# The Red Clay Strays

The Red Clay Strays is an American country rock band formed in Mobile, Alabama. They are best known for their 2022 single "Wondering Why", which saw success in late 2023 after going viral on the social media platform TikTok. The song became their first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 71.

## Career
### 2016–2020: Initial formation

The Red Clay Strays formed as the successor to a cover band in Mobile, Alabama in 2016, consisting of lead singer Brandon Coleman, bassist Andrew Bishop, and guitarist Drew Nix. As the group started to perform more original material, they regrouped and formed the Red Clay Strays, adding drummer John Hall and guitarist Zach Rishel in the process. The group continued to perform locally in smaller venues across the southeastern United States and built up a local following, signing with management company Ontourage Management in 2019. In November 2019, they released the single "Good Godly Woman", which was featured in the film Doctor Sleep. They followed this with the singles "No Way to Know" and "Will the Lord Remember Me" in 2020. However, the group had to step back from touring due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.

### 2020–2023: Moment of Truth and continued growth

Funded primarily by crowdfunding efforts spurred by manager Cody Payne, the group recorded their debut studio album Moment of Truth in Huntsville, Alabama. The group self-released the album in April 2022, but did not see much commercial success initially. In 2023, the group signed with talent agency WME and began talks with labels. While they initially wanted to remain independent, the group signed with Thirty Tigers in May 2023. This was followed by performances at festivals including Lollapalooza and CMA Fest. In August 2023, they released their first live EP as part of media platform Western AF's YouTube series Live AF.

### 2023–present: Commercial breakthrough

Throughout 2023, the Red Clay Strays started building traction on social media, culminating in "Wondering Why" going viral on TikTok in September. "Wondering Why" was initially released in March 2022 as a single from Moment of Truth and saw a boost on streaming services in late 2023 due to the Live AF performance of the song going viral. The song became the group's first song to enter a Billboard chart when it debuted on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart at number 33 on the chart dated November 25. In December, it became their first Billboard Hot 100 entry when it debuted at number 93. This coincided with their Way Too Long headlining tour, which concluded in March 2024. Also in March 2024, the group signed a record deal with RCA Records, followed by a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music in April 2024. They also added keyboardist and organist Sevans Henderson around the same time. In August 2024, the group embarked on a five-show tour in Europe. Additionally, the group released their second studio album, Made by These Moments, on July 26, 2024, which was produced by Dave Cobb. The lead single from this album, "Wanna Be Loved", was released on May 22, 2024. They also appear on the Twisters soundtrack with the song "Caddo County".

## Discography
### Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions :
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Details | US | US Am./ Folk | US Country | SCO | UK Sales | UK Country |
| Moment of Truth | Released: April 29, 2022 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download, streaming | — | 11 | 29 | 78 | 97 | 4 |
| Made by These Moments | Released: July 26, 2024 Label: RCA Formats: Digital download, streaming, CD, Vinyl | 29 | 6 | 9 | 53 | 48 | 3 |

### Live albums

List of live albums :
| Title | Details |
| Live at the Ryman | Released: November 15, 2024 Label: RCA Formats: Digital download, streaming |

### Live EPs

List of live EPs :
| Title | Details |
| The Red Clay Strays (Live AF Session) | Released: August 29, 2023 Label: Western AF Formats: Digital download, streaming |
| The Red Clay Strays Live AF from Callaghan's | Released: January 31, 2025 Label: RCA, HBYCO Formats: Digital download, streaming |

### Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name :
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
| Title | Year | US | US Country | US Rock | CAN | NZ Hot | Certifications | Album |
| "Good Godly Woman" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "No Way to Know" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Will the Lord Remember Me" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Doin' Time" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | | Moment of Truth |
| "Wondering Why" | 2022 | 71 | 18 | 10 | 52 | — | RIAA: Platinum | Moment of Truth |
| "Sunshine (Western AF Version)" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | | Moment of Truth |
| "Wanna Be Loved" | 2024 | 100 | 27 | 18 | — | 38 | | Made by These Moments |
| "Devil in My Ear" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | | Made by These Moments |
| "Drowning" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | | Made by These Moments |

### Other charted songs

List of other charted songs, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name :
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | US Rock | Album |
| "I'm Still Fine" | 2024 | 34 | Made by These Moments |

### Guest appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name :
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
| "Caddo County" | 2024 | — | Twisters: The Album |

## Tours

Headlining
* Way Too Long Tour (2023–2024)
* Get Right Tour (2025)
Opening
* Hackney Diamonds Tour (2024) (with The Rolling Stones)

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
| 2024 | Americana Music Honors & Awards | Emerging Artist of the Year | Themselves | Won | |
| 2024 | Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Group of the Year | Themselves | Nominated |