Born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky and a graduate of Murray State University, Austin found early inspiration in the radio leading to involvement in church choir and theater throughout school.
With early encouragement from his High School choir teacher, he focused on performing over baseball as he headed to college. After writing and performing an original song his freshman year at MSU, Austin began building his fanbase and plans for the future. After moving to Nashville, Austin went on to sign with Morris Higham for management and in 2023 signed an exclusive publishing deal with Round Hill Music. With additional new music slated for 2024, Austin is stepping forward, knowing the best is yet to come with music as authentic as he is.
Have you always been interested in music? Was there a particular song/performance that made you say “Woah! I want to do that!”?
Ever since I was a kid I can remember music playing a major role in my life. My first memories of performing were in my church choir and school plays. It wasn’t until 2013 when I saw Florida Georgia Line play at the CFSB Center in Murray, KY that I realized I could play music for a career. Seeing how electric their show was and how everyone in the arena was locked in from start to finish put that fire in me to one day do the same with my music.
Where did you draw inspiration from for your debut single “Way Too Much”?
I wrote Way Too Much with three of my close buddies 2 years ago during a writers retreat in Northern Kentucky. We all grew up listening to pop/punk bands so we wanted to recreate that sound with a country twist and I think we made our inner emo selves proud with the final product.
Any fun stories from the writing/recording process on “Way Too Much”?
While we were recording Way Too Much, my brother got to come sit in and watch while we worked on the production and vocals. This was his first time seeing what goes on behind the scenes and I was glad to have him be a part of the entire process. He even sang background vocals on a few songs you’ll hear soon.
You recently released a brand new song, “Leave Like That.” Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the song?
Going into the writing session for this one, I wanted to tell the story of a past relationship with this one. I feel like so many people can relate to meeting a significant other, falling in love, experiencing heartbreak, and then dealing with everything that happens in the aftermath. I tend to spend a lot of time on ‘sad songs’ and the ‘missing you’ songs, but I feel like that’s a very universal topic that a lot of people can relate with.
What’s next for you? Can we expect more new music in the future?
You can definitely expect more music from me in the future. I’ve spent all of 2023 working in the studio making sure I have the best body of work possible so now that I’m finally to the point where I can start releasing music, I don’t plan on letting pop on the gas any time soon.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received during your career thus far?
The best piece of advice I’ve received in my career so far has been “get 1% better every day”. To me that means showing up every day and putting in the time to consistently get better at my craft. I don’t have to change the world every day. But every day adds up to greatness if you just focus on getting better little by little.
If we were to look at the artists you are listening to, who would be on your playlist?
You’ll definitely find rap and rock Machine Gun Kelly at the top of the list. He’s my favorite artist right now and I draw a lot of inspiration from him. After that you’ll find some indie pop rock bands like The Band Camino and Nightly, mixed in with some Sam Hunt, Tyler Hubbard and Drake.
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
My autobiography would be named “KTVA” (Keep The Vibe Alive). I have those letters tattooed on my arm as a symbol to never give up on my dreams and keep going no matter what. I think this saying applies to a lot of different areas throughout my life also.
You are a new addition to a crayon box. What colour would you be and why?
I’d probably be Hot Head Red. I’m a redhead and as they say, we can have a little temper every now and then but I’d like to think I’m not THAT bad haha.
What makes you nostalgic?
The smell of tobacco burning. I go back to driving around my hometown in the fall and getting hints of tobacco barns burning during harvest season. It’s my favorite time of year.
If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
I’d ask myself “Did you see it panning out this way?”
If you could learn any language fluently what would it be?
I’d like to learn Spanish. Like actually learn it this time haha. I’ve taken Spanish courses multiple times but it never crossed my mind to pay attention because it might come in handy one day.