Release Day is an exciting day for every musician. Garrett Bradford said he was up at 5:30 A.M. on the morning of the release day of Watching You Burn, somewhat nervous about what to expect. To his surprise, he discovered he already had the highest number of online streams he had ever experienced on the morning of a release. (Congratulations Garrett!) Garrett Bradford's style is heavily influenced by 90’s country music and the storytelling of classic country songs. Watching You Burn tells a story of longing for someone you love to make different choices, but ultimately having to walk away when they do not. The steel guitar enhances the mood of the narrative, while Garrett’s southern charm leads your dancing boots onto the floor.
"I tried to save you, I hoped to help
But you can’t rescue somebody from themselves
Like a moth, drawn to a blaze
I moved closer when I should have flown away
If I keep staring at the flame
I’ll never see who’s to blame
From your fire, I have learned
That I’d go blind watching you burn"
When I first saw the title of Garrett Bradford’s upcoming album, Honkiest of the Tonkers, I had to do a double take. My first question for him was about the title's meaning—"What does it even mean?" Garrett explained that the songs are part of a two-part set, written and recorded in Tennessee and Texas, separated by style and influence. Watching You Burn is one of the nine songs on the first set of Garrett’s upcoming album releasing Feb 21st, with part 2 releasing on April 11th.
Next up on my list was a burning question:
How did you land a song on Yellowstone? Well, that is an interesting answer. Garrett is a talented songwriter and singer who grew up on a ranch in Weatherford, Texas, he began performing at a young age. Garrett was hired by Taylor Sheridan to assist on his ranch after he moved nearby.. Taylor Sheridan quickly developed a close friendship with Garrett and his family. After a couple of seasons into Yellowstone and hearing Garrett's songwriting style. Taylor asked Garrett if he’d be interested in writing a song for a scene on the show. Garrett initially approached the song with a sense of nervousness, expressing that he “sat on it” before finalizing it. Subsequently, he produced an acoustic demo and presented it to Taylor, who responded positively, and within a few days, it was ready for the upcoming episode. A minute and a half of the song was featured in Season 33, Episode 9 of Yellowstone, significantly boosting Garrett Bradford's public profile. Since its appearance on the show, This Way of Life has garnered nearly 2 million streams on Spotify, an impressive achievement for his first published song, and has gained 60K monthly listeners with his 5 current releases.
Garrett, it was a pleasure to talk with you. Thank you for sharing stories and exciting things coming up for you in 2025 In A Country Minute. Cheers!
Keep up with Garrett by clicking the buttons below to connect with his social media.
