Every once in a while someone sends me a tip that ends up becoming the highlight of my week.
My colleague Brandy has developed a reputation for introducing me to artists before the rest of the world catches on, so when she told me to give Oklahoma singer-songwriter Logan Mac a listen, I didn’t waste much time.
I’m glad I didn’t.
After spending some time with his music, one thing became crystal clear. Logan Mac is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Oklahoma artists. Honest songs. Real stories. No unnecessary polish. Just beautifully written music that punches you square in the chest and somehow leaves you grateful for it.
Oklahoma has quietly become one of the country’s greatest songwriting resources. Wyatt Flores has been carrying that torch. Lance Roarke has carved out his own lane. Now I honestly think Logan Mac deserves to be mentioned in the same conversation.
The first song that grabbed me was “Dance Under Stars,” a tribute to his late father that originally started as something he simply needed to get off his chest. He shared it online without any grand marketing plan, and it exploded, eventually collecting millions of views and introducing people around the world to a songwriter most of us had never heard of. Sometimes the songs that mean the most to the artist end up meaning the most to everyone else, too.
It’s heartbreaking without being manipulative. Personal without feeling exclusive. Even if your story isn’t his story, you’ll probably find yourself thinking about someone you’ve loved and lost before the song is over.
It also explains why people like Radney Foster have taken Logan under their wing. He’s already been opening shows for Foster and Kelly Willis, recently appeared on WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, has been invited to perform on Music City Roots, and publications like American Songwriter and Rolling Stone Country have taken notice. His debut album, Til The Ground, has also been finding an audience in a big way, with streaming numbers climbing rapidly.
Success doesn’t surprise me nearly as much as timing does. I think we’re still early.
Country music has spent the last few years reminding everyone that listeners will always find authenticity when it’s there. Trends come and go. Viral moments come and go. Great songs stick around. That’s why I think Logan Mac is going to become a household name over the next year.
Maybe not overnight. Maybe not with fireworks and flashy headlines. But artist by artist, fan by fan, song by song. That’s usually how careers with real staying power are built.
Don’t forget… we published the same about Indie folk artist Willi Carlisle after seeing him in a neighborhood Arkansas brewery, and now he’s putting out a record produced by Tyler Childers.
Here at CountryMusicNewsBlog.com, we spend plenty of time covering the biggest names in country music. But one of my favorite parts of this job is getting to introduce readers to artists before they’re selling out theaters. I have a feeling this is one of those moments.
Logan will be performing on Music City Roots on Wednesday, August 26th. This will follow on the heels of his performance on the globally syndicated show WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour in Lexington, KY on Monday, July 20th.