Seven Budding Country Stars to Watch This 2017 Festival Season

Nashville is well-known for pumping out some of the best and brightest in country music. Many new artists have made their way to Music City for their shot at living their dream and performing the music they’ve written for fans everywhere. As we head into the summer festival season, many new acts will cross the nation and play multiple festivals in hopes of spreading their music to fans everywhere.

Check out some of the hot new acts to follow as they perform across the country this summer for festival season:

Bailey Bryan; Photo by Blythe Thomas

Bailey Bryan

There’s been plenty of buzz surrounding Washington native Bailey Bryan after she hit the scene late last year with her debut single, “Own It.” The 19-year-old singer/songwriter moved across the country to pursue her dreams of artistry, even garnering notice from the Bobby Bones Show host, Bobby Bones, and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, who nominated her for this year’s GRAMMYs Artist of Tomorrow accolade.

Listen to: “Own It”

See her: Country LakeShake in Chicago, IL; Faster Horses Festival in Brooklyn, MI; Route 91 Harvest in Las Vegas; Visit her Facebook for more information.

Drake White; Photo Credit: John Shearer

Drake White

Drake White has slowly been making his name known and winning fans over from across the country. Best known for his foot-stompin’, high-energy shows, White has shown his stuff as he recently toured the country with Zac Brown Band. The Alabama native will take his hits, like “It Feels Good” and “Livin’ the Dream,” out on the road as he continues to prove that he’s one of Music City’s hottest new acts.

Listen to: “Makin’ Me Look Good Again”

See him: Country LakeShake in Chicago, IL; Watershed Festival in George, WA; Boots & Hearts Fesitval in Oro-Medonte, Canada; Visit his website for more tour dates.

Luke Combs; Photo by Matthew Berinato

Luke Combs

Much like Bailey Bryan, Luke Combs caught the attention of Bobby Bones. But Bones wasn’t the only radio personality paying attention. Stations across the country took the budding superstar’s debut single, “Hurricane,” up the charts to the No.1 slot for two consecutive weeks, marking the first time a debut single has held the top spot for multiple weeks since Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise.” Combs didn’t stop there as his debut album This One’s For You followed suit and debuted at No. 1 as well.

Listen to: “Hurricane”

See him: Windy City Smokeout in Chicago, IL; Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City Beach, FL; For more dates, visit Combs’ Facebook.

Drew Baldridge; Photo courtesy Loudmouth PR

Drew Baldridge

For fans familiar with Sirius XM’s The Highway, they know that one of the spotlight artists has been Drew Baldridge. The station highlighted the up-and-coming act when they began playing his music and most recently, inviting him to take part in the inaugural Highway Finds Tour with Steve Moakler and Smithfield. Baldridge continues to take fans by storm once they catch him live, with moves like Luke Bryan and a close-knit relationship with his equally eager band.

Listen to: “Rebound”

See him: Country LakeShake in Chicago, IL; Faster Horses Festival in Brooklyn, MI; Visit his website for more tour dates.

Ashley McBryde; Photo via Facebook

Ashley McBryde

Like Baldridge, Ashley McBryde is getting some recognition after being chosen as one of the latest Sirius XM The Highway’s Highway Finds. The satellite station isn’t the only one taking notice of the new act, as Eric Church invited her to open for him later this year. McBryde also gained a few more hundred fans when she debuted at the Grand Ole Opry, earning a standing ovation from the captivated crowd.

Listen to: “A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega”

See her: Country LakeShake in Chicago, IL; Jamboree In The Hills in Morristown, OH; Watershed Festival in George, WA; Keep up with McBryde on her website.

Jackie Lee; Photo credit: Jason Myers

Jackie Lee

Jackie Lee sings about getting over heartache in his debut, “Getting Over You,” which has resonated with fans nationwide. The singer has been working on his craft since he was a young child, knowing that he’d one day take the stage like many of his idols before him. Most recently, Lee spent time out on the road with buddies Dan + Shay for the duo’s Obsessed Tour and will soon hit the road for Bobby Bones’ Class of ’17 Tour later this summer.

Listen to: “Getting Over You”

See him: Windy City Smokeout in Chicago, IL; Faster Horses Festival in Brooklyn, MI; Route 91 Harvest in Las Vegas; Visit his website for more information.

Midland; Photo Courtesy of Apple Music

Midland

Midland is the trio that’s making classic country cool again. While the band may sound more traditional than what’s on the radio airwaves, the three men seamlessly blend their blast-from-the-past influences with a more modern vibe, captivating fans on both sides of the “country or not” coin. Midland came together after members Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach and Jess Carson reunited at Duddy’s wedding and lightning struck, thus locking in the men for the journey of a lifetime.

Listen to: “Drinkin’ Problem”

See them: Windy City Smokeout in Chicago, IL; Boots & Hearts Fesitval in Oro-Medonte, Canada; Check out their website for more tour dates.

If you like these acts, check them out in our New Nashville playlist below. Keep up to date with all the latest acts coming out of Music City by subscribing to the list HERE.