For The Red Clay Strays, This Is One Award That Truly Matters
Some would argue most all music awards are virtually meaningless. But if there was one award that you could argue was more meaningless than others, it would be the Billboard Music Awards. Since they’re preordained through statistical calculations, folks can figure out the winners of most of the awards well before they’re announced if you keep up with Billboard’s charts. That’s why this week’s 2024 Billboard Music Awards on Thursday (12/12) felt perfunctory at best.
When it comes to The Red Clay Strays though, it’s the statistical nature of the award that makes their win for Top Country Duo or Group so significant. In 2024, no duo or group in the entirety of the country music industry garnered more spins or sales than The Red Clay Strays. Not Old Dominion, who’s won the CMA Vocal Group of the Year seven years running, or Little Big Town who won it the six years before that, or Lady Antebellum who won it from 2009-2011.
The Red Clay Strays also beat out all of mainstream country music’s duos like Dan + Shay, Brothers Osborne, and even Brooks & Dunn, who won the 2024 CMA for Duo of the Year in November. We know how performers not found on country radio face an uphill battle with awards. But for The Red Clay Strays, they couldn’t be denied behind the extremely strong reception for their 2024 album Made By These Moments.
This truly is yet another landmark moment in the independent/non-radio supported insurgency in country music. Despite all the adversity and discounting from the rest of the industry, The Red Clay Strays came out on top through grassroots support.
Granted, the recognition was also facilitated by the considerably weak field that country music “duos” and “groups” constitute these days. But it just might be grassroots performers like The Red Clay Strays who can return some much needed strength to this category that historically has seen some massive competitors, including The Dixie Chicks, Alabama, The Judds, and the aforementioned Brooks & Dunn.
Somewhat ironically, The Red Clay Strays have let it be known that they don’t really consider themselves “country” music. They don’t make that claim disparagingly. It’s just an honest assessment of their sound which draws much more heavily from the early rock sound of the Sun Records era as opposed to country influences. But they’re more “country” than they are anything else. And with quality songs and musicianship, country should be proud to claim The Red Clay Strays as their own.
As great as 2024 has been for The Red Clay Strays, 2025 promises to be even better. They enter the new year an undeniable headliner, crowning festival posters and selling out theaters left and right. Don’t be surprised if you see these boys from Alabama break into arenas in the coming year, and don’t pass up the opportunity to see them in relatively smaller venues while you still can.
December 14, 2024 @ 9:25 am
Nice to see them win the award if for anything else, its not a mainstream radio act. Im not particularly fond of their music and much like zach bryan i dont consider them country but if someone does thats fine. Though i dont agree with the saying that if a acts music doesnt fit into a general box that its ok just to throw them into country. Kind of an odd thing considering the name of this website but oh well.
December 15, 2024 @ 9:18 am
I totally agree with your assessment. I don’t quite find the country aspect there and I’m not exactly a fan. HOWEVER — I cannot deny they’re absolutely talented, good, maybe great; if I were into that sort of music.
December 15, 2024 @ 10:40 am
Oh i agree they are talented. But they def have to be your thing i think to aporeciate them.
December 19, 2024 @ 12:44 pm
If you ever witnessed them live in a relatively small venue, you would understand why they are such a phenomenal group.
Along with the absolutely poetic lyrics, the charisma and power of Brandon Coleman’s voice will make you understand how young women would literally pass out when Elvis was on stage.
December 15, 2024 @ 10:14 am
Are The Red Clay Strays pop music? Hip-hop? Modern rock? Jazz or classical? No, they’re an American roots band who blends elements of country, blues, and Sun Records-era rock ‘n roll. This is textbook definition Americana, which is considered a subset of country. I’m glad that they’re honest about their sound, and don’t try to call it straight country. I wish many of the performers in the mainstream of country would be so honest.
But whatever you call them, they deserve a home, and they deserve media coverage. Saving Country Music has always covered the greater roots realm, and The Red Clay Strays most certainly fit within that realm. Because if Saving Country Music and similar outlets don’t cover them, nobody will.
December 15, 2024 @ 11:17 am
I never said they didnt deserve coverage for winning the award. They sure do. Now i dont really know what they fit into though i know its not country. Maybe roots, probably an all genras type classification. But im not going to throw them into the country mix just because their music is all over the place and maybe one or two songs may sound somewhat country. Especially since they specifically claim they arent country. The coubtry label is for those who clearly state by their words and music that they are def country and are proud of it. At least thats been the mantra around here. When i first found this site, the big issue was how fgl and contemporaries werent country and so country music had to be saved. I didnt totally agree but thats fine. But if fgl isnt country, what are they. They sure arent pop and def arent rock, hip hop, or rap. So by subtraction you have to put them into country unless you are creating lots of genras which becomes redundant. But basically most everyone decided they werent country. So here we have this group that is just as vaguely country as they were, maybe more but lets just say they are country because more than anything it fits. I i just find it ironic more than anything. I mean music doesnt need to be put in a box and people like what they like. But im pretty sure you can see where im getting at here.
December 15, 2024 @ 11:28 am
This is the whole reason I mapped out a “Dewey Decimal System” for country music, to avoid these kinds of conflicts.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/proposing-dewey-decimal-classifications-for-countrys-subgenres/
Looking back on the review I did for the Red Clay Strays, I classified them as #562, Southern rock, which makes perfect sense. They combine elements of rock, soul, blues, and country, and they’re a little more gritty and forceful than what constitutes “Americana” these days.
I agree that Florida Georgia Line is country. They would be classified as #535 Bro-Country.
But it all fits better under the country music phylum than it would hip-hop, or pop, or even rock. That doesn’t mean it’s straight country. It just means it has country influences, and it’s roots music, which usually gets bundled under the greater country music realm.
Some artists I wouldn’t consider country at all like Beyonce or Sam Hunt, though they might have some “country” songs specifically.
December 15, 2024 @ 11:47 am
Well i can agree with that. It just didnt seem like that was the vibe back in the day with fgl on this site. I just know a lot of commenters like to talk about something not being country but yet when they find an act they like thats just as vaguely country as the one they dont like, they harp on it. But i appreciate the reply back, as always i love this site and what you do.
December 15, 2024 @ 10:19 am
The name of the website does as it says, Trigger will tell you it’s a LOT more about saving independent music that is not played on the radio music that is too good for the radio to be honest because the radio is complete crap nowadays in all genres but especially country music. There are many branches to the tree of country music and there’s no doubt that The Red Clay Strays have a strong branch on that tree. just because country music sounded different in the 70s doesn’t make the 90s not great the 90s were great for country music but just like the 90s we are in a new era of music and that era of music for country looks like crap on the radio and this website has done a hell of a job keeping up and showing us everything on that tree. I think for you to say anything against the title of this website is ignorant
December 15, 2024 @ 11:21 am
I think only you habe proved your ignorance.
December 15, 2024 @ 11:30 am
You must be able to take criticism if you post a message and you clearly can’t. Be a man, accept criticism. You could always not join into a post if you disagree. Or be immature mine you have been for no reason at all except to think you’re standing up being a man when in fact you are a coward.
December 15, 2024 @ 11:48 am
My.previous post to you says it all, even more clearly now.
December 14, 2024 @ 9:42 am
I saw them live in germany this summer and was really impressed! Solid band with a distintive sound. They deserve all the success.
December 14, 2024 @ 9:58 am
We can argue all day about whether or not these guys are country but who cares. This is a perfect example of achieving success the way we respect and appreciate it on this site – good old fashioned grind-it-out hard work. No short cuts. They started playing covers in 2018 doing 4 hour sets 5 days a week for beer and a basket of cheese fries. Worked on their self-produced debut album for 3 years. Drove the wheels off their little airport shuttle bus dubbed “The Breeze” running across the country stopping to fix it themselves watching YouTube videos. Hooked up with Elle King following her Prevost bus around in The Breeze (which parked behind Elle’s bus looked like it took a dump and out came The Breeze). Won over her crowds one fan at a time. Played shitty early and mid-day slots at any festival that would have them. Never once changing their sound or their look to fit what mainstream radio demands to get airplay. That’s how it’s f*cking done.
December 14, 2024 @ 10:53 am
Yes, they worked hard for their success. I saw them when they played in Pascagoula, MS and in Biloxi, MS. After each show the band stayed to sign posters, etc… for anyone wanting a souvenir. Even their shuttle bus driver was a nice man.
December 14, 2024 @ 10:13 am
They might call themselves country but they are far more country than many acts who claim to be country. They seem to be the real deal whatever genre, they are in, if any! Great band. Great music.
December 14, 2024 @ 12:24 pm
I was so-so on the Red Clay Strays until I saw them at Red Rocks last May with Turnpike and American Aquarium. Great triple bill and they may have stolen the show.
December 14, 2024 @ 6:08 pm
was there and i definitely agree they stole the show
December 14, 2024 @ 12:41 pm
That’s what so great about them. They can sing and play any type of music. I love this band. As good as it gets❤️
December 14, 2024 @ 8:22 pm
I agree! Love this band.
December 14, 2024 @ 1:12 pm
So funny how folks get worked up about these guys and Zack Bryan being country. That is so nuts and stupid when that one pssss guy Kane Brown and the rest of the rap guys get called country. Half the trash on the radio right now has digital drums and bass and that is as opposite of country as I could imagine!
Good for these dudes. They are real.
December 14, 2024 @ 2:08 pm
Happy for them. Personally, I got very little out of the album and don’t particularly get the adulation for them, but glad to see an independent artist/band receiving such recognition.
December 14, 2024 @ 3:55 pm
You don’t think the lead singer’s voice is special?
I really enjoyed the album but the biggest takeaway for me was that these guys are still working out their sound. For me it seems like they haven’t even reached their full potential. I predict they will explode into the public consciousness when they release a killer love ballad.
December 15, 2024 @ 7:01 am
I would argue that it was two killer love ballads, Wondering Why and Wanna Be Loved, that has propelled them to the top. Agree though that this band seems to still have the potential for great things to come.
December 15, 2024 @ 9:24 am
Yeah his voice is special, but I’m just not into that sort of soul-type sound. Therefore, I am not a fan.
December 15, 2024 @ 3:30 am
…from buzz to accolades in just about one year. not bad at all – the band and this development. the country-or-not-quite argument one could have had about the “million dollar quartett” at the time too. that would have been as much a waste of time then as it is now. just let them do their thing and see where it takes them and whether we keep liking it.
December 15, 2024 @ 7:40 am
Love the Red Clay Strays. Congrats to them.
Don’t really get all the Zach Bryan comparisons, or the earlier Chris Stapleton ones either. For that matter, don’t understand the “not country” complaints, or reactions to singer Brandon Coleman’s interview about whether they are country or not. He didn’t even really deny being “country” as much as replying to a question about their sound by saying the members of the band have many influences including rock and country, and that they try to blend those influences to form the bands own unique sound. Not a don’t call us country statement, simply an explanation of who they are.
And the Red Clay Strays have their own unique sound. However there is no denying the country and southern rock influences in their music. So what’s wrong with that when there are so many bands espoused here that play music that sounds nothing close to country under the Americana banner? This is not Zach Bryan, who essentially plays folk pop with lyrics that somehow accidentally struck a chord with a teenage/young adult audience. And it’s not some artist trying to catch the quick train to fame blending rock/rap/hip hop with banjos. This is not the latest retro rock band jumping under the Americana banner because rock has been abandoned.
This is the Red Clay Strays. And the Red Clay Strays are a great band, no matter how you categorize them.
December 16, 2024 @ 8:03 am
Being on the Mississippi Coast – one county next to RCS’ home county – I listened to RCS pre-record, in bars, as they developed. They have a big toe in “country” but with its feet in the sand along the southern coast (“Gulflandia” as it is) and not as much as 2 counties up which is more the mainstream country, both FM shit and “country gold” discerning listeners appreciate. First time I saw them I heard more Pentecostal-gospel in the music. The rock was always there. (“All rock is Southern. No need to say it twice”, Greg Allman). RCS sanded down the edges on their sound over the years, equal parts New Orleans, blues, gospel, and yea, ole’ school Hank Williams, Sr., from a few counties’ north plus that Sun-Records Elvis/Johnny Cash/Carl Perkins veneer a bit further north in Memphis where they spent some time playing and honing. Its a local gumbo of sound and exactly as music from a place where eating raw oysters, catching crabs, driving 45 minutes north to hunt white-tail, after coming off a 2 week hitch on the oil platform, while your wife plays slots at the casino should sound like, ala, kings of Hang Out Fest. I’d call their sound Gulf Coast country, probably no better example of it. And I know this – they absolutely kick ass live and did so on their last record.