A life changer. It’s hard to point to a hotter band in country music today than The Red Clay Strays. If you’ve been paying any attention to the alt. country scene over the past few years, you’ve surely been aware of that they were bound for superstardom. Since their debut in 2022 with Moment of Truth, which contains the smash hit, “Wondering Why,” Red Clay has all but flown up the ranks in the alt. country scene. Between frontman Brandon Coleman’s killer vocals, the flawless blend of country, gospel, roots and southern rock influences and the sheer musical talent present from each of the five members, it was more than apparent that the Alabama group was bound to break out into the stratosphere at some point sooner or later. Thankfully for everyone who has been championing their music over the past three years (including us here at Whiskey Riff), 2025 has proven to be the big break that plenty of us were expecting. Of course, Red Clay had already scored some major milestones in the past, winning Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2024 Americana Awards, winning New Vocal Duo or Group at the 2025 ACM Awards and scoring a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the aforementioned “Wondering Why.” This past week, however, it seems as if the Alabama band cemented themselves as mainstays both in the minds of alternative country fans and the mainstream alike with their huge night at the 59th annual CMA Awards, delivering a killer performance of their current single, “People Hatin'” before dethroning Old Dominion as Vocal Group of the Year en route to their first ever CMA win. It’s safe to say that the future is nearly indescribably bright for Red Clay, with more eyes on them than ever before and some major shows such as Madison Square Garden and the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville up ahead in 2026. With that being said, however, in a recent interview with Variety, they’d also reflect on the past that led them to where they are today. As stated earlier, “Wondering Why” was truly the song that set everything in motion for Red Clay. Beyond the simple fact that the track itself is nothing short of phenomenal, showcasing the strengths of the band that had been apparent to those who had followed them early in their career, it was nothing short of a phenomenon online. Currently having over 426 million streams on Spotify alone, the aforementioned platinum status by the RIAA and a staggering 105,000 unique video uses on TikTok, the song has been a game changer. The entire band would also point to “Wondering Why” as the game changer as well. When asked about it, frontman, Brandon Coleman would note how its virality on TikTok helped propel its success, while bassist, Andrew Bishop, would joke and call Red Clay a “TikTok band.” Drew Nix, Red Clay’s lead guitarist, would expand on just how much the song means to not only him but the band itself. Being the main writer on the track, along with Dan Couch and Coleman, Nix would explain that the song meant even more to him given that he wrote it for his wife. Additionally, he’d note that track changed their lives. “That’s really what got us out of the barrooms and door deals and stuff like that. It’s changed our lives completely. It’s cool to me because that song means something to me, too. I wrote it about my wife when I was in the room. It’s not specifically about her, the whole song, but to me, it’s what I give to her. So it’s cool how that’s all happened. Bishop would also go on to say how many casual listeners think that the band was an overnight success due to “Wondering Why,” something that is inherently false given Red Clay’s long history of cutting teeth down south at small, local venues for nearly a decade. “I think a lot of people discovered us from that song, and don’t understand… A lot of people think we got popular quick , like it was an overnight success. But we’ve been doing this for a long time. We’re just dumb enough to not quit…. We’ve been doing this for eight years. That’s how long it takes. It’s crazy.” It’s safe to say that those eight long years of hard worked paid dividends for the band. You’ll often hear the phrase, “We made the right people famous,” and in Red Clay’s case, I think that applies here. Watch the full interview here: Listen up: The Red Clay Strays Tour Dates December 4-5 – Las Vegas, NV –The Theater at Virgin Hotels April 24 – Georgetown, TX – Two Step Inn 2026 May 24 – Norfolk, VA – Patriotic Fest 2026 June 13 – Columbus, OH – Buckeye Country Superfest 2026 August 9 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden October 22 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone ArenaThe post The Red Clay Strays On The Impact Their Breakout Single, “Wondering Why,” Had On Their Career: “It’s Changed Our Lives Completely” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.