Colton Dawson Is Not Just Another New Neotraditionalist

It used to be that whenever a true country music traditionalist came down the pike—especially a younger one—it had us all in a tizzy because it was such a rare occurrence. When William Michael Morgan showed up on the scene singing “I Met a Girl” and the song actually became a big mainstream hit during the height of Bro-Country (2016), we thought the world had turned upside down.

Now, it’s not a rare occurrence at all to have a young traditionalist pass under your nose. In fact, it seems like every week there’s a new one releasing a single or an EP, and with a promising voice and strong songwriting skills. To be frank, there’s so many of them, it’s hard to keep up, even if that’s your job as a country music journalist. Now the challenge as a young performer isn’t bringing traditional country back to the modern context, it’s separating yourself from the herd.

That’s exactly what 19-year-old Colton Dawson has done with his first few singles. He hasn’t even released a debut EP yet, but she’s signed with Warner Records Nashville, is being represented by TKO Management, last week signed with WME for booking representation, and has 117 Publicity behind him as well. But most importantly, the songs aren’t just the “Neon Moon” rewrites that we normally hear from some of these new neotraditionalists. They delve a little deeper.

Originally from Chandler, Arizona the story is that Colton Dawson got the opportunity to open for Clay Walker at the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium playing mostly acoustic, and he received two standing ovations. As video reveals, Dawson was overcome with emotion. Having grown up with classic country influences, he knew how much that moment at the Ryman meant. Other folks who were in the audience or heard about the moment, they were overcome with excitement, because it proved that Dawson had the stuff to be something big.

Since then, Dawson has only continued to rise up the depth charts. Now signed to Warner, he’s opened shows for the likes of Braxton Keith, Jake Worthington, Josh Turner, and even Lainey Wilson. “Signing with WME is a huge milestone for me,” said Dawson recently. “I grew up loving country music and dreaming about playing these kinds of stages, so to now have a team that believes in what I’m building means the world. I’m ready to get out there and keep earning it every night.”

Dawson’s debut single “Might Be In It” was promising for sure, but was co-written by three other guys, including Kenny Whitmire, who’s another neotraditionalist having a moment, and blew everyone away with his Keith Whitley-sounding “I Gave Her The Moon.”

It was really Colton Dawson’s “It’s Gonna Rain” that got the attention of Saving Country Music. Co-written with Aaron Watson, it immediately went on the Top 25 Current Playlist. Then when Dawson released his follow up, the solo-written “Piece of Heaven,” that ended up on the playlist too in the rare double inclusion for a single artist. It’s not just the sound and production by producer Chuck Ainlay, it’s the quality of the songs, and how they evoke the emotion and substance of the ’90s country era, not just the style.

Dawson will have a new single coming out August 7th called “Worth It,” and it’s a bit more upbeat than the previous two singles. He also working on a debut album with Chuck Ainlay that will obviously be highly anticipated when it arrives. But there’s no reason not to get on the Colton Dawson bandwagon right now.

It’s a new day in country music when you don’t just need traffic conductors to steer your away from the bad stuff, but to navigate your way through all the good stuff to the best the era has to offer. Colton Dawson definitely feels like one of those finds worth navigating toward.

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