The Red Clay Strays tip their hat to the legendary Hank Williams Jr.
If you ask me, The Red Clay Strays are doing country music a real service. Made up of Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), Sevans Henderson (keys), and frontman Brandon Coleman, the Alabama-based group has become one of the most exciting modern acts on the scene—even though they’ll be the first to tell you they aren’t actually making country music.
Yes… really.
Fresh off winning Best Vocal Group at the Country Music Association Awards, the band spoke to the media and casually dropped the idea that they don’t believe they’ve truly made a country record yet. That’s a pretty bold thing to say immediately after taking home a CMA trophy—but somehow, they pull it off.
Coleman explained that the band’s hesitation comes from a place of respect. Rather than blending genres and slapping a “country” label on it, they want to honor the genre properly when the time comes.
He shared that when the group first came together, everyone brought a different musical background: hard rock, funk, blues, jazz—and then country, which Coleman jokingly says was his lane as “the hick of the group.” Because of that, he feels country music deserves to be treated as its own clearly defined genre, not just a catch-all for Southern-leaning rock.
In his view, when the band finally decides to make a true country record, it will be unmistakably country. Until then, they’re grateful to be embraced by the country community, even if they see themselves as genre-blenders for now.
It’s both confusing and exciting. Because if what they’ve already released doesn’t count as country in their eyes—and it’s this good—then whatever they’re saving for their “real” country era could be something special.
That future might have just been teased.
During their 2025 tour, The Red Clay Strays worked a cover of Hank Williams Jr.’s Country State of Mind into their setlist. The song, originally released in 1986, climbed all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and has long been a staple for karaoke nights everywhere (because honestly, what Hank Jr. song isn’t?).
The band recorded a snippet of their performance and shared it on social media earlier today. It’s a respectful, confident take on the classic—and a pretty convincing glimpse of what The Red Clay Strays might sound like if they went all-in on traditional country.
In the caption, the band teased that they might upload the full performance to YouTube, leaving the door wide open for fans to flood the comments and make that decision for them:
“Might throw the whole thing up on YouTube later, who knows. Here’s a cover we did of an old Hank Williams Jr. song.”
Allow me to speak on behalf of everyone: yes, please post the full version. Better yet, go one step further—a studio recording, maybe even an entire album of classic country covers, would be more than welcome.
Just something to think about… in case anyone from The Red Clay Strays happens to be reading this.