Tucker Wetmore

In the Key of Wallen

Don't let the sameness get you down

In the Key of Wallen

Hello!

Welcome back! I spent all week planning a newsletter update that I still haven’t written (and may not). Then, over dinner with my wife one night while our baby napped, we filled twenty minutes chatting about the complicated relationship between imitation and art. I felt so fired up that I wrote this, which isn’t so much a takedown as it is a “you need to know” type promotional essay. I hope you dig it.

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The Morgan Wallen Class of 2024

Have you noticed a lot of Morgan Wallen soundalikes making waves on the internet lately? I'm not saying this is done with the explicit goal of making you think someone who isn't Morgan Wallen is just as good as the real thing, but I understand that it's hard not to believe that at times. 

But what they say about imitation and flattery is also true. Country artists and songwriters alike could do a lot worse than being compared to Morgan Wallen. They know nothing sells like the boy from Sneedville. If you want the highest likelihood of reaching potential fans, following the most prominent star's lead will take you somewhere.

With that in mind, here are my favorite "we have Morgan Wallen at home" candidates and what makes them worth your time. 

Greylan James

The writer behind Jordan Davis' smash hit "Next Thing You Know" and a co-writer on Bailey Zimmerman's "Get To Gettin' Gone," Greylan James knows what it takes to make a hit. He's written for many of the biggest stars in the genre and will no doubt work with more soon, but James has also spent the past two years building a following with the songs he keeps for himself. "Ain’t Thinkin' Bout You," one of his more recent singles, feels like a track that should've been paired with "Thinkin' Bout Me" off Wallen's 2023 record, One Thing A Time. It's simple and hypnotic, yet memorable in a way so few low-key country songs seem to achieve. I wouldn't say it's his best work, but if it opens doors—GOOD FOR HIM.

Redferrin

Many people accused of sounding too much like Morgan Wallen have previously found success writing for the megastar. One such example is Redferrin, whose 2023 single "Jack And Diet Coke" was confused with Wallen so often that mislabeled videos calling the song an unreleased One Thing b-side still find an audience on YouTube. But as catchy as that song may be (and it is), the rest of Redferrin's recent Old No. 7 EP equally deserves your attention. The seven-track release showcases a young talent with a razor-sharp wit and a gift for hooks that many of his peers likely quietly envy behind closed doors. 

Tucker Wetmore

When your only song is the one accused of being a knockoff, it's hard to escape being a victim of comparison. Tucker Wetmore went from TikTok sensation to bonafide streaming hitmaker earlier this year with his debut single, "Wine Into Whiskey," the hype around him has yet to die down. He's got the brooding, heartbroken country boy who can't seem to do right no matter how hard he tries aesthetics down to a science. If that sounds like the kind of thing that will make you feel less alone when you—or someone special—do the next thing that makes you reach for a bottle, then Wetmore deserves your time.

George Birge 

This one is still up for debate. Does George Birge utilize many modern production tricks that make classic country fans groan and complain? Sure. Does he sound like he's trying to be Morgan Wallen? Not so much. Still, he fits into the general look and feel of this subsection of country gentlemen, and the critics can never see the forest for the trees. I wish they would, though, because Birge seems poised to follow in the footsteps of Parker McCollum if he stays true to the storytelling that helped establish his name. As much as the songs may work for mass consumption, they still feel painfully intimate, as if he's lived them himself. 

Bailey Zimmerman

With a new tour alongside Wallen about to start, Bailey Zimmerman is the most obvious example of comparison leading to success. While he doesn't copy the sound of Wallen's hits as clearly as others listed here, he's borrowed more than enough to leverage his nightly exposure to the same audience for massive growth. There was no Bailey Zimmerman before the pandemic. Last year, he had the most played song on country radio. It doesn't get bigger than that. 

For my money, "Holy Smokes" makes Zimmerman's talent clear. A song about having sex with a preacher's daughter in the church parking lot could be seen as a tough sell for audiences, but not when it sounds as smooth as this:

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Final thoughts

WOOO! We made it two weeks in a row with the resurrected newsletter. It has felt so good to be writing again. Thank you for sticking with us. We have big plans for the future.

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