The Year of The Red Clay Strays—Country Music Is Going Back to That Old Sound

2024 has been one of the most interesting years in country music in the recent past. Between Shaboozey and Post Malone taking the scene by force, country music has seen genre-bending songs and heavy-weight collaborations that have seemingly changed the business model for good. However, not everything Nashville is doing is new. Matter of fact, they’ve been banking on some old sounds to create new waves. One group encompassing that practice is The Red Clay Strays.

In addition to the Strays, other artists whose music is for the old souls are Zach Top, Ella Langley, and numerous others. Although, The Red Clay Strays have seemingly won the prize for best new, yet old-sounding country band due to the plethora of accolades and popularity they have gained over the last year. Just today CMA took to Instagram to announce that the Strays have become CMA Lifetime Members. That said, let’s see what other accomplishments they have racked up in the recent past.

“Wondering Why”

It may seem unfair to deduce their booming success to this one song, but it is true. The Red Clay Strays’ success reportedly started when their song “Wondering Why” became viral on TikTok. Even though the Strays released the song in 2022, it wasn’t until late 2023 that the song started to become heard everywhere. It was these unsuspected social media beginnings that led the song to garner 178 million streams in just two years, per Spotify.

Consequently, the group started to have more opportunities. Some of those opportunities include tours both domestically and internationally, performances at the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry, as well as appearances at CMA Fest.

In addition to these opportunities, the band has opened for Eric Church, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dierks Bentley, and Elle King. Furthermore, they recently had the song, “Caddo Country,” featured on the Twisters soundtrack. It might be an understatement, but since their claim to fame, The Red Clay Strays have been here, there, and everywhere.

It’s All Coming to Fruition for The Red Clay Strays

The reason why 2024 is seemingly the year for The Red Clay Strays is because all their hard work is paying off. As of now, the group has been nominated for two People’s Choice Country awards, one CMA award, and just recently won the Emerging Act of The Year award at the Americana Honors & Awards ceremony in Nashville.

Even if the Strays don’t walk away with a People Choice Country award or a CMA, they will still have had one of the more notably successful years in recent country music history. People can’t get enough of their old sound and classic ways, and the best part is that they’re just getting started.

Photo credit: Robby Klein