My favorite thing about Music City is the sheer amount of talent concentrated here; it’s truly hard to grasp. However, this also makes it extremely difficult for artists to stand out and gain recognition. That’s where I come in. It wasn’t easy, but I selected eight Nashville-based up-and-coming artists who, in my opinion, are on track to become the next big stars in country music. In the writing process, I found myself wanting to describe each of them with the same words: “…doesn’t sound like anybody else.” Their uniqueness is exactly why I chose them, and what I believe will carry them to success. My goal was to capture exactly what their music makes me feel, in hopes that it resonates with you and prompts you to press that play button.
Joshua Slone
From the moment I came across Joshua Slone singing “I Am Yours, You Are Mine.” on Instagram in May of 2025, I knew he was something special. I like to refer to the fascinating start of his career as the “Joshua Slone Phenomenon.” I was instantly drawn to the tenderness of the acoustic guitar, the sincerity of the lyrics and his soft, yet heartfelt voice. At the time, Slone had no officially released music, so I returned to his Instagram account to listen to my favorite bits of his original songs over and over again. It seemed I was not the only one who saw his potential: Fellow artists flooded his comments section with praise. He then opened for Zach Bryan at Michigan Stadium Sep. 27, 2025 — the concert that currently holds the U.S. record for the largest ticketed event in history, with an audience of 112,408. Later in the year, on Oct. 29, Slone made his first-ever release — a 16-song album titled “Thinking Too Much,” with songs “Demons” and “Shark Attack” co-produced by Benny Blanco, one of the most famous record producers in the world. The album momentarily won over the hearts of country and folk music artists and lovers, mine included. It is the ultimate collection of love songs, in which Slone lays everything bare and reflects on the complexities of relationships: from falling head over heels in love to the pain of unrequited love and learning to move on. The fact that in a little over a month, he became my Spotify top artist, and “Thinking Too Much” became my top album of the year, speaks for itself. For all the quiet yearners and overthinkers out there, Joshua Slone might be your new favorite artist.
Maggie Antone
Maggie Antone will always have a special place in my heart. I started following her on social media in 2023, back when she had not yet officially released any original music. Something about her achingly beautiful twang, heartbreaking, poignant lyrics, relatable to our generation and sassy southern “lover” energy (she is from Richmond, Virginia) kept me coming back to her singing posts. In August 2025, she put out her original album “Rhinestoned,” which I consider to be a nearly perfect record because of how fully it captured Antone’s artistic identity and everything that made me fall in love with her in the first place. While “High Standards” and “Mess With Texas” will make you laugh and waltz around your room, “Suburban Outlaw” and “Me & Jose Cuervo” will have you raging over awful ex-boyfriends, even if you don’t have any, before sending you straight to your kitchen floor in tears. My endless admiration for Antone comes not only from the brilliance of her music but also from the fact that she was the first artist I ever saw live in Nashville. She hosted an intimate release party at Vinyl Tap, where I got to sit just a few feet away from her. She sounded just as beautiful as she did on her record, and she was the sweetest when I got the chance to meet her after the show. A month later, I ran into her in the crowd at another concert, and she actually recognized me! Antone is a beautiful soul in every way and certainly deserves your attention.
Laci Kaye Booth
Laci Kaye Booth is an angel on Earth. I remember that being my first thought when I saw her live for the first time at a songwriters’ round for AmericanaFest Sep. 20, 2024. The way she walked on stage, her warm, unhurried Texan drawl, the kindest smile and presence — everything about her seemed ethereal. The moment she began to sing, a wave of chills washed over me, and my eyes filled with tears. Booth has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, and her signature smoky, breathy timbre has a way of tugging at your heartstrings. Her most recent album, “The Loneliest Girl in the World,” released May 17, 2024, is a vulnerable reflection on her relationship with family, coming-of-age years, her journey to Nashville, love, heartbreak and learning how to be comfortable just being yourself, even in solitude. Later single releases, such as “Daddy’s Mugshot” and “Luck Of The Draw,” dig deeper into her upbringing in a trailer park in East Texas, which shows up in the gritty, introspective lyrics and the raw, rough-edged, outlaw sound, defined by pedal steel and electric guitar. Booth is a genius songwriter and a visionary artist who knows exactly who she is. She was kind enough to meet my friends and I at another show at The Basement East, and I can confirm: She is an angel who you absolutely must hear.
Carter Faith
Speaking of remarkable debut albums, I must tell you about Carter Faith and her masterpiece of a record called “Cherry Valley,” released Oct. 3, 2025. My introduction to Faith, a North Carolina native, was seeing her “Return to Cherry Valley” show at Chief’s on Broadway. All the ticket proceeds from which went to Eric Church’s Chief Cares Fund to help those affected by Hurricane Helene, before the release of the album. Then, I fell in love with her smoky but gentle voice, witty lyrics and playful energy and started looking forward to her officially putting out the record. The wait was more than worth it. In 15 songs, Faith created an entire “Cherry Valley” universe that immerses you and doesn’t let you go. In her world, you wear white lace or red satin, listen to Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings and Eric Church, play pedal steel guitar and reflect on broken love and the challenges of growing up. From the honky-tonk anthem “Bar Star” to the sassy “Grudge” to the self-reflective and relationship-driven ballads like “So I Sing” and “Six String,” the album is full of songs you need to add to your “getting ready” playlist and also to your “losing my mind” playlist. Faith guarantees you find your new favorite song on “Cherry Valley.”
Willow Avalon
I doubt anybody could resist the Southern charm of Willow Avalon. Drawing inspiration from country legends, her music feels like a modern interpretation of what Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn might sound like today. In her most recent album “Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell,” she blends classic country storytelling about men with questionable morals and troubled relationships with the sounds of Americana and Southern rock. With songs like “Country Never Leaves” and “Gettin’ Rich, Goin’ Broke,” Avalon embraces her rural Georgia roots as an integral part of who she is, both as an artist and as a woman. Her soft voice with a characteristic flutter is one of the most recognizable in the genre today. I was lucky enough to see her live at the Under the Big Sky Festival in Whitefish, Montana, in the summer of 2025, where she was one of my favorite acts of the weekend. Her sense of humor and a sweet accent made the entire set feel like a warm hug from a Southern woman. Think pedal steel, banjo, honey, peaches, whiskey, floral summer dresses, amber hair, fur coats, vintage furniture and cowgirl blues; if this is your vibe, you will adore Willow Avalon.
The Castellows
Speaking of rural Georgia talent, I can’t leave out The Castellows, the only band in my selection. It consists of a beautiful trio of sisters, Eleanor, Lily and Powell Balkcom. Around 2022, they started their musical journey on various social media platforms by posting covers of traditional and popular contemporary country songs. This is how I first discovered them. What has been special about them from the very beginning is their ability to make any song sound completely their own: Their lush and delicate three-part harmonies and masterful blend of guitar and banjo picking create their signature “American sweethearts” sound. In their debut 2025 album, “Homecoming,” they talk about longing for their Georgia home, front porches, dewy sunsets and endless country roads. In songs like “Broke” and “Sheltered,” they honor the rural coal-mining communities and celebrate the simple way of life they were raised in. Just like “American Honey” by Lady A did around 10 years ago, The Castellows make me want to let my horse run wild across the open fields, and I am here for it.
Zandi Holup
After my family and I saw Zandi Holup at the Under the Big Sky Festival in Whitefish, Montana, last summer, she instantly became one of our household favorites. My first interaction with her art was on Instagram in 2023, when I came across a video of her singing her original song “Gas Station Flowers.” Her naturally raspy voice stunned me with its evocative rawness, but what drew me in even more was the sharp, beautifully tragic lyrics. Holup’s storytelling has a knack for landing gut punches throughout all her songs, especially at the ends of choruses. Her debut 2025 album, “Wildflower,” is a perfect introduction to who she is as a person and as an artist, and a deep exploration of her upbringing, family ties and complex relationships. Songs like “Runs In The Family” and “Things I’ll Never Forget” feel like an effort to understand and forgive the imperfections of her family, while learning from their mistakes and refusing to let them define her own life. In “Dirty Wings” and the title track “Wildflower,” Holup embraces her differences and grows to love herself just the way she is. Seeing her on a ranch in Montana felt perfect in a way that her music feels like standing in the field of daisies, surrounded by pine trees and mountains, with the wind blowing through your hair. If you ever want to hear something that grounds you and brings you closer to yourself, Zandi Holup should be your first choice.
Stephen Wilson Jr.
In 2024, a recording of Stephen Wilson Jr. performing his original “I’m A Song” at Live At The Print Shop went viral, and I am so glad it did, as it introduced me and the world to a generational talent. I insist on this video being the first thing you see of him because it captures his essence, his soul and his style. Wilson Jr. plays a nylon-string guitar through an amplifier with a pick, which creates a unique blend of acoustic warmth and electric-like grit. He has a dark, textured, subtly nasal voice, which, complemented by his signature “clenched jaw” delivery, feels deeply intimate. When he is performing, it makes you feel as if you are transported to a living room, and he is sitting right there, singing just for you. His debut album, “søn of dad,” is a profoundly personal tribute to his late father, released exactly five years after his passing. Wilson Jr. reflects on his upbringing in small-town Indiana, his relationship with his dad, and how both have shaped who he is today. In “American Gothic” and “billy,” he paints a picture of growing up in the rural Midwest and realizes his roots will follow him wherever he goes. With “Father’s Søn” and “Grief is Only Love,” Wilson Jr. grieves his late father by embracing him as an integral part of himself and learning to make peace with the pain of losing someone so important. These songs are heavy, yet profound and even healing. In “I’m A Song,” narrated from a song’s point of view, Wilson Jr. reflects on how music reaches the deepest parts of you and walks with you through life, “so you never go there alone.” I believe his music does exactly that.
