We had the incredible chance to sit and chat with country’s next megastar, Redferrin, a couple of months after the release of his debut EP and first trip over to the UK for Country 2 Country. Check out as we chat about both of those, as well as his future plans with releases and touring!

Sadly, due to technical difficulties it is just a written one for now. However, fingers crossed I can fix that soon and release what I can of the audio!

We’ve been trying to chat since before C2C, what was that like?

Oh man, it was an eye opening, bucket list experience for me. I just got a passport for that, I’d never left the country until then. I’ve always been a blue-collar construction guy, never had any need to travel abroad, never knew how I could. That was so fun for me, to get to see people singing the songs all the way across the world. Get to soak up some other cultures, too. It was real inspiring, we wrote a song out there and recorded one in London. It’s called ‘Long As There’s a Bar’. We might call it ‘London Town’, I don’t know. But yeah, it was very impactful on me; it changed me in a good way.

I imagine there’s a fair difference between playing in the UK to the US?

Yes sir! The biggest difference I’ve noticed between here and there is mainly the way they listen. It’s almost like a writers round. At first you think maybe they don’t like you. Then the third chorus they all sing every word and it’s like ‘oh, y’all do know the song!’. It’s like they’re hanging on every word, they want to hear what you’re saying instead of sing over you. I thought it was so sweet, how they show artists such kindness and respect. The way they listen is really impactful.

Even watching other artists, the kindness and respect they have… like my microphone cut out at the O2. They had been really quiet, all the way going through the first two thirds of the song they were silent. Then my mic started cutting out and they got so loud. They had my back and carried me through the song until my mic came back on. That was one of the most impactful moments ever for me because, like I said, I didn’t even think they knew the song! It was special man, it was really cool!

You put out the EP about a month or so ago now right? What’s it like to see the reaction to it?

It came out February 16th, so we’re running on about two months now, I can’t believe it!

Man, getting that project out was special to me. I wanted to do one for a long time. My music has such a range, it’s so diverse, that sometimes a single at a time it’s just kinda hard to really understand what I’m about. To hear it all cohesively and as one big story, I’m hopefully that it’s kinda shined a light on what I’m about and what stories I wanna tell. Maybe people feel a little safer to dive in. So it’s been really sweet. And the response has been amazing, way more than I could have asked for. I’m just super thankful and inspired to make another project!

I’ve just been trying to hold on and keep up!

Are you thinking of another EP for it?

Yeah, I guess that’s kinda the plan for now. I want it to be a continuation. They [the label] didn’t want to drop an album right away. Honestly, I felt like I had 10 great songs, but I didn’t have 15 or 20 that I really wanted to put together. A lot of them felt a little more singular. I think this will be a continuation of that first one. Show a different side of me but make sure it’s still connected to what I just did. I want people to feel that consistency and safety, like they know what they’re gonna get from me, not that it’s gonna be a different song every time. It’s fun, it’s coming off really nice.

We’ve been writing this one a little bit different, kinda writing it all on guitar instead of to tracks. I think it’s made a big difference in the melodies and some of the storytelling. It’s a little freer doing it that way. I think it’s gonna be pretty fun, I can’t wait to share these new ones!

You’ve got quite a busy year planned, right?

Yes sir, it’s getting pretty crazy now. It’s about every weekend, which I’m super thankful for. We’re touring with Billy Currington, which is one of my favourite artists ever. I don’t want to make him feel old but he got me through some of my first breakups ever! So to be able to hear those songs live… and we’ve talked about writing some songs on this tour, so to know that I’m gonna be able to pick up a guitar with Billy is gonna be insane. Really looking forward to that.

We’ve got festivals coming. C2C is the only one I’ve ever done. So looking forward to getting to play some of these and just keep interacting with people. Gonna do a headlining tour. Gonna come back over to the UK. Hopefully this fall. I don’t have any specific dates yet, but like I said, that trip was so impactful for me and talking to everyone there and they said they might want to bring us back, so I just can’t wait to get back out there. It was really good for me.

You’re playing with Luke Combs too, right?

Yeah, this weekend actually, I’ll be doing the tailgate show and kicking things off. That’s kinda a bucket list thing too. He’s one of the dudes right now. To be put in the same sort of conversations and be able to come be a small part of his show is really special. So shoutout Luke and Whiskey Jim and thank y’all for giving us the chance to come and play these songs!

I imagine you approach a gig like that differently to your own headline show?

Yeah, you know you get a little less time so you’ve gotta make the songs count. You’ve gotta be a bit quicker with your words in between, and be a little tighter and more intentional. If you have two hours you can kinda cut a little loose here and there. I like the differences. I have a lot of fun opening for other folks as you don’t know if they’re there for you or them. It’s a chance to maybe bring in some new people or nail down your own ones a little better. It’s a win win all round!

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of?

I mean I would love to go out with Post Malone. Him or someone like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift level people who can sell a stadium out three nights in a row. If you can get on something like that that would be bucket list! I think the biggest reason is to see how it works, and to see behind the scenes. There’s so much that goes into just getting me to open. I know what goes into being a drummer so I can’t imagine a million dollar light rig being set up every night! It’s a lot to think about so to be able to see it in action and realise what it takes to get it done would be really inspiring.

I think stuff like that helps me dream, makes it seem a little more realistic, like maybe one day I could do it. It’d be sweet and really give me some fuel to keep pushing, so big prays for that to happen one day!

If you could have written one song, what would it be?

Man, I got asked that recently and it’s so tough, there’s so many I love! I’m not too good at writing what I like to all Disney songs: made up songs. Pretty much everything I write I really went through, or one of my buddies really went through. But ‘Folsom Prison Blues’, I know that Johnny never shot nobody. But he told that story like it really happened. It really inspired me, stuff like that makes me want to be more creative. I feel like people relate when I tell stories a little more than when I make them up, but man I wish I could make one up that good!