Originally published as the cover story for our March 18, 2013 issue.
Maybe we should have seen this coming four years ago. That’s when George Strait released an album with the one-word title of Twang, the follow-up to his Grammy-winning Troubadour. Some whimsically wondered whether George was taking a page from pop/rock group America, who released a string of one-word-title albums that all began with the letter “H,” even one simply called Hits. On a more serious note, Twang, which featured a hit single of the same name, likely served as an outlet for George to restate his love and affinity for the comfy confines of traditional country. It also marked a return to songwriting for George, as he co-penned three of the tracks, including the lead single, “Living for the Night.” George said that he was inspired by his son, Bubba, with whom he co-wrote “Living for the Night,” to get back into the writing game. “I just realized how much I missed it,” George told Country Weekly.
George, of course, has always been a staunch traditionalist. But there are times when fans feel that George is the last living keeper of the traditional flame. In an era when country artists are fusing rural-themed subjects with uptown urban beats, or simply performing straight-up pop, George indeed often seems like the last cowboy standing. “[Traditional country] always was my passion,” George recently noted. “I just love that kind of music.”
During the last few years, though, a new and decidedly younger nation of traditional-minded artists has also emerged, each bringing a fresh perspective to the style. Just this past year, cowboy-hatted Dustin Lynch melted hearts with “Cowboys and Angels,” Kellie Pickler drew considerable acclaim for her stone country album 100 Proof and Greg Bates even name-checked Mr. Strait in his debut hit, “Did It for the Girl.” No rock beats or hip-hop mixes with this bunch.
Here’s a look at six of today’s stars who still proudly wave the traditional country banner.
Justin Moore
Influences: John Anderson, Charlie Daniels, Dwight Yoakam
First Country Concert: Charlie Daniels Band; “He rocked, but was still traditional at the same time.”
Favorite Classic Country Song: “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” Willie Nelson; “Willie sells a song as well or better than anyone in the history of country music.”
Dream Duet Partner: “Dwight Yoakam. He’s my all-time favorite artist.”
Favorite Country Albums: Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Dwight Yoakam; Country Club, Travis Tritt; Habits Old and New, Hank Williams Jr.
When it comes to natural twang, Justin Moore has it in spades. The Arkansas native made music critics and country radio sit up and take notice with his distinctive sound when he hit the scene in 2008 with “Back That Thing Up.” With his cowboy hat and a satellite dish-sized belt buckle emblazoned with “Hank It,” this young country star isn’t a poser. He’s as genuine as they come with his songs about small towns, hunting, fishing and family. But he credits those who came before him with helping shape his sound. “When I was growing up in the ’90s, traditional country became ‘the thing’ again,” he says. “Guys like Garth, George and Alan were bringing that sound back because the ’80s were a little more pop. I felt like they were describing my lifestyle. I could relate to it.”
Although Justin’s music has a definite traditional slant, he knows that there’s room for everyone—traditionalists and pop country alike—in the landscape of country music. “In my lifetime, I haven’t seen the format this diverse,” he says. “I think the positive of that being the case is that our format has grown because of that. There are more people tuning in to listen to it. I think what we have to do as a format is understand that we need to balance it out. If there is some pop stuff, great. If there is some rock stuff, great. However, we should never abandon what made this genre great. We should always find a spot for traditional music, in my opinion.”
Justin Moore photo by Kristin Barlowe/BMLG
Greg Bates
Influences: George Strait, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam, Clint Black
First Country Concert: Garth Brooks’ Sevens tour
Favorite Classic Country Song: “Amarillo by Morning,” George Strait. “That song is the epitome to me of who George Strait is.”
Dream Duet Partner: Vince Gill, “somebody who is going to make me sound like a bad singer.”
Favorite Country Albums: Storms of Life, Randy Travis; It Just Comes Natural, George Strait; A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ’Bout Love), Alan Jackson
There’s good reason that newcomer Greg Bates has been touring with Alan Jackson of late: Musically, the two fit like a glove. Only 25 and already with a Top 5 hit with the breezy “Did It for the Girl,” Greg has become one of traditional-sounding country’s freshest voices. Like Alan, or his other heroes George Strait and Randy Travis, Greg keeps it simple. “When it comes to [Alan’s] show, there isn’t a whole lot of razzle-dazzle. He walks out and sings his songs,” Greg says. “In today’s market, where I feel everything is over the top and very showy, there is something so cool about watching fans react to that.”
Greg’s shows may be more high-energy than Alan’s or George’s, but they’re decidedly music-first. “It was so much fun last year to take a steel guitar player on the road and play ‘Did It for the Girl,’ which has a steel guitar solo in it,” Greg says. “It was cool for me to have that instrument and the fiddle—instruments that aren’t the primary instruments anymore. Right now, guitar is king on the radio.”
But new single “Fill in the Blank,” with its piano solo and retro sound, is nonetheless making waves at country stations. “I’m very proud of country music and its history,” says Greg, “and I’m one of the guys out there trying to bring it back to what it sounded like when I was growing up.”
Greg Bates photo by Jim Wright/BMLG
Ashley Monroe
Influences: Dolly Parton, Guy Clark, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, The Band
First Country Concert: Billy Dean; “I was in his fan club!”
Favorite Classic Country Song: “Always on My Mind,” Willie Nelson
Dream Duet Partner: “Elvis . . . but alive; Tom Petty.”
Favorite Country Albums: King of the Road (box set), Roger Miller; Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Lucinda Williams; Coal Miner’s Daughter, Loretta Lynn
“It’s just country music. I feel like country music is country music and you can’t be too country,” says Ashley Monroe of her new album, Like a Rose. It seems a little unusual that a major-label Nashville country artist would get the chance to release something so steeped in classic Nashville, but that’s exactly what Like a Rose is. No country radio-calibrated odes to backroads here, just a heaping dose of the twangy stuff with a side of drinkin’ and hurtin’. Ashley beams with pride as she explains how she envisioned the album.
”[The label] said, ‘OK, go make the record you want to make.’ They didn’t say, ‘Put singles on there, do it this way, let us give you an outside song,’” she recalls. “I wasn’t thinking about anything else when I made the record. I just wanted it to be perfect. I didn’t think, ‘Oh, that’s a hit or that’s not a hit.’”
With Like a Rose, Ashley managed to reach the essence of country music, an approach that she says will resonate no matter what type of music you’re making. “If someone makes a good blues record and it’s just the blues, it’s going to be timeless,” she explains. “When you make the purest form of the kind of music you’re wanting to make, it will be around forever.”
Ashley Monroe photo by Jim Wright/Saviano Media
Dustin Lynch
Influences: Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Clint Black, Joe Diffie
First Country Concert: WKDF bash in Nashville with artists including Jason Aldean and Craig Morgan.
Favorite Classic Country Song: “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On,” Mel McDaniel; “I think that song would still be a hit today.”
Dream Duet Partner: Reba McEntire
Favorite Country Albums: Blue Clear Sky, George Strait; Long Trip Alone, Dierks Bentley; Drive, Alan Jackson
Though the cowboy has long been a popular figure in country music, his presence hasn’t been felt as much lately. Until Dustin Lynch showed up in 2012 with his hit debut single, “Cowboys and Angels,” sounding so different that it made traditional country feel almost new again.
“We knew it would stand out at radio, which is why we came with it first,” explains Dustin. “If you’re gonna come with a song, you only get one first try—and we wanted to come with something that stood out when it came on the radio.” Dustin still pays homage to the ’90s traditionalists he idolized when growing up, and it informs his artistry. “I’m always gonna tip my hat to that sound,” he says. “That’s what I still listen to when I’m in the gym, when I’m just hanging on the bus. When I’m writing songs, it can’t help but come out.” And though Dustin’s rowdy new single, “She Cranks My Tractor,” is miles away from “Cowboys,” it still seems like a tune that might have been performed by Garth at the peak of his powers. “We wanted a rapid-fire lyric like ‘Ain’t Goin’ Down ’Til the Sun Comes Up,’ one of those classic songs,” explains Dustin. “‘She Cranks My Tractor’ is what we came with. It’s a lot of fun.”
Audiences will get a chance to see just how fun when Dustin performs the song live, first on Justin Moore’s Outlaws Like Me Tour and later with Keith Urban and Little Big Town. “For [Justin] to ask me to be part of that means he believes in me and he thinks I’m gonna help him sell tickets and make sure we make the night memorable,” he says. He’ll join up with Keith and LBT in July. “With Keith coming off American Idol, I think it’s gonna be a crazy amount of fun. Keith Urban is one of those guys, I would still buy a ticket to see him play a show.” And with such a diverse lineup, Dustin is happy to represent traditional country on the bill: “For me being the young guy on the block, I’m happy to be up there.”
Dustin Lynch photo by Glenn Sweitzer/Dashboard Media
Kellie Pickler
Influences: Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash
First Country Concert: “Kenny Chesney. A friend of mine won tickets off the radio.”
Favorite Classic Country Song: “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It,” Hank Williams; “My grandpa Pickler taught it to me, so that will always be a special song.”
Dream Duet Partner: Dolly Parton
Favorite Country Albums: Call Me Crazy, Lee Ann Womack; That Lonesome Song, Jamey Johnson; Hell on Heels, Pistol Annies
Although her first two albums, Small Town Girl and its self-titled follow-up, had more mainstream and even pop-country appeal, North Carolina country girl Kellie Pickler has always been flying the flag for traditional country music. Even during her days on American Idol, she never denied her true down-home country roots and proudly boasted that the first song she ever learned was Hank Williams’ “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It.” That doesn’t mean that her first two releases were any less authentic than her third album, 100 Proof, though. “Obviously ‘I Wonder’ and songs like that are my life story,” she says of those albums. “When I started out I was 19 and green, and nobody knows who they are when they’re 19 and 20. It just takes time to get to know yourself and grow.”
With the critically acclaimed 100 Proof, Kellie was finally able to release music that served as a testimonial to the traditional country sounds that influenced her. She blatantly paid homage to one of her favorite classic country legends in the track “Where’s Tammy Wynette,” while “Stop Cheatin’ on Me” was as honky-tonk-two-step-worthy as anything in George Strait’s catalog. But as creatively liberating as it was to finally release such traditional-sounding material, her next album promises to be different again. “You can’t go into the studio and make the same album over and over again,” says Kellie, who will also be competing on this season of Dancing With the Stars. “The new album we’re working on . . . it’s country, but everyone’s definition of what’s country is different.”
Kellie Pickler photo by Kristin Barlowe/CMA
Easton Corbin
Influences: Merle Haggard, George Jones, Keith Whitley, George Strait
First Country Concert: “I was with my parents in Bangor, Maine, and we went to a Restless Heart concert. I was probably about 7 or 8 years old.”
Favorite Classic Country Song: “Silver Wings,” Merle Haggard
Dream Duet Partner: “I would love to sing a song with Merle Haggard.”
Favorite Country Albums: Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound, Hank Williams Jr.; The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard, Merle Haggard; Greatest Hits, Keith Whitley
Florida youngster Easton Corbin has drawn favorable comparisons to George Strait for his easygoing way with a song, his love of traditional country and clean-cut, handsome good looks. Fans were captivated right from the start as Easton’s first two singles, “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It,” both went to No. 1. His most recent hit, the 2012 Top 10 “Lovin’ You Is Fun,” was replete with traditional elements such as steel guitar throughout. That’s sufficient proof, he believes, that the hunger for hard-core country is still very much alive.
“Traditional country music is the foundation for what we do,” says Easton, whose current album, All Over the Road, reached the No. 2 spot. “There will always be a market for that. There are a lot of different styles out there,” he adds, “but that’s the great thing about country music—there’s room for everything.”
Easton first discovered the roots of country through television shows such as Hee Haw along with the diverse record collections of his parents and grandparents. He doesn’t see himself shifting musical gears at this point. “I couldn’t do anything but traditional country,” Easton asserts. “I don’t know that my voice would lend itself to anything else.”
Easton Corbin photo courtesy UMG Nashville
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