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If You Love Zach Bryan, Here’s 10 Other Artists You Need To Be Listening To
It’s hard to imagine a more fascinating artist in today’s country music landscape than Zach Bryan. In a six-year span, the “Something in the Orange” singer has gone from recording his debut album, DeAnn, in a Florida Airbnb and scoring viral hits online to selling his publishing catalog for a staggering $350 million and, most notably, setting the record for highest-attended concert in U.S. history when he performed to a crowd of 112,408 at Michigan Stadium.
Though there’s no doubt that artists such as Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson and Cody Jinks were the forefathers of the current independent and alternative country renaissance we’ve currently been experiencing over the better half of a decade, there’s no denying that Bryan was the one who blew the door off the hinges, so to speak. While Childers and Simpson, and in a way, Chris Stapleton, paved the way for the death of some of the worst country music had to offer in the genre in late 2010s, the Oklahoma native quite clearly paved the path for a more folk-inspired, songwriting-centric style of country that had been severely lacking over the past decade or so. Raw (sometimes even bad) production, introspective and emotional lyricism, Zach’s stripped-down style cuts straight to the hearts of his fans, connecting deep down on a level that you’ll rarely ever find on country radio.
Thanks to his success, he’s opened the gates for a plethora of different artists who exist in the same lo-fi, acoustic sound that he made famous upon the release of DeAnn. Though it would be remiss to say that his success has also brought out a seemingly endless amount of copycats, some of which quite frankly feel derivative, there’s no doubt that the Oklahoma native has allowed fellow artists to experience success that they otherwise never would have had due to the popularity of Bryan.
If you’re a fan of Zach Bryan, here are 10 other talented artists that have to be on your radar.
1. Dylan Gossett
Existing in a similar space as Bryan, the Austin native has worn his influences on his sleeve. Being inspired by a wide range of artists, ranging from Turnpike Troubadours and Flatland Cavalry to The Eagles and Ed Sheeran, they all come through in subtle ways through his mix of country, folk and Americana stylings.
It’s clear that Gossett definitely takes a more stripped-back approach to production as Bryan did back in the DeAnn and Elisabeth days, and his songwriting and storytelling ability rival that of the “I Remember Everything” singer. Like Bryan, the Austin native has a knack for placing you, as a listener, into a specific moment and time
This is best displayed on his stellar debut album from last year, Westward, which showcases all of his strengths beautifully. If you’re a fan of Bryan’s early work, Gossett is absolutely an artist that should be on your radar.
Key Tracks: “Coal,” “Lone Old Cowboy,” “Sweet Lady”
2. Waylon Wyatt
Easily the youngest artist on this list, at 19 years old, Waylon Wyatt has proven that he’s wise beyond his years. Making his debut at only 17 in 2023 with his debut single, “Arkansas Diamond” and “Everything Under The Sun,” the teenage songwriter has only gotten better with age.
Vocally, it’s hard to ignore the similarities in Wyatt’s voice compared to the early stylings of both Bryan and Childers. Though he has yet to release his debut album, his discography is already chock-full of diverse tracks ranging from ballads like “Arkansas Diamond” and “I’d Be Delighted” and heartbreakers such as the Willow Avalon collaboration, “Smoke & Embers” to introspective musings about family on 2025’s standout single, “Sincerely, Your Son.”
Key Tracks: “Arkansas Diamond,” “I’d Be Delighted,” “Sincerely, Your Son”
3. Sam Barber
If Bryan is the king of folk-country, there’s reason to argue that Sam Barber is the prince.
Since breaking out with his viral hit, “Straight and Narrow,” back in 2022, Barber has been one of the premier artists in the ever-growing scene over the past few years. With one of the most unique, raspy voices in the genre, a knack for penning some moving, self-critical tracks and a style that sounds like a mix between Bryan himself and folk bands like The Lumineers, Barber has continued to impress from release to release.
After dropping his debut album, Restless Mind, in 2024, which contained the certified-platinum smash hit with Avery Anna, “Indigo,” the Missouri native followed that up with another stellar EP in 2025, Music for the Soul. Like Bryan, he has an incredible knack for delivering a plethora of introspective tracks such as “Man of the Year,” “S.O.B.” and “Man You Raised.”
Key Tracks: “Indigo” (feat. Avery Anna), “Straight and Narrow,” “78”
4. Jack Van Cleaf
If you’ve been following Bryan closely over the years, I’m sure you’re keen on Jack Van Cleaf. Frequently being posted by the “Plastic Cigarette” singer, Van Cleaf is undoubtedly one of the most underrated songwriters working today. While fans of Bryan will definitely recognize him, given that the Oklahoman hopped on a re-recording of JVC’s stellar 2023 track, “Rattlesnake, which he called one of the “best written songs of all time,” there’s a lot to love from his solo work.
Though Van Cleaf is more of an alternative folk singer compared to a strictly country artist, like Bryan, his songwriting cannot be ignored. Offering up unique, introspective looks on everything from love to life to the state of our planet on his 2025 track “Green,” the California native remains one of the best storytellers in any genre today.
Key Tracks: “Shouldn’t Have Gone to L.A.,” “I Had You for a Second,” “Cowboy”
5. Kat Hasty
With so many female country singers finally getting the love they deserve after years of being all but forgotten by the industry, it still baffles me that Kat Hasty has flown under the radar of so many for so long. Simply put, there’s so much to love with her as an artist. Beyond her unique vocals, which truly don’t have a one-to-one comparison, her biting wit and ability to pen a wide variety of different tracks make her a wholly complete artist despite having a limited discography as of 2026.
Though her debut album last year, The Time of Your Life, was one of the standouts from a jam-packed 2025, fans of Bryan will likely connect a bit more to her debut EP, 2021’s Drowning In Dreams. Stripped-back and raw in nature, the project contains some stellar reflections on tracks like “City of Shame,” “Dear Mama” and “Pretty Things.”
Key Tracks: “Pretty Things,” “The West Ain’t Wild Anymore,” “Where the Wildflowers Lay”
6. J.R. Carroll
As Bryan’s pianist and additional acoustic guitar player, many know that Carroll is a key part of his killer backing band. What some don’t know, however, is that he has a stellar solo discography that, in some ways, rivals his dear friend’s.
Like the “28” singer, Carroll is also an expert songwriter, penning some absolute heartwrenchers such as “Stay,” “Never Was Mine” and “Never Knew Your Name.” Additionally, he’s shown a knack for narrative songs on tracks like “Where the Red Fern Grows” and “Preacher Man.”
Given how close the two are, it’s pretty safe to say that if you enjoy Bryan, you’re going to love Carroll. Do not sleep on him.
Key Tracks: “Never Was Mine,” “Preacher Man,” “Where the Red Fern Grows”
7. John Moreland
Though they got into an incredibly public, toxic beef which resulted in Bryan outright removing Moreland from their collaboration on The Great American Bar Scene’s “Memphis; The Blues,” there’s simply no denying how much inspiration the “Revival” singer has drawn from his fellow Oklahoman singer/songwriter over the years.
Since his debut in 2011 with Earthbound Blues, the Oklahoma native has proven time and again that he can deliver some of the most introspective and ultimately soul-crushing collections of poetry in the entire genre. Best known for tracks such as “Break My Heart Sweetly,” “You Don’t Care for Me Enough to Cry” and “Hang Me in The Tulsa County Stars,” Moreland has the unique ability to pen tracks that simply stick with you and linger in the back of your mind long after a listen. Simply put, he has a way of touching on themes of abandonment and loneliness that very few can ever dream of.
Though Bryan typically tops many best songwriters lists, in my opinion, Moreland deserves placement above him. His discography simply cannot be ignored.
Key Tracks: “You Don’t Care Enough for Me to Cry,” “Losing Sleep Tonight,” “Break My Heart Sweetly”
8. Evan Honer
Much like Bryan over the past three or so years, a bulk of the Arizona native’s discography exists somewhere between alternative and folk. Also similar to Bryan, Honer has the ability to deliver some absolute soul-crushers from a variety of unique perspectives.
In particular, tracks from his 2024 sophomore album, Fighting For, such as “Mr. Meyers,” “Take Me As I Come” (featuring Wyatt Flores), “Greetings from Tulsa, Oklahoma” and “I Hope That’s All You Need” are some stripped-back tracks that let his ability to deliver some absolute gut-punches lyrically shine through. If you’ve been a fan of Bryan’s experimentation with alt-folk sounds on his 2023 self-titled album, I’d recommend checking out Honer, starting with the aforementioned Fighting For.
Key Tracks: “Mr. Myers,” “Idk Sh*t About Cars,” “Greetings from Tulsa, Oklahoma”
9. Noeline Hofmann
If you’re a fan of the Oklahoma native, Noeline Hofmann is sure to ring a bell. In addition to appearing on 2024’s The Great American Bar Scene and teaming up with Bryan on “Purple Gas” (which Hofmann wrote independently), she also joined him for a plethora of high-profile shows in 2025, including his Golden Gate Park concert in San Francisco and his sold-out show in Dublin.
Though the Canadian singer/songwriter has a limited discography, with only an EP and covers of Guy Clark’s “Dublin Blues” and Luke Bell’s “The Bullfighter” as singles, the sky is truly the limit for Hofmann. In an era where songwriting is all the rage, she has already proven she has the ability to be one of the premier pens in the genre.
If you’re a fan of Bryan’s narrative-driven songs, such as “Jamie,” “Matt and Audie” and “Nine Ball,” you’ll love Hofmann’s sprawling tracks like “Rodeo Junkies.”
Key Tracks: “The Way You Bring Me To Tears,” “Rodeo Junkies,” “One Hell of a Woman”
10. Ole 60
Self-described as “not your father’s country band,” Ole 60 has been making waves in the alt. country scene since their debut in 2023. Since bursting onto the scene with the viral, now certified gold track, “Smoke & A Light,” the Kentucky band has continually released stellar track after stellar track, highlighted best by their sophomore 2024 EP, Songs About You.
Though they lean much heavier into the alternative rock scene compared to Bryan’s heartland rock/folk sound, when they strip back their sound on songs like “Let You Down” and “Thoughts Of You,” it’s hard not to notice the similarities. If you’re a rock fan who has slowly become a convert to Bryan’s style, Ole 60 will undoubtedly be right up your alley.
Key Tracks: “Let You Down,” “If You Really Want To Know,” “Thoughts Of You”
The post If You Love Zach Bryan, Here’s 10 Other Artists You Need To Be Listening To first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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