Zach Bryan, the 27-year-old American country and folk singer/songwriter, is universally lovable due to his soulful music and touching coming-of-age story. Perhaps you have heard his #1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart, “Something in the Orange”, or the comforting hues of bluegrass in “Mine Again”. Regardless, Bryan’s raw music appeals to all genres. The depth created in his work by a self-made artist is incredibly rare today. His 4 albums, one of which is devoted to his late mother, “DeAnn” remind us of the pain and beauty in being human.
I am sure I can speak for all of us when I say that people love a good underdog. Zach Bryan, born in Japan and raised in Oklahoma, showed what it took to break away from the norm and toward his passion. Born from a long line of U.S. Navy servicemen and women, with his father being a master chief, his family was stationed in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan when he was born. They eventually moved to Oologah, Oklahoma when Zach was in the eighth grade, which is the inspiration for his small-town melodies and homey blues. Oolagah, the town that has (literally) one stop light, is the place where the self-made artist proudly anchors himself.
Following in the steps of his Navy seal parents and grandfather, Bryan joined the service at 17 years old. While he served, he still made time for his passion for songwriting and singing. A Youtube video of him, taken on his phone, singing “Heading South” with a guitar in hand on-base blew up overnight and gained him notoriety. He announced 8 years into his service that the Navy gave him their blessing to leave and pursue his music career. “Can’t tell if I’m a coward or if I’m chasing a dream but regardless, the best eight years of my life were spent serving the best country in the whole damn world”, he said on his Instagram after being honorably discharged. Here we are, a year later, with major-label songs, stacked albums, and a Grammy nomination. Thank you for both your service and artistry, Zach.
The two albums have racked up more than 240M streams and counting, with a healthy 7M streams per week.
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His success is found in his raspy voice, a mix of classic folk melody and outlaw country with a raw edge that cuts to the bone.
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Thankfully, Bryan has confirmed a new album which is set to be dropped in 2023, “Writers and Fighters”. I find this title to be an ironically accurate depiction of himself: a soldier and a songwriter. Living is multi-faceted. He embodies these different facets. His vocals range like his songs do: rhythmic, heart-wrenching, and pained, to fast-paced and rowdy. Everything about his work is real: his story, his goal, “fueled by a desire to stay true to himself”, and his songs, odes to loved ones, or fictional perspectives. Zach Lane Bryan restlessly trekked “a long hard road that was worth every mile. Still wearing the same boots”. Let’s hope for more magic from this proudly truthful human.