A Navy veteran from Oklahoma, Zach Bryan earned his stripes in the music industry after videos of his emotionally-intense performances went viral on Twitter and Reddit. He was a prominent figure in 2019-2020 independent country music, and gained a large following for his no-frills counter-approach to recording and releasing music.

Before his online stardom, Zach Bryan (born April 2, 1996) never intended to become a musician, and only shared his songs on the internet because he “didn’t know what else to do with them”. His fans' unexpected demand for his music however, incentivized him to juggle his 12-hour work days in the Navy with songwriting. During this “fast and chaotic” portion of his career, Zach self-released his first two albums and signed with a major label for a later EP. His sharp lyricism had critics comparing him to professional songwriters, and his stories paired with his “drunk boys in a BnB” recording approach to build a captivating brand of authenticity.

As Zach’s clout continued to grow, the singer-songwriter reached a crossroads in his life in 2021. Undertaking a social media hiatus to re-assess his priorities, Zach eventually announced his honorable discharge from the Navy to pursue music full-time. He headlined his first tour shortly after, and his music was featured on the TV series Yellowstone.