As a spellbinding storyteller, sharp songwriter, powerhouse performer and history-making, platinum-certified phenomenon, Bailey Zimmerman has surged to the forefront of 21st century country music and popular culture, at large.
His story has personified the American dream from the get-go, and he’ll share its exciting next chapter on May 12 with the release of his full-length debut LP, Religiously. The Album. via Warner Music Nashville/Elektra Records. The album finds Zimmerman making a statement, amplifying tried-and-true country stories with unapologetic arena rock ambition and electrifying power from every angle. Establishing himself as one of music’s most exciting new voices, Zimmerman arrived at the cusp of superstardom with the 2022 release of his debut EP, Leave The Light On – the biggest streaming country debut of all time and the most streamed all-genre debut of the year. A young artist with the rasp of a seasoned rocker and the heart of a sensitive songwriter, Zimmerman strikes a sweet spot between timeless American country, rafter-rattling arena rock, and the kind of authentic storytelling that tugs at the heartstrings with a sense of humor and a whole lot of soul. It’s why in just three years’ time, he’s already logged more than one billion global streams, earned his first pair of Platinum, No. 1 hit singles and notched multiple entries across numerous music charts. “I want my music to mean something,” he exclaims. “I want it to make people feel something, to have an impact on their life. I think that’s what makes it connect so well with the audience.” Growing up in the small town of Louisville, IL, Zimmerman spent countless Sundays at the local car dealership his grandfather owned, listening to Grandpa Zimmerman and his buddies regale everyone with the kind of stories you never forget. “I learned you want the very first thing someone hears to grab them,” he states. “That’s why I focus so much on the first line of a song.”
By the time he hit high school, Zimmerman picked up a gig at the local meat market, where he learned old school American values of hard work and dependability (“And how to skin a deer,” he adds). After earning a coveted union card for Laborers Local 97, Zimmerman set off to work long hours on the gas pipeline. He also developed his family-bred talent for customizing and lifting pickup trucks, and quickly amassed a following within the online truck community.
At the same time, he discovered his natural musical talent and began to sing whenever there was a guitar nearby. Blown away by his distinct voice, friends pushed him to pursue music. He began writing songs with friend Gavin Lucas, who helped him pen the track “Never Comin’ Home.” They released a garage-recorded guitar-vocal demo online for fun and, propelled by his modest following of truck enthusiasts, the track reeled in over a million plays overnight. By lunchtime the next day, he turned in his union card.
“From 18 to 20, I was just kind of numb all the time,” he explains. “Now I've got emotion back. I can feel things. Writing music has really helped me get out of that state.”
As demand for more music intensified, Zimmerman fueled his meteoric rise with one anthem after another, managing to ignite television audiences and incite applause from hard-nosed music critics across the country as well. By 2023, he’d been tapped by Morgan Wallen to join his monumental 2023 One Night At A Time Tour, currently selling out football stadiums coast-to-coast.
However, Bailey Zimmerman’s story is only just getting started.
“I’ve cried a bunch. I'm in a state of mind that appreciates what's going on, all the time,” he adds. “I feel like God is telling me, ‘This is your time. Right now. You wanna chase something? Chase this.’”