I’ll be the first to admit that I never expected to call myself a country music fan. Outside of my hardcore middle school Taylor Swift phase and my appreciation for Jason Isbell, I thought I had moved on from the genre after getting tired of all the songs on the radio that mentioned girls, trucks or beer.
Last year, I stumbled across two YouTube channels that redefined my previously limited perspective of country music: Western AF and Gems On VHS. Through Western AF, Gems on VHS and Spotify recommendations, I unearthed country music that spoke to me more than what got played on the radio. I’m grateful for these five artists for making this year more bearable and for their fresh takes on the country genre.

1. Yola

Hailing from the United Kingdom, Yola released her first EP “Orphan Offering” in 2016 and her critically acclaimed full-length debut album “Walk Through Fire” in 2019. While Yola has less of a twangy country sound, her vocal chops and the differing styles in her music from soul to rock to country and Americana show Yola’s versatility and staying power in the industry. Yola has the perfect combination of vocals, lyrics and versatility that make her one of my recent favorite musical discoveries.
Recommended tracks: “Ride Out in the Country,” “Love All Night (Work All Day),” “Shady Grove” and her cover of Elton John’s classic “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” 
Yola performing in Iowa on Sept. 20, 2019. Courtesy of Roberta on Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0

2. Colter Wall

Fans of the films “Hell or High Water” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” may already be familiar with Colter Wall and his song “Sleeping on the Blacktop,” but Wall is still very much a force to be reckoned with. Taking a more old-timey approach to the country genre, Wall boasts a unique deep voice with echoes of Johnny Cash; “Sleeping on the Blacktop” especially reminds me of Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.”  From Saskatchewan, Canada, Wall’s music is a combination of Americana, country and folk that hearkens back to the Marty Robbins and Cash era of country music.
Recommended tracks: “Sleeping on the Blacktop,” “The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie,” “Fraulein (feat. Tyler Childers)” and Wall’s cover of “Cowpoke” originally by Stan Jones.
Colter Wall performing in Iowa on Oct. 27, 2018. Courtesy of Roberta on Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0

3. Nick Shoulders

There’s something special about Nick Shoulders. The first time I heard Shoulders was from a YouTube video of Shoulders’ “Snakes and Waterfalls.” The video was filmed deep in a forest, with Shoulders accompanied just by his guitar and his dog. I was not sure what to expect when I first listened to “Snakes and Waterfalls,” but I know I wasn’t expecting yodels, a classic country voice and a mullet. Shoulders, in his live performances, is timeless and unique. His debut album, “Okay, Crawdad.” has a full-band and more raucous feel, so I generally prefer Shoulders’ more stripped-down live performances (thanks Western AF and Gems on VHS), but Shoulders is still one of my favorite musicians I discovered this year.
Recommended tracks: “Snakes and Waterfalls,” “Too Old to Dream,” “Rather Low” and “Hank’s Checkout Line”

4. Katie Pruitt

Katie Pruitt is a relative newcomer to the established Nashville scene, as she released her debut album “Expectations” last year. Pruitt, originally from the Atlanta suburbs, moved to Nashville in college, yet many of her lyrics hearken back to her upbringing and family relationships. Pruitt is a versatile songwriter with a voice to match, drawing from rock and folk as much as she draws from country. The title track is a fine example of Pruitt’s versatility as a songwriter, showcasing her instrumentation, which is occasionally more rock oriented with her twangy vocals. Pruitt’s album is a great introduction to country music that can skew into different genres. “Expectations” is also noteworthy for its stories detailing mental health, familial relationships and other personal details from Pruitt’s life, which make Pruitt a breath of fresh air in the sometimes stale country landscape.
Recommended tracks: “Loving Her,” “Expectations,” “Out Of The Blue” and “Grace Has A Gun”

5. Orville Peck

Orville Peck was one of my favorite musical discoveries in 2019. Peck’s soaring voice, instrumentation and fringed Lone Ranger mask make him an unforgettable artist. Peck’s lyrics of the American West and the detail in them make his debut album “Pony” a truly audio-visual experience. Peck’s lyrics and music videos provide a key facet into his unique niche in country music, where LGBTQ+ artists are rare. Peck, along with Pruitt, showcase a new era of country, which as Peck’s video for “Queen of the Rodeo” and Willie Nelson’s “Cowboys are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other” show, is maybe a little less heteronormative than I thought.
Recommended tracks: “Big Sky,” “Summertime,” “Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)” and “Queen of the Rodeo” 

Check out the Spotify playlist with all these awesome musicians here!