Why are these Southern rockers from Alabama so amped about their national success that they titled their brand-new album Grateful?
The Red Clay Strays want you to hear their brand-new record and receive the message where your rhythm resides that they’re exactly what the title proclaims: Grateful — for the ability to make music together, for the opportunity to embark on their first arena tour, and for the fans whose support has made it all possible.
You’ll be grateful, too, for the 11 new genre-bending tracks that deliver a soulful red-clay mix of Southern rock, classic country, delta blues, and gospel.
Out June 5, Grateful comes on the heels of the Strays’ win for Group of the Year at last month’s Academy Of Country Music Awards, which capped off an epic run that’s seen the band from Mobile, Alabama, grow from crowd-funding both its first record and its tour bus to becoming one of the hottest acts in American music.
The Red Clay Strays celebrate their win for Group of the Year at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards. Credit: Lauren Justice.
The biggest boost for the Strays’ meteoric commercial success no doubt came with their 2024 Dave Cobb-produced LP Made by These Moments, which married the group’s twangy Southern-rock gospel sound with stories about the times that have shaped them into who they are today.
The collaboration with Cobb was so fruitful, in fact, that the Strays returned to work with him on Grateful, this time around moving between his new still-unfinished studio in Savannah, Georgia, and Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, where they had previously convened.
“Dave was adamant that he wanted us to be the first ones to record there [in Savannah],” says lead singer Brandon Coleman. “In the midst of the studio still being constructed, with boards getting cut and no electricity, we brought in a portable recording setup with a laptop and mics to capture the handclaps on ‘Demons in Your Choir.’”
Singer Brandon Coleman at the Patriotic Music Festival in Norfolk, Virginia. Credit: Matthew Coleman.
Handclaps weren’t the only tricks Cobb and the Strays had up their musical sleeves. Grateful sees the band diving into the deep end with the nine-time GRAMMY-winning producer, conjuring up everything from heartfelt piano ballads to gospel-choir-amped anthems that honor the faith that’s kept the six-man outfit grounded in good times and bad.
In some songs, those things converge, as on “Demons in Your Choir.”
“We weren’t sure how it would turn out, but once we got the choir added in we really enjoyed it,” recalls Coleman. “I’ve always wanted to include some type of backup-singer parts in our music, but we never had the resources to be able to do it until this record.”
But on Grateful, The Strays also don’t wander far from the swampy Southern blues that have earned them comparisons to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Elvis in the past. You’ll hear that on “Fools Gold” and “Down South,” the latter conveying the band’s appreciation for home.
“We’re not trying to dog people in New York City or anywhere else — it’s just an acknowledgment of being away from home for a long time and excited to get back to the South, where there’s sweet tea, pine trees, and humidity in the air,” Coleman says. “It’s not that we aren’t enjoying our time on the road; it’s just that the time away only makes us miss home that much more.”
With a slew of festival dates this summer followed by the band’s first-ever headlining arena shows at venues like New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Boston’s TD Garden, and Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, the band might be missing home more than ever. Even so, The Strays are nothing but grateful.
“We’ve been working hard and grinding away for years to make it to where we are now getting to reap the benefits of it, which is where the album title Grateful comes from,” Coleman says. “We’ve always felt that way, even when we were only selling 50 tickets per room, and that’s something that hasn’t and won’t change. We’re always thankful for every moment we have together as a band and don’t plan on ever taking any of it for granted.”
