The rise of DIY country

I don’t have huge amounts to say about this necessarily but 2023 seems to have been the year when artists without significant backing and without much support from the media became massive.

I’m specifically thinking about Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan.

Now, I like to think I know a bit about the country and Americana scene and that I keep up with new releases and what’s going on, but my most shocking moment of 2023 was when I realised that Noah Kahan was not only playing OVO Arena Wembley, but selling it out! Since then he’s added two dates art The O2 (The O2!!!) for 2024 and they’re well on the way to selling out as well. Personally I’m not a huge fan of his Mumford & Sons-y folk-country, having tried Stick Season a few times. But who cares, he’s massive and releasing new songs with the likes of Post Malone, Lizzy McApline, and Hozier.

(Caveat… I know he’s not strictly DIY as he’s signed to Mercury/Republic Records, but the point is more that without the usual support he’s built a grassroots following.)

More to my liking is Zach Bryan. While people who know more than I do are sniffy about his decision to self-produce his latest self-titled record; I think it’s a cracking album. this is a guy who in 2022 released a 34 track album, which is the subject for another article, and then his 16 track record in 2023. He’s got so many songs, and such a high hit rate for quality. Again, with very little radio or traditional media support he’s become absolutely huge. With his Kacey Musgraves duet hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and is nominated for two Grammys.

In the last few months he’s been arrested and had his mugshot go viral on social media - the deal sealer for any DIY artist!

I’m probably doing a disservice to them in some way but for both these guys to exist “outside” the machine and have the grassroots success that they seem to be having is really something. All we need now is to broaden that success out to a wider demographic of artist.