The Red Clay Strays On Why Gen Z Connects With Their Music & More

The Red Clay Strays caught up with Billboard's Tetris Kelly at the CMA Awards 2024.

Transcript

00:00Hanging out at the CMA Awards with the Red Clay Straits. How are you guys doing? Great, buddy

00:03So big nomination night vocal group of the year. How did you celebrate it? I don't think we have yet

00:09I don't know. You didn't just celebrate the nomination. Just that getting that far. I think we have five probably

00:14Just a simple little high five and I love that you guys started as a cover band

00:18So I know you guys have to kill it at karaoke. Tell me somebody's favorite karaoke songs

00:23Hire by Creed for sure. Wow, you bring out the Creed, bro. Can you take me higher?

00:30Yes, come on. I just went back to middle school right in my head just now

00:34That was amazing and then wondering why your first hot 100 hit so that's a really big deal

00:39Tell me why you guys feel like that song like resonated with people

00:41I think it resonates with people just because it's a love song

00:44I think I think that's what you know, people dream about falling in love and getting married and

00:48You don't really hear a lot of love songs that are popular anymore in today's music

00:53And I think it just kind of struck a nerve especially with it the generation below us Gen Z

00:57I think Gen Z really uh just connected with that song man because

01:02All of a sudden just all these younger people were interested in this one

01:05It was older, you know people in their 30s and 40s that were that were our main fan base

01:09But that song really did bring in the younger generation for us. I think okay

01:12Gen Z collect and looking for love and

01:15And then how is it to see the crowd singing it back to you guys, how's that feel it's surreal for real

01:20I take my ears out every night when we play it just just to be able to hear the response like that

01:25It's it's amazing. There's no drug on earth that you can it's always a

01:29And then of course now that you did a little karaoke for me. I got to ask you guys this Christmas is around the corner

01:34So what's the Christmas jam? What's the one that you guys like to play to get ready?

01:37You don't really play Christmas music. No, there's not what not a little Mariah

01:41I mean get this grunge this Grinch out of here. I mean, I love Christmas music and we played a Camp Aska

01:47It's a special needs camp and they wanted to hear some Christmas songs

01:50So we just I told him the chords and we just you know winged it. But yeah, we've never just performed

01:57At our shows Christmas music before

02:03Silent night is my favorite Christmas song. Yeah, yeah, we've never just performed at our shows Christmas music before

02:08Silent night is my favorite Christmas song. Yeah, he's very classy guy classy guy baby Bruce Springsteen

02:16This guy had it the whole time I did I've been waiting on you buddy