Zach Bryan: Changing Country Music 

Staff Writer: Danika Audrey Beaton 

Zach Lane Bryan is a country music artist who was born on April 2, 1996, in Okinawa, Japan, which was where his family was deployed by the United States Navy. Zach Bryan grew up in Oologah, Oklahoma which is where he developed a love for country music. Like his father and mother, he enlisted in the United States Navy, which is where he served for seven years before being honorably discharged. 

Zach Bryan’s music is a mixture of outlaw country and folk melody. He has a raspy voice that makes him stand out against other country artists. In his music, he has played guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, accordion, and harmonica. He is especially famous for his harmonica parts in several of his songs. 

The first album Zach Bryan released is called DeAnn, which was released on August 24, 2019. The top three songs on that album according to Spotify are “Flying or Crying,” “Hope Again,” and “God Speed.” The album, DeAnn, was dedicated to Zach Bryan’s mother, Annette DeAnn Bryan, who passed away in 2016 when Zach Bryan was only 20 years old. He wrote 12 songs for this album. 

DeAnn was followed by another album titled Elisabeth on May 8, 2020. Elisabeth had some hits such as “Heading South,” “Messed Up Kid,” and “Revival.” The Elisabeth album contains 18 acoustic songs. 

On May 20, 2022, Zach Bryan wrote and performed an album with 34 songs called American Heartbreak. This album is Zach Bryan’s most popular one with some well-known songs like “Something in the Orange,” “Highway Boys,” and “’68 Fastback.”  

Ashlyn Beaton, a sixth grader at Woodstock Middle School, claims “’Something in the Orange’ is my absolute favorite song by Zach Bryan. It has a fantastic melody, is really catchy, and always on the radio.” 

Likewise, a Woodstock High School junior, Kaitlyn Henscheid described “Something in the Orange” as her favorite song because, “the song is so impactful, and creates such a strong feeling of emotion. I also love the thought of incorporating sunsets into the song because it shows beauty arising darkness.” 

His most recent album debuted on December 25, 2022. This album is titled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster, which contains 24 songs performed live at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado.  

Zach Bryan also has one EP with nine songs, released on July 15, 2022. He named this EP Summertime Blues. This EP contains several marvelous songs, such as “Summertime Blues,” “Oklahoma Smokeshow,” and “Matt and Audie.” 

Zach Bryan’s latest release is a single titled “Dawns.” This song was released on January 27, 2023. This single features Maggie Rogers and is four minutes and 50 seconds long. “Dawns” is a song about breaking up with a loved one and needing to move on.  

A Woodstock High School junior, Mia Terrado, highlights that “I really liked the way the song started off more subdued and then the music built up to the big climax with both Zach Bryan and Maggie Rogers singing. Overall, the song was very well structured and easily my favorite song by Zach Bryan. 

Zach Bryan is also going on tour, which he named the Burn, Burn, Burn tour. The tour kicks off on May 10, 2023. Opening for Zach Bryan are Charles Wesley Godwin, Trampled by Turtles, Jonathan Peyton, and J.R. Carroll. The North America part of the tour consists of 32 shows that are all sold out. Zach Bryan is playing two shows in Duluth, Georgia at Gas South Arena. These shows are on May 15^th and May 16^th. Zach Bryan has taken a stand against Ticketmaster, so he used AXS Ticketing to sell his tickets. 

Macie Brown, a Woodstock High School junior, details that “I am so excited to attend Zach Bryan’s concert. I love his music so much and it is going to be an incredible experience!” 

Zach Bryan is currently continuing to create new music. He is a big Philidelphia Eagles fan, along with his girlfriend, Debra Peifer. He continues to put his fans first, fighting for reasonably priced tickets for his fans, which is why he chose not to sell his tour tickets on Ticketmaster.