Now that we’re underway with another season of NBC’s The Voice, it’s only natural that we should look back to former winners. Bryce Leatherwood left an indelible impression when winning the 22nd season of the show in December 2022, and his professional music career is now starting to kick into high gear.
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For those who don’t remember, Leatherwood brought a title to coach Blake Shelton. And he did it playing music close to Shelton’s heart, as he focused his beyond-his-years baritone on neo-traditionalist country music. Let’s find out what he’s done since and what’s next in his budding career.
Bryce Leatherwood’s First Single
Georgia native Bryce Leatherwood took some time in the wake of his win on The Voice to decide on his next course of action. In October 2023, ten months after his win on the reality competition, he released his first single. “The Finger,” written by Brett Sheroky, Jeremy Spillman, and Randy Montana, found Leatherwood musing with gallows humor on an ex who left him behind: She got the ring and I got the finger.
That release came upon his signing with Republic Records and Universal Group Nashville. Two months later, Leatherwood returned to the scene of his triumph and performed the song on The Voice, gaining excellent exposure and giving the show’s fans the chance to see how he had developed.
‘The Voice’ Winner Does “Neon”
2024 has brought even more excitement for Bryce Leatherwood fans. In February, he released his second single and the first one for which he’s received a writing credit. “Neon Does” provides a jolt of excitement with its fun groove and vibe. Leatherwood plays the romancer in the song, trying to convince a reticent girl to give love a try. Tonight let’s let the neon do what the neon does, he sings.
Leatherwood spoke on the UMG Nashville website about how “Neon Does” came together with songwriters Matt McKinney and Alex Maxwell:
“The write happened pretty quickly. I was wanting to write something fun and upbeat that people would love to dance to. Someone threw out the line ‘Neon Does’ and it immediately sparked thoughts of Brooks and Dunn’s ‘Neon Moon’ and Chris Young’s ‘Neon.’ Once that idea was shared, the song just came out…I think we had it written in less than 90 minutes!”
Bryce Leatherwood Hitting the Road
Now that he has a few singles under his belt, it seems like the timing is right for Leatherwood’s first tour. The Neon Does tour will take him through 11 cities in eight states. It’s fitting that four of the shows, including the opener, will take place in his native Georgia. The tour begins on April 4 in Statesboro, GA, and concludes on May 11 in Louisville, KY.
Leatherwood continues to record, which means we could be seeing his first full-length album within this calendar year. If the first singles are any indication, he could prove to be one of The Voice’s greatest success stories.
(Image via @bryceleatherwood on Instagram)
