Subtle flex to say that you’ll start making country music eventually… right after you take home an award at the CMAs. Last night, country music fans were finally able to rejoice, as The Red Clay Strays took home the “Vocal Group of the Year” trophy at the 2025 CMA Awards. If you are an avid reader of Whiskey Riff, you might have caught my story from earlier this week where I said that the CMAs should be canceled altogether if they gave Old Dominion the award over The Red Clay Strays. Needless to say, I was very happy with the results of the awards show. Finally, the CMA Awards gave the Red Clay Strays their “we’re here” moment. Not only did they take home the award they were nominated for, the band – consisting of Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), Sevans Henderson (keys), and frontman Brandon Coleman – also gifted viewers and those in attendance with an impassioned performance of their latest hit single “People Hatin’.” And there’s a good chance that their performance acted as an introduction to the band for many, as crazy as that might sound. Especially considering they’ve already put out back-to-back musical masterpieces with their debut album, Moment of Truth, in 2022 and their Made By These Moments follow up in 2024. There’s another album on the way in 2026, so new and old fans of The Red Clay Strays alike have a lot to look forward to. But to stick with their big win at the CMA Awards for just a moment, it was very interesting to hear what Coleman had to say in the band’s time with the media post-awards. Once again, the frontman of the Red Clay Strays stated that he and the band don’t really see themselves as a country music group, but that they very much appreciate the genre, and plan on exploring more into it in the future: “We’re very thankful for it. We were a lot of different genres when we started playing together. John was more hard rock, Andrew was more funk and blues, Zach was more rock, Sevans was more jazz, and I was more country. I was the hick of the group. So country music has a very special place in my heart, and that’s the reason I always say we don’t really play country music, because when we get ready to make an actual country record, it’ll be country music. Because I think country music deserves to be recognized as a genre, so if you’re just playing rock n’ roll music, but calling it country music, I think that’s doing country a disservice. So that’s why I always say that. But we are all country boys and we’re Southern gentlemen, so we’re very happy to be accepted by the community – and we’ll eventually make some actual country music, too.” That’s both hilarious and exciting to hear. Most would already conclude that they are doing country music – or at least southern rock – quite well. If The Red Clay Strays don’t even think they are in the country sphere right now, I can’t wait to hear what they come up with when they “eventually make some.” And before anyone gets upset about that quote… cool it. That’s a very respectful and responsible answer from Brandon Coleman, and it even addresses those critics who say what they are doing isn’t country. I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer to listen to the non-country styling of The Red Clay Strays than the non-country crap that’s played on country radio all the time. Anyways, here’s a video of The Red Clays Strays not playing country music at the CMA Awards: The Red Clay Strays – “People Hatin'” | Live at the CMA Awards 2025 The post The Red Clay Strays Say They’ll “Eventually Make Some Actual Country Music” After Winning Vocal Group Of The Year At 2025 CMA Awards first appeared on Whiskey Riff.