By Mallory Legg
I’ve been listening to country music since my childhood; it has always been an essential genre for my listening habits. That said, country music has historically seemed to be a polarizing genre. It does not mix with pop, nor do many Brits seem to take to it. Some of my friends even pretend that it causes painful ringing in their ears.
But country music is experiencing a renaissance (which you read even more about here). It seems to have started with the drastic rise in popularity of folk artist Noah Kahan. For the ten weeks it remained in the top ten, Stick Season was the soundtrack to many people's lives.
Photo: Holler Country
Following closely behind, Tyler Childers went viral, with hits like Lady May and All Your’n becoming the jingle behind many videos on social media platforms. The real breakthrough, for me at least, was when Zach Bryan came to the forefront, more so than Morgan Wallen (though many may fight me on this). Zach Bryan, since his Heading South debut in 2019, and specifically post-COVID, after Noah Kahan reached popularity, has been a consistent download on many Spotify playlists. In fact, with the release of his LP Zach Bryan in 2023, all 16 of his tracks were in the Billboard Top 50, and he tripled up at no. 1 on Artist 100.
So who are The Castellows?
This renaissance that started with (but is by no means limited to) the above country and folk artists is one of the first occasions in which I have seen an affectionate incorporation of country music culture into the pop rotation. Zach Bryan mixes with The Lumineers in Spotless and with Maggie Rogers in Dawns. And lest we not forget that Beyonce, one of the absolute greats in modern-day pop music, has reinvented her sound to embrace the Texan within in her new album Cowboy Carter. With her seal of approval, Country is back.
So here I give you my up-and-coming band, the ones who have been picked up by the country crowd but have yet to be seen by new country converts outside the American South. They are three sisters from a cattle farm in Georgia: The Castellows.
Photo: The Castellows
There's something about family members singing together that invites an angelic, almost puzzle-piece-like harmonizing ability that melds the voices into one coherent sound. It’s a characteristic that no other non-family band could ever truly accomplish (apart from Eagles, in my opinion): The Castellows have this spark. I found the trio on a late-night Instagram scroll when one of their now ever-present outdoor covers popped up on my feed. They were covering Zach Bryan’s Something in the Orange.
Quickly, I ran to Spotify. They had no music. I knew that this was a group I would begin to follow, and with every barnyard session, I became more and more obsessed with the prospect of them releasing new music and entering the country rotation. Within months, they began to tease singles, which were then released: No. 7 Road and Hurricane, both of which now have over a million streams. Eventually, they released their long-awaited EP, A Little Goes A Long Way. As a music lover, and especially as a country lover, do not take it lightly when I say this is one of the best EPs I have ever streamed. There was not one song I did not download within 30 seconds of testing it. Heartline Hill, most specifically (with just under 150,000 streams), is the song that showed the kind of potential these women have in the industry.
Photo: The Castellows Facebook
It exhibits how they stick to the foundation of country music, staying loyal to the sound of the banjo and not folding to the sort of pop country that threatens the classic sounds and substructure that greats like George Strait, Dolly Parton, and Hank Williams JR constructed throughout their careers. That said, their sound is unique. Hints of classic rock with subtle folk drape over the depth of country and create this ‘neo-traditional’ sound. It’s unlike anything that is a part of the music industry currently. It is only a matter of time before they skyrocket into stardom as they begin to open for bands like The Red Clay Strings and perform festivals alongside Country legends like Eric Church and Keith Urban as well as Pop legends like Ed Sheeran, Hozier, and The Killers.
What does the future hold for Country and The Castellows?
Country music is undoubtedly undergoing a renaissance. As it happens, we are watching some of the best artists alive today grow in popularity throughout every genre as Country begins to integrate itself into the everyday listener's rotation. Simultaneously, we are watching and waiting for those undiscovered greats to release albums that will get them not just onto the Billboard Hot 100 or the top charts but albums that will see them into the halls of fame. The Castellows, I think, are one of those bands.
Listen to The Castellows here.