Fans are asking for more country classics from these Alabama boys—and The Red Clay Strays are listening.
The Red Clay Strays answered longtime fan requests by delivering a full cover of a beloved Hank Williams Jr. classic. On January 21, the band shared a teaser clip on Facebook of their take on Country State of Mind, giving listeners a soulful preview of what they’d been working on.
In the caption, they hinted that a full version might be on the way, casually floating the idea of uploading it to YouTube. The clip itself was recorded during their 2025 tour, and it didn’t take long for fans to start hoping the band would follow through.
They did.
Just hours later, The Red Clay Strays dropped the complete performance on YouTube. The cover opens with frontman Brandon Coleman easing into the melody on acoustic guitar before the rest of the band joins in, leaning hard into that old-school twang. The arrangement stays true to the spirit of the original while allowing the band’s signature soul and grit to shine through.
Coleman delivers the song with clear respect for Hank Jr.’s version, but adds his own warmth and texture—keeping the heart of the track intact while making it unmistakably theirs.
The band has a long history of honoring classic country and roots music. Over the years, they’ve covered songs like Where Corn Don’t Grow, Seven Spanish Angels, and Weatherman, consistently tipping their hat to the artists who helped shape the genre.
Originally written by Hank Williams Jr. alongside Roger Alan Wade, “Country State of Mind” was released in 1986 as the lead single from Montana Café. It climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and has remained a fan favorite ever since—especially when it comes to karaoke nights (which, to be fair, applies to a lot of Hank Jr. songs).
Given how quickly the band followed through on releasing the full cover, it’s not hard to imagine fans pushing for more—maybe even a studio recording, or better yet, a full album of classic country covers. One can dream.
Country… But Not Just Country
Despite being celebrated for moments like this—and earning honors such as CMA Vocal Group of the Year—The Red Clay Strays have been clear that they don’t see themselves as purely a country band.
They’ve addressed this before, explaining that while country music runs deep in their DNA, their sound pulls from a wide mix of influences, including soul, blues, rock, and jazz. After their CMA win, Coleman explained that they’re careful not to label something “country” unless it truly fits.
He shared that each member came into the band with a different musical background, and that country music, in his view, deserves to be treated with respect as its own genre—not a catch-all label for Southern-leaning rock.
Still, he emphasized that they’re proud Southern musicians, grateful to be embraced by the country community—and that when the time comes to make a true country record, they’ll do it the right way.
Whether you call it country or not, one thing is clear: The Red Clay Strays are making music that resonates. By pushing boundaries while honoring tradition, they’ve built a devoted following—and in the process, helped move the genre forward.