar Land, TX*
5/9 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO~
5/17 – Jimmie Rogers Music Festival – Meridian, MS*
5/18 – Troubadour Festival – College Station, TX*
5/19 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK%
5/24 – Harvard Athletics – Boston, MA
5/25 – Boston Calling Festival – Allston, MA*
6/2 – Railbird Music Festival – Lexington, KY*
6/7 – Shawnee Cave Revival – Murphysboro, IL*
6/8 – Laurel Cove Music Festival – Pineville, KY*
6/21 – The Caverns – Pelham, TN$
6/22 – The Caverns – Pelham, TN!
6/23 – The Caverns – Pelham, TN+
6/27 – Billy Bob’s – Fort Worth, TX<
6/29 – Cottonfest – Lubbock, TX*
7/10 – The Bluestone – Columbus, OH&
7/11 – The Bluestone – Columbus, OH&
7/12 – Windy City Smokeout – Chicago, IL*
7/13 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI&
7/20 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT=
7/21 – FairWell Festival – Redmond, OR*
7/24 – Spokane Live – Airway Heights, WA=
7/25 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR=
7/26 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA=
7/27 – Abayance Bay Marina – Rexford, MT=
8/2 – Basilica Block Party – Minneapolis, MN*
8/3 – Val Air Ballroom – West Des Moines, IA
8/10 – XRoads41 – Oshkosh, WI*
8/23 – Stanford Hall – Bottesford, United Kingdom*
8/24 – The Long Road Festival – Bottesford, United Kingdom*
8/31 – Caveman Music Festival – Weston, CO*
9/4 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN%%
9/5 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN==
9/6 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN^^
9/13 – Bristol Rhythm & Roots Festival – Bristol, TN*
10/4 – Country Calling Festival – Ocean City, MD*
*Festival Date
^support from Kat Hasty
~supporting Turnpike Troubadours
@support from Troubadour Blue
#supporting Trampled by Turtles
%support from Taylor Hunnicutt
$support from Maggie Antone
!support from Eddie 9V
+support from Adam Hood
<support from Calder Allen
&support from Justin Jeansonne
=support from Nolan Taylor
%%support from Taylor Hunnicutt & Aaron Ratiere
==support from Nolan Taylor & The Castellows
^^support from Pony Bradshaw & Ben Chapman
