Zach Bryan

Zach Bryan started putting music out on his own in 2019 with the EP 'DeAnn.' The songs felt like they came straight from a notebook, with a directness that caught on. A track from his 2020 album 'Elizabeth,' called 'Heading South,' spread quickly online, turning a lot of new listeners into fans. He's kept up a steady pace since, putting out full-length records like 'American Heartbreak' in 2022 and 'Summertime Blues' the following year.

His writing leans on plainspoken detail, whether he's sketching a scene in 'Washington Lilacs' or working through something more personal like in 'Sweet DeAnn.' The sound is straightforward, acoustic guitar, his voice, which makes the stories feel close. There's a thread of country and folk in it, but it's less about fitting a genre and more about the delivery.

He's from Oologah, Oklahoma, and that sense of place comes through without much fuss. The music doesn't try to dress things up. It's the kind of writing where a song like 'Letting Someone Go' or 'Codeine Pills (Pt One)' lands because it doesn't sound like it's trying to land.