Making it in the world of Country music, especially in the heart of Nashville, is an arduous journey marked by both talent and tenacity. Nashville, known as the epicenter of country sounds, is a city that sifts through dreams and aspirations, making success a rare and hard-earned commodity. The industry demands not just musical prowess but an unwavering dedication to the craft.
Countless aspiring artists, armed with guitars and dreams, navigate the competitive landscape, facing the challenges of standing out in a crowd of talented hopefuls. From honky-tonks to historic studios, the path to recognition in Country music requires persistence, resilience, and a deep connection to the stories and traditions embedded in the genre. Despite the hurdles, those who persevere often find that the struggles shape not only their careers but also their authentic voices, contributing to the rich tapestry of Country music. With that in mind we’d like to present you with 10 artists who we feel have got the desire, craft and skill to explode in Nashville in 2024.
Dylan Marlowe:
2023 has been a big year for Dylan Marlowe. He got to celebrate his first No. 1 as a songwriter with Jon Pardi’s ‘Last Night Lonely,’ he made his Grand Ole Opry debut, got married, and released his debut EP ‘Dirt Road When I Die.’ The singer has spent the fall opening for HARDY’s ‘the mockingbird and THE CROW’ tour along with Lainey Wilson. He has also toured with Jordan Davis, Morgan Wallen and Scotty McCreery this year.
Sophia Scott
Scott’s ‘Barstool Confessions’ album was like a breath of fresh air to us this year. The album stands as a testament to Scott’s emotional honesty and lack of inhibition. Through fearless and candid storytelling, Scott explores her less-than-healthy coping mechanisms and the rowdy moments on her path to healing. Yet, amidst the pain, the album radiates strength and empowerment, encouraging listeners to embrace their truth, femininity, and confidence in unexpected places.
This album is a follow-up to Scott’s critically acclaimed debut EP, ‘One Of These Days,’ which garnered praise from People, American Songwriter, and E! News. ‘Barstool Confessions’ offers a source of inspiration for those overcoming post-breakup blues and it showcases Scott’s versatility as an artist, blending ’90s Country-Pop, throwback Soul, and Southern Rock influences.
Ella Langley
Moving to Nashville 6 months before the pandemic wasn’t the best start to life in Music City for this talented writer and artist. She was raised on a steady diet of her father’s Southern and classic rock from the 1970s and 1980s, her mother’s love of the melodic folk-rock harmonies of the Grateful Dead and Peter, Paul and Mary and you can hear both the hard and soft edges in her music because of that.
An 8 track EP ‘Excuse The Mess’ has been followed up by two fantastic songs in ‘Paint the Town Blue’ and the duet with Tanner Usrey on ‘Beautiful Lies.’ Runaway June covered ‘Make Me Wanna Smoke’ and we see a big future ahead as both a writer and an artist for Langley.
Mae Estes
Taking cues from traditional artists like Lee Ann Womack and Keith Whitley, Mae merges the timelessness of classic country music with modern melodies to create her artistry, both as a songwriter and a performer. We’ve been fans of hers for a while now after writer and artist Kenny Foster alerted us to her talent and there’s even a quote of ours on her website that sums up who she is and what she stands for:
“Mae Estes is one of those artists who sing traditional Country music in a modern way, meaning that when you listen to her songs you don’t know if it’s 2022 or 1972 and we love that about her.” She recently signed to Big Machine and we couldn’t be more thrilled to see her hard work paying off. Stand by folks, 2024 is going to be Mae’s year!
Wyatt Flores
Signed to Island Records this summer, Wyatt Flores has built up a grassroots fanbase across social media and has already amassed over 180 million global streams. He made his move from Stillwater, Oklahoma to Nashville in 2022 and is already on a headlining tour across the country with most of the shows already selling out. Flores’ unique blend of country, rock, Americana, and bluegrass weaves together fans from so many genres and you only have to listen to his new EP ‘Life Lessons’ (released last week, our review here) to see why.
Flores will be crossing the pond in March to play at the C2C festival in London where we are in no doubt, he will make a ton of new friends which will help tap into that 49 Winchester / Randall King vibe the UK has got going on here right now.
Matt Schuster
Recent release ‘Last Fall’ blew us away and this heartfelt ballad followed Schuster’s highly acclaimed major label debut track, ‘Tell Me Tennessee,’ which garnered rave reviews from MusicRow, earning Schuster the prestigious DISCovery Award. Described as one of the most innovative sounds in the contemporary country landscape, Schuster’s music resonates with a blend of classic rock’s warmth and the ambitious energy of modern pop.
The Charleston, Illinois native has independently released music for two years, with four tracks soaring into the Top 200 of Spotify’s Country Global chart, amassing an impressive 130 million global streams and he has also got a cut on Bailey Zimmerman’s zeitgeist-grabbing album ‘Religiously’ too so Schuster is a double threat artist & writer.
Robyn Ottolini
We last saw Canadian singer Robyn Ottlolini here in the UK in late 2022 as part of the Song Suffragettes shows with the likes of Kalie Shorr and our very own Twinnie. Ottolini stepped onto the scene in 2020 when her hit ‘F-150’ went viral on TikTok.
A ballsy, no-holds-barred artist, Ottolini recognises that her blatant expletives and unabashed confidence may be polarising, especially in the country world. And in true Robyn fashion, she’s already brushing off potential naysayers: “If some people don’t like me because I’m different, it’s like, ‘Aw, you’re gonna miss a good time!’” Her most recent song, ‘I Kissed Your Boyfriend’ is an absolute banger and a real great mix of Carrie Underwood-esque Pop & Country. Listen for yourselves below:
Andrew Jannakos
Many of Andrew Jannakos’ initial followers knew him for his illustrious run on season 16 of NBC’s The Voice, but it wasn’t until a year later, in July 2020, that his then-girlfriend (now wife) posted a video of him cooking dinner while singing along to ‘Gone Too Soon’ to his TikTok and took his social stardom to new heights.
Blending his pop and hip-hop influences with his own “authenticity and modern country twang” (The Boot), he developed a distinct, pop-forward sound mixed with traditional roots, which can be heard throughout his introductory self-titled EP. Tracks released this year, like ‘Gettin’ There’ and ‘Changing Me’ have added a weight and a heft to his music and we can’t wait to see what this talented artist has coming down the pipeline next year.
