COLT GRAVES

Colt Graves' musical journey has been quite unusual, to say the least, ebbing and flowing from folk to Christian rap to country, ultimate arriving at a style that takes in elements of all three genres - "country-hybrid," as he calls it. Multi-talented, the Owensboro singer-songwriter comes from a long line of musicians; most notably, his grandfather Josh "King of the Dobro" Graves, who played with the legendary bluegrass duo Flatt & Scruggs, is a member of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. So that's the direction Colt first headed as a musical newbie, following in his grandfather's folk footsteps. But by the time he turned 16, his environment had changed quite significantly; Graves found himself on his own, a situation that impacted his outlook on music, among other things. "I moved into some rougher areas and neighborhoods and really learned a completely different lifestyle," he says, adding that he found God during this time period. "I started rapping because that's what was around me." Cementing his newfound faith, Graves became a Christian in 2014 and, through the encouragement of those around him, dipped his toes into Christian rap, producing a series of well-received singles and videos.

Then all went quiet for a number of years as Graves put music on the backburner. Now a family man, he was determined to become a better father, a better husband, a better human. Still, he continued to write songs with others behind the scenes, including R&B artists from Clarksville, Tennessee, all the while itching to kick it solo again. "I just needed to learn how to balance my time - but I finally got the hang of how to be the best parent I can, but work and be creative, too," Graves explains. Not only did he figure things out, he re-emerged with a truly exciting new sound, releasing a run of singles in 2022 that reflected his country-hybrid vision - songs like "Lonesome Roads" and "Crazy" that, at their core, were dark acoustic folk songs nodding to Graves' musical roots; but given a country edge and imbued with a little hip-hip flavor, they became different beasts altogether.

Not to mention the lyrics had some serious bite. "I like to address things that people won't talk about like mental health and a lot of the time music is my medicine," Graves says.

Most impressively, "Lonesome Roads" and "Crazy," thanks to Graves' invaluable management team, were supported by cinematic videos of the highest quality with gripping storylines. In fact, the latter, with its sinister, Dexter-like premise, has racked up hundreds of thousands of views online. And another amazing clip is on the way for Graves' latest single "Dirt On Me" which debuted to much fanfare on May 11, hitting #13 on iTunes Country and #2 on the Amazon country chart. "We are growing and evolving with each new release," Graves notes. "I'm working every day towards this being a full-time gig."

Catch Colt Graves at Owensboro PorchFest on June 10!

For more info, follow Colt Graves on Facebook or visit coltgraves.com