Koe Wetzel

Named in honor of outlaw country icon David Allen Coe, country songwriter Koe Wetzel was born on July 14, 1992, in Pittsburgh, Texas. His mother was a touring country musician who often brought Wetzel on the road during his childhood years. Later, while playing football as a linebacker at Tarleton State University, Wetzel decided to carry on the family tradition and focus on his music career. Forming the band Koe Wetzel and Konvicts, he released an independent debut album, Out on Parole, in early 2015, then returned with a follow-up EP, Love and Lies, that summer. Both records introduced his genre-blending mix of country, hip-hop, and grunge influences, which made him a regional star throughout Texas. Dropping the band name and partnering with the indie label YellaBush, he debuted as a solo artist with Noise Complaint in 2016. Harold Saul High arrived in 2019 and became his first record to chart, appearing on the Billboard 200 as well as the US Country chart. The newfound momentum resulted in an offer from Columbia Records, and Koe Wetzel cheekily celebrated his major-label upgrade by titling his fourth album Sellout. Released in November 2020, Sellout rose to Number 88 on the Billboard 200. In April 2022, he returned to the Billboard charts with the single "April Showers," which hit Number 16 on Hot Rock Songs and Number 36 on Hot Country Songs. The song later appeared on his second release for Columbia, Hell Paso, which reached Number 12 on the Billboard 200 upon its release in September 2022. 9 Lives followed in 2024, reaching number 5 on the Top Country Albums chart.