On The Heels Of Their Debut EP ‘Boot Up,’ Southerland Shares Their Origin and Staying True To Themselves

On the latest episode of Surviving the Music Industry with Brandon Harrington podcast, the guys of Southerland jump on the show to talk about what has happened for them throughout their career, up until their latest debut EP, Boot Up, which will be releasing on May 28. Chris Rogers and Matt Chase share everything from getting noticed in Key West, scams, past jobs, writing from a place of authenticity, and even if the swag of country heroes can be replicated today.

Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Brooks and Dunn, and so many others all have something in common, according to Chris and Matt of Southerland. It’s swag. The Southerland duo jump on a zoom call just before they release their debut EP, Boot Up to share the complexities of replicating and even carrying the sounds of what makes country music what it was.

According to Chris, “I’m not trying to chase anything. I’m just trying to take how I grew up and what I listened to and put it into music.” It’s worked in his favor so far. Matt goes on to share the duo’s discovery story and how they were basically signed on the spot by Lynn Oliver Cline (Luke Combs, Jameson Rogers), River House Artists owner, and now are a part of the Sony Nashville family in recent months.

Through the course of conversation and the sharing of former jobs, the guys reveal that they aren’t an overnight success as they have been working and learning things along the way for about a decade. The biggest lesson though was that it was important to stick to their guns—putting their “Southerland” sound to their music while others might drift to pop or hip-hop influences. They both confirm that they love all music, but for them, it’s about honoring their heroes and proving they have their own swag to offer to the world.

The conversation also includes the pressures of writing a hit and the supplemental process of Tik Tok, scams or even lessons learned from past deals, and their authentic process of writing their music. The Boot Up EP is hitting streaming platforms on May 28t and you can pre-save now. For Surviving the Music Industry with Brandon Harrington, you can visit www.smipodcast.com for additional links and content. You can also listen, follow, and subscribe to the podcast here.