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His very first #1 hit at country radio. Today, Koe Wetzel scored his first chart-topper with "High Road (featuring Jessie Murph)," which was featured on his 9 Lives album that came out in July. It sits at the top of the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart this week, which is one of two charts labels use to officially track their songs performance (along with the Mediabase chart). It's the first #1 at country radio for both artists, and got to the top pretty quickly after being officially sent to country radio upon the album's release in July: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDz-coqxZtn/ "High Road" quickly became a fan-favorite and has put up crazy streaming crazy numbers, and already became the highest-charting debut of both of their careers after it debuted at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June (which encompasses all musical genres). The song was written by Koe along with Amy Allen, Carrie Karpinen and producer Gabe Simon, and finds Koe taking the “high road” both literally and metaphorically, as he uses a different approach to a conflict in a rocky relationship, deciding not to fight back but rather take some time to cool off (which also includes getting stoned, if that wasn’t obvious). While some fans were upset that it was a duet, after the version Koe teased was solo, I have really grown to love Jessie’s part and think she provided some beautiful harmonies too. Additionally, I think the song majorly benefited from having the depth and contrast of the female perspective she added… for me, the solo version almost sounds like something is missing without that element now, though it’s a super strong single too. I know she's laughing now, too, knowing that it ultimately became her first big hit... that's gotta feel good. The duet version is Koe’s first official single at country radio, and along with the release of the new record, has really helped him reach a new audience that will only continue to grow. It’s been really cool to watch his career evolve over the years, from being a (very popular) regional Texas act to now crossing over into the mainstream and performing on late night TV, and he’s just getting started. Honestly, it's hard to believe I'm even writing an article about Koe Wetzel scoring a #1 hit at country radio, but I'm not all that surprised because I think many of us who have been fans for years now always saw this coming in a lot of ways, too. Koe has talked about how this album was created to put him in the mainstream spotlight, and is definitely softer, and much less profane and explicit, than records that are cult favorites like Noise Complaint and Harold Saul High. Clearly, that strategy has proven successful, and it's very well-deserved and hard-earned. Koe has worked for years, touring more than just about anybody both in Texas and all over the country, earning fans over with his high-energy, hardcore rock and roll live show that is second to none. A huge congratulations to both Koe and Jessie, and here's to many more to come. "High Road" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyAKpowkUDA&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whiskeyriff.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE

We've been talking a lot about how 2024 was a fantastic year for country music, with the independent and independent adjacent scenes leading the way for sweeping improvements to much of the mainstream compared to the aggregate of years past. However, in at least one way, country music was the same old same this year. It's no secret that few women have truly reached stardom throughout country music's history. Sure, there's the iconic names such as Dolly, Reba, Shania, Martina, and Patsy (just to name a few) and you will never hear me say that there's a lack of good female country music artists, there's a ton, but when it comes to seeing that talent repaid as commercial success, country music has not been too kind to ladies on the whole. Maybe one day I'll do a deep dive and see what this actually looks like data-wise but the self-evident nature of the male dominated industry was once again on full display in 2024. 2024 Country Music Radio Charts Every year I'm always surprised (and I don't know why) at the sheer lack of songs that go number one during a given year. Sure, there's a million different charts you can look at to find an answer that better serves your end, but at the end of the day, you have to go with what Billboard says. In particular, we're looking at Billboard's Country Airplay chart, which tracks how popular singles are on the ever important (though less so these days) country radio machine. Admittedly, there's much more variety on the Country Airplay chart (28 total singles, including repeats) than the standard Hot Country Songs chart (7, including repeats) which factors in streaming and sales but the Country Airplay chart is honestly the best way to look directly at the ideology of the Nashville industry and understand exactly what the suits on Broadway and 16th Ave believe "Today's Country" looks like. For as much as we give country credit for turning things around, there's no denying that radio is lagging behind the trend... Country Airplay #1s Date - Artist - Song 1.6 - 2.24 - Nate Smith - "World On Fire" 3.2 - Warren Weiders "Pretty Little Poison" 3.9 - Cody Johnson "The Painter" 3.16 - Kane Brown "I Can Feel It" 3.23 - Thomas Rhett feat. Morgan Wallen "Mamaw's House" 3.30 - Hardy "Truck Bed" 4.6 - Chayce Beckham "23" 4.13 - Parker McCollum "Burn It Down" 4.20 - Morgan Wallen feat. Eric Church "Man Made A Bar" 4.27 - 5.11 - Sam Hunt "Outskirts" 5.18 - Jordan Davis "Tucson Too Late" 5.25 - Tyler Hubbard "Back Then Right Now" 6.1 - 6.8 - Bailey Zimmerman "Where It Ends" 6.15 - Jelly Roll "Halfway to Hell" 6.22 - Kenny Chesney "Take Her Home" 6.29 - 7.20 - Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen "I Had Some Help" 7.27 - Morgan Wallen feat. Ernest "Cowgirls" 8.3 - 9.14 - Shaboozey "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" 9.21 - Dustin Lynch feat. Jelly Roll "Chevrolet" 9.28 - 10.5 - Luke Combs "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma" 10.12 - 10.26 - Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton "Pour Me a Drink" 11.2 - Marshmello and Kane Brown "Miles on It" 11.9 - 11.16 - Jelly Roll "I Am Not Okay" 11.23 - Morgan Wallen "Lies Lies Lies" 11.30 - Jelly Roll "I Am Not Okay" 12.7 - Parmalee "Gonna Love You" 12.14 - Ella Langley feat. Riley Green "You Look Like You Love Me" 12.21 - George Birge "Cowboy Songs" Did you happen to notice anything? For starters, it definitely doesn't back up the theory that mainstream country actually improved this year. Kane Brown, Tyler Hubbard, heck Parmalee had a number one this year? I didn't even know they were still making music... But the one thing that immediately jumped off the page was the shocking lack of female artists. In fact, there's only one female name on the entire list, and she's one of the country artists who made the biggest statement in 2024. Ella Langley Ella Langley was the only female artist to top the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2024. The more prominent Hot Country Songs chart wasn't any better, with only Kacey Musgraves (as part of her duet with Zach Bryan on "I Remember Everything") and Beyonce (despite the whole "is it country, is it not country" debacle) making an appearance. It's also worth noting that Ella is joined by Riley Green (a man, for those playing along at home), which does somewhat cheapen the honor, but it really shows in black and white the issue we've long talked about here. No matter how good a record is, it just doesn't get the same treatment and radio play as objectively worse music by vanilla dudes who couldn't play their high school, as Eric Church put it. Did Miranda Lambert not release a stellar project with Postcards From Texas? Did Lainey Wilson drop off the face of the planet after releasing Whirlwind? Has Megan Moroney not been praised by insiders and outsiders alike for the quality of songwriting and focus on country instrumentation on Am I Okay? Does the industry no longer love Carly Pearce or even Kelsea Ballerini (whose album Patterns was actually pretty good)? While I recognize just how big of a moment the whole "You Look Like You Love Me" duet was, it's a shame that Ella's sophomore album Hungover is viewed as nothing more than the vehicle holding that song with Riley Green. It's a great project that shows Ella finding her voice and blooming into the artist she's destined to become, clocking in at 23 on Whiskey Riff's Top 40 Country Albums Of 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVBiXmftM6E A few years back I did a piece questioning who would become the next big female star as Carrie Underwood and Miranda's career start to wind down a bit (though Miranda proved this year that she's still as good as ever). Then, I put my money on Ashley McBryde, who (sadly) continues to be the single most undervalued artist in the entire genre, and floated Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, and Morgan Wade as other potential contenders. The Lainey pick proved to be a good one but while Carly and Morgan's careers have been great, they're unfortunately, but without question, still held in a lower tier than the true megastars of the industry (think Carrie, Miranda, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan), despite deserving more. But the prompt itself brought up a deeper point. Why is there always only one or two women country music stars at any given time? We can look at a Top 10 list of all dudes and not blink an eye but a Top 10 list of all women is truly nothing more than a pipe-dream at this point. And look, I'm not some equitable inclusion person that's demanding 100% equal chart representation between men and women at all times. I don't want to start seeing bad song chart just because they're performed by women, but I do want to see truly incredible art made by women get a fair shake at success. It's hard to argue that there's not some sort of barrier for women to reach the very top in country music. Not saying they can't make a great living out of playing songs and earn themselves a loyal fanbase, but I am saying that there's just something that slows many female artists down as they near the upper echelon. Big shoutout to Ella Langley for representing women on country radio this year. There's lots of big things in store for her just a short while down the road and I'm excited to see where she takes us next. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm2TSMerGPQ

Stephen Wilson Jr. is a big fan of the legendary Willie Nelson. And who isn't really? The 91-year-old has made a career on being his unapologetic, country-music-playing self. I think we can all look at the career he's had - and the legacy he's weaved together - and learn a lot of "hero worthy" things from the great Willie Nelson. One person that certainly thinks so is up-and-coming country music artist Stephen Wilson Jr. He's previously been referred to as "Death Cab for Country" since he draws inspiration from indie rock, grunge and then obviously country music. His unique sound can be compared to a number of artists and groups, but one that he's proud to have mimicked is the Red-Headed Stranger. Wilson Jr. got more into that during an interview on The Dan Patrick Show, where Stephen Wilson spoke about his newest album Son Of Dad and even played a couple of his songs for the sports talk show host. Right before he got into one of songs, Patrick asked Stephen if his visibly beat up guitar would be able to take playing another song. Wilson Jr. responded with: "It might or it might not. It's held together by the bonds of masking tape and drawings." Dan Patrick then flexed some of his country music knowledge and likened Wilson Jr's guitar to Willie Nelson's famous "Trigger," which is a modified Martin N-20 nylon-string acoustic. Much of Nelson's signature sound is attributed to his tried-and-true guitar, and Stephen Wilson Jr. admires that - among other things about Willie: "Willie Nelson is my hero - as a guitar player, singer and songwriter. He's the greatest of all time. I learned how to play a lot of guitar from him, because he plays classical nylons. Or we call them 'gut strings,' with a pick, which is not very common. And he plays through an amp, not very common either. I basically steal everything from Willie." Wilson Jr. went on to explain to those that were listening to the program (rather than watching it) what the guitar looked like, and how it got into the condition that it's now in: "This guitar, because I play with a pick, it just destroys it. These are meant to be played with your fingers and they're designed to be played like that. Not like this (with a pick). This (pick) just shovels away and there's piles of sawdust on the floor after each show. I literally leave my guitar behind every show. There are pieces of its DNA on stage every night." Some might view the way the country artist treats his guitar as a lack of TLC, but in Stephen's mind, he's just helping the guitar to fulfill its purpose. Sure, it's not the shiniest or smoothest looking guitar. Wilson Jr. admits that - and insists that's not how guitars are supposed to exist anyways: "Personally I like that better than preserving this guitar forever. I think guitars are meant to be played, not hung up on a wall and treasured. I think this is what this guitar is meant to be doing... shedding itself on stage every night. And this is what it looks like after." That's actually a really poignant sentiment to carry about guitars, and something tells me Wilson Jr.'s view on an instrument's purpose is yet another thing that he and Willie Nelson would have in common. You can view the interview, along with performances of "Father's Son" and "I'm A Song" by Stephen Wilson Jr. in the interview below: https://youtu.be/a7vpgYoX5W4?si=nYpO3ulopi59jvyr&t=543

Flatland is giving fans even more. Flatland Cavalry released Flatland Forever this fall to celebrate their 10th anniversary. The album featured hits from each of its studio projects, Humble Folks, Homeland Insecurity, Welcome To Countryland, and Wandering Star, as well as its two EPs, Come May and Songs To Keep You Warm. It also included four new songs, some alternate versions of previously released tracks, and commentary from the band. Today, the Lubbock, Texas-founded band gave fans even more content by releasing Flatland Forever(more). The expanded record features more work tapes, commentary pieces, and more. This album has indeed been the gift that keeps on giving. https://www.instagram.com/p/DDz1YkxSYkY/ While the expansion of the album features many stellar pieces of commentary for what inspired a song, one of my favorites is the commentary surrounding their hit "A Life Where We Work Out," featuring Kaitlin Butts. The slow, sad fiddle tune is one of the band's most well-loved songs, and tying in Butts into the track not only allows for Cleto to sing alongside his wife but adds the split commentary of a man and woman both wishing they lived in a life where they ended up together. Given how loved this song is (and it's one of my favorites), I ran to listen to the commentary track surrounding this single. "'A Life Where We Work Out,' this next song I wrote, never intending for it to be a duet. It's just a really sad song written about a relationship I had demolished by my own stupidity and hurtfulness, so it's a rather sad song. I played it for a friend and he told me, 'Man you are pathetic, this has got to be a duet.' And right when he said that I thought of this girl's voice I had heard on the radio recently named Kaitlin Butts. She came and sang on the song, and she turned it into a hopeful song, making it about two people rather than just about one sad boy. I'm super grateful for it because it changed my life, it led me to meet my wife, and it's the first song we ever had that's gone gold. It's just proof of a good thing coming out of a bad situation." https://www.instagram.com/p/DDf5I1RO8F_/ A sad song leading to the start of a beautiful relationship. Kaitlin recalled meeting Cleto to record "A Life Where We Work Out" in a 2020 interview with Voyage Dallas: "Flatland was looking for a female for a duet, 'A Life Where We Work Out.' I recorded it; Cleto and I had a great connection right off the bat, and a couple of years later, he and I moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Fort Worth and are now engaged to be married this fall. We both travel, playing music, and I sometimes join his band on the road. I now also have a place to stay in Nashville, TN, as I am spending a lot of time writing songs..." They truly did make it to a life where they worked out. After the traditional studio cut of the single plays on the tracklist, it's followed by a stunning acoustic take of the song Flatland refers to as the "First Dance Cut." The stripped-back version turns it into a tender love song and features the song in the light Cleto initially thought it would be, a solo male vocalist. If you're a fan of "A Life Where We Work Out," you will be a fan of this "First Dance Cut." Turn it all the way up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9PG_inuVL4

While we can’t promise that your journey to grandma’s house this year will be enjoyable, we know of a few travel tips to make it less stressful.