KING NAMED A BILLBOARD ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
KING TO PERFORM AT STAGECOACH THIS WEEKEND
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sony Music Nashville artist and Fayetteville, GA native Zach John King today releases new track, “Backwoods.” Listen HERE.
In the midst of jam-packed year, King caught up with a hometown friend, realizing how long it had been since he actually spent time in nature, where he feels the most grounded. Feeling inspired by this realization, King sat down with Rhett Akins, Beau Bailey, and Michael Lotten to write “Backwoods.” The track immerses listeners into King’s picturesque world of the “Backwoods” where he finds an escape from the chaos of the world with hunting, fishing, and spending time with family, or as he calls it, “the closest thing I’ve seen to heaven.” Produced by Ryan Wilson, “Backwoods” is tied together with King’s signature blend of country, indie rock, and vivid storytelling.
“”Backwoods” is a fun one,” King shared. “It was written after I was talking to my buddy from high school. He still lives back home in Fayetteville. He asked me how life was going and kind of called me out for always writing about my love for hunting and fishing and being outdoors, and then said, ‘You ain’t even had time to get back in a deer stand with me.’ And I think that really got my wheels spinning on what I love and where I actually find peace and quiet. Being in this crazy business, you get to see so many wonderful places in the world, but you end up missing the woods, and the sounds of the cicadas, and the sound of the whippoorwills, and just being out where nobody’s around you. I’m real proud of this song. We wrote it really quickly off a really sick guitar lick, and it’s just straight up me.”
In addition to releasing new music, King was recently named Billboard’s March Country Rookie of the Month. Read the interview HERE.
After wrapping dates with Vincent Mason and Jon Pardi earlier this year, King will also bring his high-energy set to the star-studded Stagecoach lineup this weekend, performing on Sunday, April 26. Additionally, he is also currently touring with country giant Morgan Wallen again this year and will hit the road with Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Riley Green, Thomas Rhett later this summer.
Additionally, King’s recent single, “Get To Drinkin’” is currently spinning at country radio with Country Insider remarking, “Zach John King’s 2026 calendar is full. Radio success will make it fuller.” The track is currently in the Top 35 and climbing on the Mediabase Country and Billboard Country Airplay charts.
Pairing the reflective insight of a roots poet with the edgy intensity of raw alt-rock, Sony Music Nashville artist Zach John King is pushing country in a brand new (yet-strangely-familiar) direction – straight toward the truth, no matter where it leads. Raised in Fayetteville, Georgia and a lyricist first (with multiple generations of poets in the family), the rising star grew up old school but dreaming of escape. A fan of everything from George Jones and Otis Redding to The Police and Third Eye Blind, King fronted an indie-rock band through college before making the move to Nashville in 2021. Whether it was through power chords and pounding drums or bare-knuckle balladry, his minimalistic country-meets-rock sound resulted in a series of independent releases before King’s 2024 breakout single, “Wannabe Cowboy.” The conflicted confessional ballad stands in bold contrast to country’s chest thumping identity anthems and has so far garnered 6.7 million streams worldwide. The past year and a half have been a whirlwind for King, as the emerging artist was selected for MusicRow’s Next Big Thing Class of 2026, Country Now’s 10 Artists to Watch in 2026, Holler’s 20 New Artists for 2026, and more. He also joined the lineup for Morgan Wallen’s “I’m The Problem Tour” as an opener last summer, an opportunity that confirms King’s “widely acknowledged status as a future star of the genre,” Holler. King has also previously toured with and opened for artists including Luke Bryan, Dylan Scott, Gavin Adcock, Nate Smith, ERNEST, Vincent Mason, and Bayker Blankenship. Additionally, the rising star released a new EP last spring, Slow Down, a project that is “sure to make fans new and old flock to the singer in droves,” Country Swag.
With new music out now, a new chapter begins, and there’s much more on tap. King will keep exploring the raw, rootsy borderlands where country and rock collide, wielding electric guitars, a smoky vocal edge and little else. For more information, visit zachjohnking.com.