The up-and-coming country music artist premieres a new video — and serenades us with a song.
Since 2020, when Ian Flanigan achieved national recognition as a finalist representing Blake Shelton’s Team Blake on the popular NBC talent competition series The Voice, the country music troubadour with the distinctive whiskey-soaked voice has been widely viewed as an up-and-comer to watch. And Flanigan hasn’t stopped working — and performing — to make good on his promise.
“I feel humbled, blessed, and grateful,” Flanigan says of his Voice exposure. “The experience was truly once-in-a-lifetime, and my appreciation for everyone on the show will never cease.” He has sustained his momentum by landing a record deal with Reviver Music, and working with new management at Noble Steed Music, while remaining a principal with Nightcap Entertainment, the company he co-founded to provides label/content services and support to his fellow artists.
But wait, there’s more: Flanigan has toured as direct support to Trace Adkins and Chris Janson, and earned over 1.2 million streams for his party-rowdy debut single, “Grow Up” (featuring none other than Blake Shelton). This week, he released the video for his live performance at Nashville’s legendary Sound Emporium of “Under a Southern Sky,” the infectiously feel-good second single from his upcoming debut album.
We caught up with Ian Flanigan a few days ago to chat about his becoming an “overnight success” after more than a decade of making music, and the long road he has traveled since his childhood in Hudson Valley’s Catskill Mountains while pursuing his dreams with the support and inspiration of his loving partner Ayla. And at the end of our conversation, he serenaded us with an acoustic performance of “Grow Up.” Talk about your time well spent, right?