Don’t call The Red Clay Strays country.
Despite Brandon Coleman and his band being nominated for Vocal Group of the Year at the CMA Awards this year, they’d be the first to tell you that they don’t necessarily consider themselves country. Ever since the band from Mobile, Alabama burst onto the scene in 2022 (after forming some six years prior), they’ve rode the line between country music and whatever other genre they want.
And now it seems as though they’d prefer to fit under the category of “whatever other genre.”
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, frontman Brandon Coleman pointed out that they don’t see themselves as a country music group, and actually feel as though they better fit into another genre:
“I don’t think we’re country. I love country music. That’s what I was raised on. If anything, we’re Americana. And it’s funny, because actual country music like Sturgill and Tyler Childers get lumped into Americana.”
That’s actually a fair point from Coleman… which is why I take issue with the term “Americana.” Often times it ends up just being catch-all for anyone who is not mainstream, Nashville radio country. Tyler Childers has some thoughts on it…
Nevertheless, one could argue that the unique musical identity of The Red Clay Strays is what’s helped them become such a growing powerhouse in the music industry. Coleman went on to say that the sound of The Red Clay Strays is an amalgamation of many different genres, so it wouldn’t make sense to just slap one label on them – though if you did have to, country music seems to be the most popular choice:
“It’s all these different rhythms and genres coming together to form whatever sound it is we play now. I guess it’s country? But we’re kind of all over the place.”
Once again, a fair assessment.
To be clear, no one is complaining about The Red Clay Strays being all over the place. The group has shown so much versatility and range in their first two studio albums: Moment of Truth and Made By These Moments. I personally think that the band is tied to the country music genre because of the classic-country-esque songwriting and storytelling that their songs present.
There’s no doubt that their sound ranges from southern rock to blues and everything in between, but it’s the detailed and intentional storytelling of their songwriting that seems to have unintentionally placed them into country music. Regardless of what you want to classify them as, Coleman and The Red Clay Strays are enjoying the ride their currently on.
They credit the success they’ve experienced to the Big Man Upstairs, as well as the hard work and determination they’ve had since joining together:
“We try to put on a good show and just want to be an inspiration for people. You don’t lean against a shovel and pray for a hole. You’re going to have to do the work.”
Excuse me while I search for a t-shirt that says, “You don’t lean against a shovel and pray for a hole.” That’s one hell of a line from Coleman, and definitely sounds like something straight out of Ted Lasso’s greatest hits…
Whatever you want to call them, they’re here to stay. Earlier this month they released a stellar live album, recorded from the iconic Mother Church, The Ryman Auditorium: