Doesn’t get better than this.
It’s safe to say that it’s been a pretty busy month for Ole 60. Since bursting onto the scene with the viral, now certified gold track, “Smoke & a Light,” in 2023, the Kentucky band has been making waves in the alt. country scene for the better part of two years. And after what felt like years of anticipation, they finally released their debut album, Smokestack Town, just a few weeks ago on October 3rd.
Highlighting everything that makes Ole 60 unique, complete with their patented grunge-influenced country sound and soul-crushing lyricism from frontman, Jacob Ty Young, Smokestack Town proved to many why the band has remained of of the hottest groups in the genre today. As expected, the record is chock-full of standout tracks, ranging from the melancholy “Let You Down” to the brutally honest “Really Wanna Know.” With that being said, however, the most impactful song for many fans was none other than their highly-anticipated cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow.”
In case you’re unfamiliar with Ole 60’s relationship with “Yellow,” it’s become nothing short of a setlist staple for the band, being played at nearly every show the past year. Their cover has also gone viral on TikTok a countless number of times, with multiple live performance clips receiving hundreds of thousands of views along with tens of thousands of likes consistently. The virality comes with good reason, obviously. It’s simply that good.
It’s no stretch to say “Yellow” is the centerpiece of Coldplay’s deep discography, having over 3.2 billion streams on Spotify alone and platinum status in eight different countries, including being 4x platinum here in the U.S. Covering a song as popular as “Yellow” can oftentimes be risky, given how beloved it is for many. In Ole 60’s case, however, fans everywhere have fallen in love with their version and have already streamed it over 2 million times on Spotify alone since its release four weeks ago.
Last night in Lexington, Kentucky, during their first of two nights at The Burl, the Kentucky natives delivered one of their best performances of the Coldplay track to date — this time with a special guest.
After treating fans to past hits such as “Brother Joe” and “Next To You,” new tracks, “Smokestack Town” and “Say the Word” as well as a cover of Alice in Chains’ legendary “Nutshell,” Ole 60 decided to call upon none other than fellow rising alt. country star, Kashus Culpepper, for the night’s rendition of “Yellow,” and they absolutely crushed it.
As we all know by now, Jacob Ty Young’s voice seems to be made perfectly for the difficult vocal runs on the track, and it’s arguably never sounded as good as it does here. Throw in the likes of Culpepper, who has proven more than once that he has one of the best, soulful voices in the genre, and you have yourself an all-time cover performance from the two rising alternative country stars.
Additionally, if you’re a fan of Culpepper, he just announced last week that his debut album, Act I, is releasing on January 23rd. For more information about the album, read here.
Watch here:
@ole60archive @Ole 60 brought out @Kashus Culpepper for ‘Yellow’ in Lexington 🤩 #ole60 ♬ original sound – Ole 60 Archive
While you’re here, fire up the studio version from Smokestack Town.
Ole 60 Tour Dates
October 31 – Lexington, Kentucky – The Burl
November 21 – United Central, Florida – St. Pete Country Fest 2025
November 22 – Jacksonville, Florida – FIVE
December 11 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The Criterion
December 12 – Springfield, Missouri – The Shrine Mosque
December 13 – Omaha, Nebraska – Steelhouse Omaha
December 31 – Owensboro, Kentucky – Owensboro Sportscenter
