Persistence Pays Off For The Swon Brothers
The Swon Brothers may have catapulted into the spotlight on NBC’s The Voice, but that was far from the beginning of this duo’s crack at a career in music. Brothers Zach and Colton Swon got their start playing everywhere that would have them—churches, coffee shops, even retirement homes—and have plenty of good-natured tales of persistence.
“We started coming to Nashville when we were 9 and 12, and we just remember getting kicked out of every label,” laughed Colton. “That’s something I’ll never forget, because we just thought we’ve come and grab a record deal on our way to Florida. We always talk about it, getting kicked out of literally almost every label.”
The Swon Brothers have come a long way since those days, though: hitting the charts with their debut single “Later On” and snagging a deal with Arista Nashville, the boys even recently made their debut at the Grand Ole Opry.
“It was a dream come true,” Zach recently told CountryMusicIsLove. “Every country singer dreams about being on that stage and being invited to sing there. We’ve been there many times just watching, and every time we go it makes us want to do it more. You don’t realize it until you stand in that circle, but there’s so much history that hits you all at once. It’s almost like a spiritual experience.”
The brothers are both adamant that in pursuing music, a positive attitude and a refusal to quit are some of the most important ingredients in finding your fans.
“The biggest thing is that when it does work out, it’s gonna work out the way it should,” said Zach. “We had a bunch of of opportunities where maybe we thought we were going to sign a record deal and something happened that just ruined everything. Maybe the label shut down, or the guy who was interested took another job somewhere else. It’s very easy to get discouraged. But I know now that none of that would’ve been the right choice. I think we’re exactly where we need to be with the right people around us.”
It’s no wonder the brothers feel like they’ve landed in the right spot: their biggest supporters also happen to be some of country’s music’s biggest stars.
“I think at first we were star struck by everyone,” admitted Zach. “But this industry and this genre of music is like a big family. For the most part, everyone we’ve met has been welcoming with open arms and they’re just really great people. Obviously Blake [Shelton], we’ve got a really great relationship with Blake and he’s been a great mentor. With Blake comes Miranda [Lambert], who is awesome. She’s like the female version of Blake, she’s just really down to earth and real.”
Zach and Colton must’ve taken some notes when it comes to being down-to-earth: they’re known to stick around after performances, signing autographs and hanging out with fans.
“We’re big believers in trying to stay after shows and just shake hands, meet the people who got us to where we are today,” said Colton. “It might make you a little bit more tired on the road, but it’s going to make your life a little bit longer in your career, just shaking hands and hugging necks and saying thank you.”
They’ll certainly get the opportunity to hug some necks next week: the duo is slated to perform at Nashville’s hallowed CMA Fest next week alongside many of their mentors. Check out more about the Swon Brothers and peek at more upcoming tour dates (or, as they like to call them, “Swoncerts”) over at their website.
