The Red Clay Strays

Formed in late 2016 in Mobile, Alabama – an area known to be rich in red clay soil - country rock / Americana group The Red Clay Strays was founded by Brandon Coleman (lead vocals, guitar), Drew Nix (vocals, electric guitar, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), and John Hall (drums). Coleman, Nix, and Bishop had come together in 2015 and played in a covers band together, but that fell apart and, after meeting Hall and Rishel, they formed The Red Clay Strays. Influenced by country music legends such as Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Waylon Jennings, Southern rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, and more modern American artists like Jason Isbell, The Red Clay Strays soon began to build a rabid local following. The band’s popularity began to spread nationwide as they toured continuously and played many major music festivals. In 2022, they issued the limited edition HBYCO (How ‘Bout You Come On) CD as well as their long-awaited official debut album Moment of Truth that same year. The independently released album was a critical success and included the singles “Doin’ Time” and “Wondering Why.” The group then went on to tour with high-profile country artists including Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Elle King, and many others. Initially released independently, the group’s second album, Made by These Moments, was released in 2024 and quickly picked up by RCA, who issued the album internationally in July of that year. The album was a success and reached number 3 on the UK Country Albums chart and landed in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Country Music Albums and Americana / Folk charts. The album – which featured the hit single “Wanna Be Loved” - also climbed to number 29 on the Billboard 200 chart.