For some country artists, getting a record deal is the pinnacle of their career. But some artists enjoy plenty of success on their own, doing everything as an independent artist. These three country artists all had impressive success on their own before signing a record deal.
Videos by American Songwriter
Cody Johnson
Cody Johnson released his first independent album, Black And White Label, in 2006. Johnson released five more records by himself before signing a record deal with Warner Music Nashville. His first album on a major label, Ain’t Nothin’ To It, came out in 2019. The record includes “On My Way To You”, Johnson’s first Top 20 single.
But even on his own, the Texan was having success, selling out venues and having moderate success with radio airplay, including “With You I Am”, which became a Top 40 single. Johnson actually could have signed a record deal long before he did. But the deals came with stipulations, mainly that he lose his cowboy hat. It was a stipulation that Johnson, a true cowboy, was unwilling to do.
“They were like, ‘The cowboy hat doesn’t work, and you need to change your sound, and you’re gonna have to play the game,’” Johnson recalls to The Line of Best Fit. “Basically, you’re gonna have to sign your life away if you want a record deal. And I wasn’t willing to do that.”
“I’d rather go to bed with my integrity than with millions of dollars,” he adds.
Jelly Roll
For Jelly Roll, “Save Me” is the song that changed everything for him. Jelly Roll had for years been releasing music on his own, after getting out of jail and determining never to return.
Jelly Roll’s first independent album, The Big Sal Story, came out in 2012. The Nashville native followed that with Sobriety Sucks, released four years later. Jelly Roll released a total of seven albums on his own, including Self Medicated. Out in 2020, the record includes “Save Me”.
Inspired by the struggles brought on by 2020 and the loss of his father, Jelly Roll admitted “Save Me” was a departure for him. When he released the song, he captioned the video by saying, “This one is a little bit of a curveball for me. I don’t usually do these stripped-down acoustic videos, but writing this song made me feel something and I felt y’all needed some insight into the more vulnerable side of the music business.”
The song went viral, leading Jelly Roll to BBR Music Group. He has released three studio albums as a signed artist and is currently working on his fourth. In 2023, Jelly Roll released “Save Me” again, this time with Lainey Wilson. The song became his third consecutive No. 1 single at country radio.
Lainey Wilson
If anyone can illustrate that hard work and tenacity pay off, it’s Lainey Wilson. Wilson moved from her small town of Baskin, Louisiana, to Nashville right after high school, determined to carve out a career for herself in country music.
Wilson famously lived in a camper for three years, watching her friends succeed while she did whatever she could to make ends meet. Although it took years, she began building a fanbase, releasing two albums on her own, Lainey Wilson and Tougher, along with two EPs.
Wilson’s hard work eventually paid off. She first signed a publishing deal, which was followed by a record deal with BBR Music Group. Now, Wilson is grateful for the hard years.
“It taught me that this thing was not going to be easy. It taught me perseverance,” she tells The Advocate.
In 2020, Wilson released her debut single, “Things A Man Oughta Know”, from her freshman Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin‘ album. The song became her first of nine No. 1 singles to date.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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