An interesting comparison.
Over the past five or so years, it’s become increasingly apparent that country music is simultaneously bigger than ever while also the most fragmented it’s ever been. While some may argue that’s a bad thing, citing multiple factors such as lack of cohesion in the genre, many (myself included) have viewed it as a major step in the right direction in terms of overall quality and diversity in the genre.
We’ve seen a plethora of different styles and subgenres receive more and more attention over the years. Whether it’s Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simspon ushering the first fave of independent artists towards the mainstream, Zach Bryan and Sam Barber pushing the indie, folk-inspired subgenre to new heights, bands such as the Turnpike Troubadours and Flatland Cavalry familiarizing new audiences to the Red Dirt sound from Texas and Oklahoma or other artists such as Treaty Oak Revival and Koe Wetzel popularizing a more grunge-inspired approach to country/southern rock, there’s been a whole lot to latch on to depending on your taste…