In his darkest moments, Waylon Wyatt has always had music. Through profound loss and unexpected triumph, it became his compass, a steady guide that led straight from the heart. Before the viral TikTok videos and record deals, Waylon was just a teenager learning to play guitar and write his own songs. With his faith and family as his foundation, he poured every ounce of himself into his music, never knowing it could lead to a career as an artist.
Since 2024, Wyatt has been on a whirlwind rise through the ranks of country music. After attending his first concert last February and now opening for the Turnpike Troubadours at Red Rocks Amphitheatre just over a year later, he has quickly made a name for himself. He shared, “Ever since I started creating my own music, I’ve wanted to play Red Rocks…it was so beautiful”. Known for his raw, unpolished sound, Waylon has caught the attention of many, striking deep with his down-to-earth approach to songwriting.
From humble beginnings in the small town of Hackett, Arkansas, Waylon Wyatt has always been a hard worker. With his father owning a construction company and his mother working two jobs at times, he learned early on that good things don’t always come easily. Even as a touring musician, he still spends lots of time with family. He explained, “They will keep me grounded no matter what. I’m still taking out the trash and doing the dishes, but you know, I’ve always looked up to the way they do things. My dad took up the construction company after his dad, and it’s not so much that he wanted to, but it’s what he had to do to keep his family thriving”.
Waylon’s musical journey began when he was young and living in a time of grief. He explained, “The reason I ever picked the guitar in the first place is because I lost my older brother. He passed away a while back… He took his own life… Playing guitar was one of his biggest hobbies, so it was my way of remembering him and like giving thanks to him.” For Wyatt, part of the healing process was listening to Tyler Childers. He shared, “I discovered his music during that phase of depression, and it helped me cope just as much as learning guitar did. When I listened to him, I just loved his way of writing songs, and it was a big inspiration towards the way I write songs.” If you know his music, you can likely hear his influences from artists like Childers, Wyatt Flores, and Turnpike Troubadours.
After listening to a lot of Tyler Childers, Waylon decided it was time to put his pen to paper, and it wasn’t long before his songs struck a chord. Waylon shared a story about the first time he uploaded his own music to TikTok. “I showed a buddy of mine a song I wrote called “Everything Under The Sun,” and he loved it, so he told me to put it out there for everyone else to hear. At the time, I was very skeptical of social media and everything because I knew it was just drama and a bunch of keyboard warriors… But he was determined to get me to put it somewhere”. So I put it up on TikTok, and I had a feeling that people were gonna bash me in the comments, but it actually got a lot of love and support, and overnight that video grew to about 100,000 likes or so…”
Not long after that video was posted, many record labels began to reach out to Waylon. Amid all the attention, he knew not to accept the first offer he had heard, although one label, Darkroom Records, stuck out to him. “They called the company number that was on the hat I was wearing in the video and got a Zoom meeting set up… A week after, they flew down and recorded a few songs I had written prior to it, and then two weeks after, I signed with them.”
One of the highlights of Waylon Wyatt’s career has been connecting with his fans through live performances. Never expecting to go further than songwriting, being on stage was a surprise and a blessing for him, and talking to fans afterward made it all the more rewarding. He shared, “I wrote that song “Phoning Heaven” for my brother who passed away, and people come up to me and tell me how that song helped them cope with the feelings that they got after losing their loved ones.” Waylon is enjoying the days when he doesn’t need too much security at shows, allowing him to have these interactions without needing to sell VIP packages.
Waylon’s family has played a significant role in who he is, and so does his faith. Opening up about his belief, he explained, “I’m a God-fearing man, you know? I’m a believer in Christ, and a verse that has always stuck with me is Colossians 3:23; it reads, “Whatever you do, do with all your heart, working for the Lord and not human masters.” Keeping biblical scripture close to his heart, Wyatt remembers that his work, whether on stage or off, is a form of service and dedication beyond just himself, grounding his purpose in something greater than fame or success.
Waylon recently announced the release of an upcoming EP, which is set to be released this summer. Here’s what he had to say about the project: “The title track is actually my dad’s favorite. It’s probably my favorite, too, because I’m a big fan of slow songs, and “Out of the Blue” is one of those slower breakup songs… The whole EP has also brought in a lot more instruments. Plus, I actually recorded this one in a studio, whereas the first one was recorded in my kitchen. So you know? We’re making progress.”
Waylon Wyatt’s new EP, “Out of the Blue,” will be available everywhere on Friday, June 7th.
