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The Red Clay Strays

The Red Clay Strays are an American country rock band formed in Mobile, Alabama. They are best known for their 2022 single "Wondering Why", which saw success in late 2023 after going viral on the social media platform TikTok. The song became their first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 71.

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. As the group 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. The group continued to perform locally in smaller venues across the southeastern United States and built up a local following, signing with management company Ontourage Management in 2019. In November 2019, they released the single "Good Godly Woman", which was featured in the film Doctor Sleep. They followed this with the singles "No Way to Know" and "Will the Lord Remember Me" in 2020. However, the group had to step back from touring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020–2023: Moment of Truth and continued growth

Funded primarily by crowdfunding efforts spurred by manager Cody Payne, the group recorded their debut studio album Moment of Truth in Huntsville, Alabama. The group self-released the album in April 2022, but did not see much commercial success initially. In 2023, the group signed with talent agency WME and began talks with labels. While they initially wanted to remain independent, the group signed with Thirty Tigers in May 2023. This was followed by performances at festivals including Lollapalooza and CMA Fest. In August 2023, they released their first live EP as part of media platform Western AF's YouTube series Live AF.

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. "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. 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. In December, it became their first Billboard Hot 100 entry when it debuted at number 93. This coincided with their Way Too Long headlining tour, which concluded in March 2024. 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. In August 2024, the group will embark on a five-show tour in Europe. Additionally, the group is working on their upcoming second studio album, Made by These Moments, which will be produced by Dave Cobb and release on July 26, 2024. The lead single from this album, "Wanna Be Loved", was released on May 22, 2024. They will also appear on the Twisters soundtrack with the song "Caddo County".