The Red Clay Strays
American country rock band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Red Clay Strays is an American country music band formed in Mobile, Alabama. They are best known for their 2022 single "Wondering Why", which had success in late 2023 after going viral on TikTok. The song became their first one to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 71.[2]
The Red Clay Strays | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Mobile, Alabama, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
|
| Website | redclaystrays |
Career
2016–2020: Initial formation
The Red Clay Strays formed as the successor to a cover band in Mobile, Alabama in 2016, consisting of lead singer Brandon Coleman, bassist Andrew Bishop and guitarist Drew Nix.[3] As the band started to perform more original material, they regrouped and formed the Red Clay Strays, adding drummer John Hall and guitarist Zach Rishel in the process.[3] The group continued to perform locally in smaller venues across the southeastern United States and built up a regional following, signing with management company Ontourage Management in 2019.[4] In November 2019, they released the single "Good Godly Woman", which was featured in the film Doctor Sleep.[5] They followed this with the singles "No Way to Know" and "Will the Lord Remember Me" in 2020.[6][7] However, the group had to step back from touring due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.[8]
2020–2023: Moment of Truth and continued growth
Funded primarily by crowdfunding efforts spurred by manager Cody Payne, the band recorded their debut studio album Moment of Truth in Huntsville, Alabama. The group self-released the album in April 2022 but did not get much commercial success initially.[4] In 2023, they signed with talent agency WME and began talks with labels. While initially wanting to remain independent, they signed with Thirty Tigers in May 2023.[4] This was followed by performances at festivals like Lollapalooza and CMA Fest.[4] In August 2023, they released their first live EP as part of media platform Western AF's YouTube series Live AF.[9]
2023–present: Commercial breakthrough
Throughout 2023, the Red Clay Strays started building traction on social media, culminating in "Wondering Why" going viral on TikTok in September.[4] "Wondering Why" was initially released in March 2022 as a single from Moment of Truth and saw a boost on streaming services in late 2023 due to the Live AF performance of the song going viral.[10][11] The song became the group's first song to enter a Billboard chart when it debuted on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart at number 33 on the chart dated November 25.[10] In December, it became their first Billboard Hot 100 entry when it debuted at number 93.[11] This coincided with their Way Too Long headlining tour, which concluded in March 2024.[10] Also in March 2024, the group signed a record deal with RCA Records, followed by a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music in April 2024.[12][1] They also added keyboardist and organist Sevans Henderson around the same time.[13] In August 2024, the group embarked on a five-show tour in Europe.[14] Additionally, the group released their second studio album, Made by These Moments, on July 26, 2024, which was produced by Dave Cobb.[14][15] The lead single from this album, "Wanna Be Loved", was released on May 22, 2024.[16] They also appear on the Twisters soundtrack with the song "Caddo County".[17]
On October 3, 2025, the Red Clay Strays released the single "People Hatin'".[18]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [19] |
US Am./ Folk [20] |
US Country [21][22] |
SCO [23] |
UK Sales [23] |
UK Country [23] | |||
| Moment of Truth |
|
— | 11 | 29 | 78 | 97 | 4 | |
| Made by These Moments | 29 | 6 | 9 | 53 | 48 | 3 | ||
Live albums
Live EPs
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [2] |
US AAA [27] |
US Country [28] |
US Rock [29] |
CAN [30] |
IRE [31] |
NZ Hot [32] | ||||
| "Good Godly Woman"[5] | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "No Way to Know"[6] | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Will the Lord Remember Me"[7] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Doin' Time"[33] | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Moment of Truth | |
| "Wondering Why"[11] | 71 | 4 | 18 | 10 | 52 | 72 | — | |||
| "Sunshine (Western AF Version)"[a][35] | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Wanna Be Loved"[16] | 2024 | 100 | 15 | 27 | 18 | — | — | 38 |
|
Made by These Moments |
| "Devil in My Ear"[36] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Drowning"[36] | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | |||
| "People Hatin'"[18] | 2025 | — | 27 | 38 | 15 | — | — | 35 | TBA | |
| "If I Didn't Know You" | 2026 | — | — | 37 | 23 | — | — | — | ||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Momma Loves Me" (Needtobreathe featuring The Red Clay Strays) |
2025 | The Long Surrender |
Other charted songs
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Caddo County"[17] | 2024 | N/a | Twisters: The Album |
Tours
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Americana Music Honors & Awards | Emerging Artist of the Year | Themselves | Won | [41] |
| 2024 | Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Group of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2025 | Academy of Country Music Awards | New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year | Won | ||
| 2025 | Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Group of the Year | Won |
Notes
- The single version is the live recording while the version present on the album is the studio version.