Nashville Ignored Them For 10 Years, Until They Finally Won

Discover the gritty, ten-year odyssey of The Red Clay Strays, the Alabama band that defied Nashville’s "pop-country" machine to win the 2025 CMA Vocal Group of the Year. In this audio deep dive, we reveal the obstacles overcome on their path to the Ryman, from the sweltering, airless nights in their legendary van "The Breeze" to Brandon Coleman’s years driving Ubers just to survive. Learn how they leveraged a $50,000 fan-funded campaign to record their masterpiece, Moment of Truth, and how a 6-minute soul ballad ("Wondering Why") bypassed radio gatekeepers to go viral.

Explore the "Gospel of the Gulf" and the unshakeable bond of a band that refused to compromise their Sun Records roots for a record deal. Listen now to understand the true cost of authenticity and the resilience required to become the most important new voice in Southern Rock.