New Artists Offer a Variety of Sounds With Country Debuts in the Last Half of 2023

Country music can be difficult to define, and the pack of new artists serving up debuts over the next six months won’t make it any easier.

At least a dozen artists have their inaugural albums or EPs on the way during the last half of 2023, and each of them has a distinct look, sound, and backstory. The crowd includes two women (Ashley Cooke and Harper O’Neill) with distinctly different sounds; party-leaning, biracial duo Neon Union; Latin American ex-cop Frank Ray; and rough-edged Warren Zeiders.

John Morgan and Dylan Marlowe have both snared hits as songwriters for other acts, though Morgan introduced himself as an artist through a TV competition and Marlowe emerged via TikTok.

Shane Profitt, like Ray, already has a top 20 single under his belt, and The Frontmen have over 50, given that the trio consists of lead singers from established groups that hit their strides in the 1990s.
Here’s an overview of the acts who could help define country’s future with their debut albums or EPs expected between now and Dec. 31:

Ashley Cooke (Big Loud) — Cooke’s debut album — shot in the dark, due July 21 — includes guest appearances by Brett Young, Colbie Caillat, Nate Smith and Jackson Dean among its 24 tracks, anchored by Cooke’s smoky timbre and reflective writing approach. She will be further boosted by opening on 16 Luke Bryan tour dates, beginning July 13.

Jordan Fletcher (Triple Tigers) — The Jacksonville, Fla., native lost his dad at age 11, and his scant knowledge about his father made him fiercely dedicated to telling his own story in his music, which results in a self-titled album in November. His sometimes soulful productions are loaded with honest vocals, delivered with understated conviction.

The Frontmen (BMG/BBR Music Group) — Larry Stewart, Tim Rushlow and Richie McDonald were introduced as lead singers for Restless Heart, Little Texas and Lonestar, respectively, in the 1990s, but have worked as a separate collective since around 2011. The trio finally announced its label signing in March and is working on its first project.

Alex Hall (Monument) — An astute guitarist with an expansive vocal range and classic approach to words and music, Hall explores a variety of sounds on his first album, Side Effects of the Heart, expected Sept. 15. The project conveys an optimistic world view, but it’s clearly filtered through real-world heartache and familiar disappointment.

Ryan Larkins (Red Street Country) — His songs have been covered by Tim McGraw, Cody Johnson and Bill Anderson & Dolly Parton. The Nashville-bred Larkins phrases with an old-school Trace Adkins clarity and is prepping the release of his first single, with his debut EP, Meet Ryan Larkins, on tap for a Sept. 29 street date.

Dylan Marlowe (Sony Music Nashville) — Hailing from Statesboro, Ga., Marlowe earned viral attention with a country version of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license,” then co-wrote Jon Pardi’s “Last Night Lonely.” His first EP — Dirt Road When I Die, released July 7 — ranges from banjo-flecked country to headbanger tones with tight, edgy harmonies certifying his country roots.

John Morgan (Broken Bow) — Hot off his May 19 Grand Ole Opry debut, Morgan has achieved several milestones, netting hits as a writer of Jason Aldean’s “Trouble With a Heartache” and the Aldean/Carrie Underwood duet “If I Didn’t Love You,” and competing on NBC’s American Song Contest. His initial EP is under construction.

Neon Union (Red Street Country) — The biracial duo, blending North Carolina’s Andrew Millsaps and Miami’s Leo Brooks, has a gritty tone that approximates Montgomery Gentry’s precedent by playfully mixing blue-collar country with obvious Southern rock influence. Introduced to country radio with “Bout Damn Time,” Neon Union’s first EP, Double Wide Castle Sessions, arrives July 21.

Harper O’Neill (Harper O’Neill Music) — Affiliated with QPrime South management, plus publishers Jody Williams Songs and Warner Chappell Nashville, O’Neill approaches a song with the timeless simplicity and directness of Patsy Cline, but with a ragged, world-weary tone. She self-releases her inaugural EP this summer in between tour dates with Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wade.

Shane Profitt (BMLG) — The Tennessean’s first EP, Maury County Line, included the top 20 Country Airplay hit “How It Oughta Be.” Introduced to Music Row by Chris Janson, Profitt’s powerful tones are built on classic country roots and a brash frankness. His first full album, its release date TBD, is tentatively titled I Am What I Am.

Frank Ray (Stoney Creek) — Ray owns a clear, rangy voice and a fluid stylistic bent with a brand of country that folds in pop, rock, hip-hop and Latin influences, allowing for a fair amount of variation in his first, self-titled album, released July 7. It includes top 20 single “Country’d Look Good on You.”

Warren Zeiders (Warner) — The 14-track Pretty Little Poison, named after Zeider’s current single, presents a voice full of sandpaper, sorrow, whine and snarl. The uncluttered production is part outlaw, part Southern rock and part post-grunge, creating a dark surface pastiche, though underneath there’s a sense of survivor instinct and determination for something better.

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